The New York herald., 1879-12-24
A MURDEROUS NULATTO.
Desperate Battle in the Basement Of a
Fashionable Mansion.
ROBBERY AND ALMOST MURDER.
A Servant Girps Plucky but Un-
availing Fight.

in West Forty street. Perhans it the fact
that the offender in this instance Is akin
to the Hull murderer in color. or perhaps
his entrance of a substantial private residence
in spite of bolts and bars recalled certain circum
stances connected with that ladys tragic end: but
ut all events the invasion Of General John Hendrck
sons house ana tho sensational events that
CURED in 1t awoke in the minds of public and police
o thought of the doomed negro's crime. The victim
of yesterday is humble domestic. whose silence.
enforced by medical advice leaves the most interest
! ing part of the affair unexplained, but from her
casual utterances and the statement of fellow
domestic. who suffered almost severely as she
did, the circumstances Of the take the following
shape:-
When the family of General Hendrickson retired
Monday night the doors were all tried and the win
dows all fastened. 1t at later hour than usual
that these precautions TAKEN there had been
company at the house. and in consequence of the
stir and hustle Of the evening moro care was
taken than ordinarily to see everything adjusted.
! The inmates were not disturbed throughout the
night and suspicion entered their heads that the
house harbored intruder. The policeman
post equally oblivious Of anything being amiss.
| and when he passed at five O'Clock in tho morning
ana glanced down at the basement it seemed dark
| and quiet, though strange occupant were
moving about in it and no unfamiliar hands were
| plate.
| THE DISCOVERY.
| It was only fcw minutes later when Mary Bed
ford the cook whose sixty three years did not pre-
vent her busing about the kitchen early ever,
! came down stairs and made the discovery. It
| quite dark in the basement. The faint glimmer
| of early morning hardly penetrated the windows.
and the woman lighted candle its light
was projected into the front dining room from the
| ifchar ghara QfO a6 hat ana
! not alone there Leaning the table, with his
hands cropping among the articles of silverware
remained. there stood man.. who started up
as the candlelight reached him. and turned
upon the cook dark face made all the
| forbidding by its look Of anger and alarm. For
but then her terror found vent in shrek Of alarm
| that rang through the house. and. dropping the
candle she to n.y. The cry the in
to Ss-'is and forced her back. Old and inarm n
strength, and in the frenzy Of the moment She
struggled to release herself and forth another
though he beat down his clenched fist upon her
with all his might. They were in the centre Of the
she % was quickly sinking. 49, But her . cry ''ii had
been heard There was voice up STAIRS
throughout the house The intruder turned to the
dining room to make of, but the poor woman held on
limbs He had a weapon in his hand at the mo.
ment-a chisel. 1t seems to have been-and he
% the handle ed again and again upon her
s with liz cry to
hurried from the kitchen and just he'd the dining
room to ind the door open and meet another do
mestic hurrying in half dressed and full of excite
ment. 1t was Kate Brady. the waitress. slirn but
determined young woman Of twenty-tour whom
the cook had left in her room just as she
came down stairs few minutes before. The
woman's first cry of terror had reached her ears,
and. as she had heard the closing OF the door
and the half-smothered appeal for assistance,
she came out upon the landing and called
out to ask what was the matter. She bare
but the sounds were dreadfully significant
and she flew down stairs to answer them poor
Cleared the basement stairs aup" onen the Kitchens
door and there met q brawny. thckset mulatto. his
eyes rolling with excitement hiscomplexion changed
by extreme fright to q dull yellow. and with his
cienched fist ali swollen and blood-bespattered.
ANOTHER STRUGGLE
This unexpected meeting aroused all the evil in
stincts of the mans nature. As much in despair
in anger he fung himself upon the girl. clutched
bloody hand But Kate Brady did not finch. She
| freed her throat broke loose from her assalant
mounted moi % couple Of steps. how however, r. wheg nss
he was upon her and then began struggle between
But in the space it could not be carried on
long. The mulatto. furious at being detained and
maddened by his victims resistance, forced himself
upon her and dashed her to the ground. He feared
| to mount the stairs though. and knowing
what he was doing he rushed back through the
dining room into the kitchen, dragging the girl after
him. For moment fear overcame her and she
called out to him to spare her and would let him
go. He flung her aside then and made for the front
turned about. but even then the GIRL ashamed
and seized him by the coat. Again he % piled
his first, but 1t only when his coat lapel gave
Then wrenching away the hand which had clutchcd
and torn apart his cravat. he pushed the girl from
him and dashed to the back entrance. There were
two fastened doors to open and Kate could have
overtaken him. But she powerless now.
The last struggle had brought them into
fba itch Hraf ima sha
ticed the old cook lying in her blood, with her
head all crushed and bruised and her body rigid
II in DEATH That dreadful spectacle fairly
the brave girl. who stood speechless and horror
stricken. while the mulatto forced back the door
fastenipgs and dashed out into the yard. When she
recovered herself sufficiently to run after him he
gone; but she could see him climbing tho
fences and hear the ice crunching under him till ho
reached yard three houses off. Then no disap
pearcd.
THE HOUSEHOLD AROUSED.
by this time the house had been fairly reused.
The first outcry had awakened General Hendrckson
it had reached his son-in-iaw. william b. Leonard
who slept in room above him. 10 both
hS General and .nS 5 Wife .h il seemed an
mp stairs to arouse her daughter. But tho shriess
that followed had different Interpretation for Gen.
eral Hendrckson and when the Others appeared they
found him making his way down stairs with his
revolver in his hands. Owing to infrmity tho
old gentleman is unable to move rapidly. so
hands he hurried the latter. along. while
too late though. Kate Brady was standing over
the bood-bedabblcd body of Mary Bedford. with her
own head aud face bearing papablo marks of tho
violence. to which she had been subject. They
thought tho old cook dead at frst and IT was
fully quarter of an hour after rcstorativcs
were applied that she began to cvinco any
signs OF lifc Tho cuts and bruises on
her head exceedingly painful. and tho shock to
OF her years almost sufficient OF itself to end
her life. DIR. Ewing was called in and every effort
was made to restore her. but 1t was evident that the
injuries OF character that made IL dangerous
to her the least disturbance. and those about
her were instructed not to draw from her any narra
tivo of the assault beyond what had beon cleaned
from her first coherent words.
THE HUE CRy.
Meantime the hue and cry had been raised after
her assaiiant Patrolnan Ggan, on post at Forty
eighth street. had been called in. and on hearing
what had transpred he summoned Policemen Glen
man aud Black. Tho latter had posted thcn-
selves sixth avenue ana Forty eighth street
respectively and Giiiigsn himself had mounted