The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-04-08
A VERY SINGULAR CRIME.
WILL TINS ne 1DDED 10 THE LIST or
MrSIERIOUS NUMBERS?

WILL TINS ne ADDED 10 THE LIST or
MrSIERIOUS MURDERS
a Real Estate Agent Found Unconsctous and
Covered with Wounds In hts own Once-
10th Money and Diamonds LEFT INT ouched
PHILADELPHIA, April Tho murdcrOus
assault upon William G. Martin. a real estate
agent whose Office Ia ut 323 South Fifth street
seems lkely TO be added TO the long list of mys-
terious Grimes. The Times says that William
G. Martin and James Martin nrc tho sons and
successors in business Of the late Joseph NJ.
Martin, the former well-known contractor and
real estate agent. The family OF Joseph Martin
occupy n threc-story brick house few doors
from the corner Of Spruce street. Tho FIRST
story front room. looking out on Fifth street.
ia tho one occupied by the sons IA their oflico
| The street door is always left open in daytime
being the public entrance to the office. Enter
ing this door n side door opens into the ofllco
| from the vestibule Past this side door is tho
vestibule door. which is always kept closed.
| This Is the only open means Of access to tho
onice tssssssptreeS .0sssare ..Glret eI enc
frances to the Office from the inside OF the
house. One is side door exactly like the first
but beyond tho vestibule door; the other s a
pair of folding doors. opening at tho back OF
| the Office into the parlor.
| Near these folding doors ia tho desk occupied
Ivy William. in which is usually kept during
| business hours the firms realy money In u
! lcnthcrn- toitomcd chair behind this desk Will
! liam TX accustomed to ait. with his back to tho
! folding doors and his face, looking toward tho
| two street window being able to SEQ from this
! opposite sidewalk. The desk Of the other
| brother is near the south front window IL
! faces tho urtuesi side door. or public entrance
| 50 thnt when seated at his desk James looks up
| the street ms II were. while William looks
across. Usually when James is ont william
nffIHM M .N.| ia faf. .HYN
| nnd more convenient TO those who come in on
| business.
James and the rest Of tho family went 10 attend
| a." funeral OF the widow OF the lat" Co. John
| Thompson. Two hours before. or at about |
| O'Clock. The brothers had drawn 81 0OO from the
/ Southwark Bank to make payments - several
! parties who were to call between and 4. When
| ms brother and the other members OF the lam
! lily started 10 the funeral William locked this
| money NJ in his desk and ms usual. removed his
| seat go his brothers desk. near on" oi th" front
| windows. These windows have ordinary cloth
shndes. which nre always raised. The only
| other person IN the house wHs an Irish servant
girl. who. besides being employed in the Httic
at the time. Is not very sound Of hearing;
| or what occurred between o'clock when the
! family left. and quarter past T. when they re-
! furniture the cufis that William was wearing
the broken chairs all with their fearful stains
broken desk io,ks and the hleedine unron.
s'ious and almost dying form OF william can
give evidence.
At about a quarter 10 4 o'clock when James.
in advance OF the others. walked up the stops.
| the street door WAS omen. ns usual; the blinds at
the Office windows were raised. as usual. But,
| OH ~ was locked james shook the knob and
rnttlcd the door until he was sure that there
went to the vestihle door which is always
locked. and raped on the glass. This brought
the servant girl, who opened II. James. fancy
ing William had stepped out on business. then
turned the knob OF tho other side door but to
psons bst sombne asY Was w9oS en
mind, and he rushed into the parlor and tried
one Of tho folding doors: II flew open and dis.
closed to his eyes fearful sight The wall OF
the room over by his own desk. near the win
dow. was spatered with blood almost half way
and strcamin ing with blood. which was dripping
slowly to the floor; His own chair was covered
with clots of blood. and the floor about the desk
was So bloody that when he walked over IL, the
soles Of his boots became sticky. and partially
William was seaicd in his leathor-bottomcd
chnir near tn" folding doors. with the chair
tha hack ~ tho chair. rested dineonnliy against
the door post. and his feet resting ON the desk.
he lay with mis- b al one mass Of blood and his
clothing stained from head to foot totally un-
conscious. His brother tried to place him IN "A
sitting posture. ana the arms of The chair gave
way. sliding down beneath the sent. showing
that IN the struggle they hRd been broken. The
desk was open and tho broken lock and the
marks of Jimmy or chisel ON the lid showed
how i had been opened To IN" surprise Qi all,
n" $1,000 lay IN TN box untouched and two
diamond rings belonging 90 "a" injured man lay
iu his desk. whore lie h. accustomed 30 let them
le sometimes during business hours.
II a bloody struggle. The chair and the door
post. against which his head HAD fallen. were
covered with blood. Bloody finger prints were on
We iolding doors ana on the sue door. Ihc
theory is mat the burglars. having enter"d.found
William seated at his brothers desk near the
window, and, while his head WAS down, without
warning struck him one or more blows; that.
then. lhinking that they had sileneed HIN, they
locked n" two side doors ana proceeded 20 ms
own desk. whore the money was, and pried It
opeL that William. with strength and con-
scousness enough 10 realize Wha they were
doing managed to get over TO his own desk
whore another struggle ensued that the thieves
interrupted in their work, and thinking that
they had killed him placed him In the chair as
he was found. and rushed on with what loose
touched. The bloody finger marks upon the
doors seem to indicate that they were alarmed
several umes whI9 NJ thelI worS aHi rushed ri
opening into the onlce were locked except the
folding doors ia the rear shows TINT they made
Vestibule door. closing the latter hard as they
went out. thus accounting for It's being fast
The thieves must have drawn the blinds when
;hey entered the office and raised them again
to prevent suspicion when they went ont. The
struggle coul hardly have taken place with the
window blinds up. as they were when the family
returned. Parties in the opposite houses say
that they can see from their windows everything
| going on In the Office. Nobody remembers. how
ever, looking in that direction during the time
when the attack must have occurred. The ser
want girl was ia the upper part OF tho house al.
most the whole time the family were absent and
knows nothing Nobody lNlng next door or
anywhere near remembers seeing ANYBODY enter
the Office Several persons, with whom there
were appointments on business called between
3 and o'clock; but finding the onloc door
locked went away again. II may hnvo been
their arrival that frightened the thieves or the
latter may have done their work anG 60, out II
the house before
The Injured man lies In the hospital still un-
conscious There are 1--WE deep wounds on the
head. Two are directly over the lcit temple, one
ia above the left eye; and there are two on the
back OF the head. The wounds are supposed
to have boeu inflicted 10y a backInck The hos
pia physicians fenr that. even II Martin re-
covers, his mind Will be permanently Affected.
DOGS TO BE EXHIBITED