The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-09
ST. STEPHENS cHuRcn RoBBER
why he Failed To Commit Suicide- Recovering
at uelIevue, hut KetIccnt.

Joseph Hill, who stole the plated chaliccs,
the cross. and vestments from ST. Stephens
Church in Twenty eighth street. on Friday
evening and who aiterward inflicted u danger
Gus wound on his left wrist. has been trans
ferred from Ward l6 in Bellevue Hospital 70
the cell ward. He is able to sit w. but is yet
weak from loss Of blood. and prefers Tor the
most part to lie in bed. After his arrest at
o'clock on Saturday morning. in Third avenue,
on suspicion, he told the sergeant at the desk in
the Twenty second street police station that ha
hid himself in tho church on Friday evening,
and. when the church had been locked up for
the night. went into the sacrsty. where he
discovered the articles found in his bundle by
Officers Harris and Kerr. He gathered them
up wrapped them in some clerical yestments.
and then climbed out Of y. rear window TO the
roof Of shed Ia Twenty street. He
waited a long time before he ventured 20 Jump
10 the sidewalk. because he feared That mo
Ingling Of the silver and gilt EObleis would AZ
tract the attention OF some passcr-by there
seemed to him 10 be always somebody within
hearing. Al last. on the approach OF daylight,
he lowered the bundle nearly to the sidewalk
with "A string. and then Jumped down himself,
His bhndle contained seven silver ana gold
chalices plated warel a silver plated box, a
gold cross. and two gold plates, worth alto
gether about 5000. 800
The police do not believe that Joseph Hill IL
| the prisoners true name. There rs little doubt
| that he Is an English jew. He wears good
T man. Father i Edward McGynn OF St. Stephens
| was awakened soon after the robbery was dis
covered that the condition Of the church might
| be examined. After being con luctcd into the
| sacrlsty he went to tho police station. II was
| when the prisoner was sought TO be awakened
| nj tho priests visit TINT IL was discovered he
| was insensihe and lying in n pool Of blood on
| the floor The wound across his wrist made
| with shoeknife obtained from another prs-
| oner was Jagged rs though inflicted with sew
era different cuts with the point OF dull knife
| One Of the tough tendons is cut hall way
through, and from It's appearance Hi islndged
| 10 have made special Efforts 10 sever II. con
lecture is that he thought it was an artery, The
| large artery of the wrist lay exposed and pul-
sating e tho sight but it was unin,
| iured. Blood had flowed only from
| veins. Nevertheless tho wound was extremely
| dangerous and might have caused death II u
| had not been partly closed by boing pressed
| against the wall. Until yesterday afternoon
| Hill persisted in saying that he would never 90
! to court. He now saysthat although he Is sorry
he did not succeed in killing himself, yet he
| will try to 60 10 court this morning, The court
to which he will be taken is the Fifty seventh
street Police Court. but the physicians at the
HOSPITAL do not think il will be safe 10 allow him
| to 20 this morning. Hin positively declines Ia
! talk about his cuse with any one. He says that
| a pretended interview with "A reporter for n
| Sunday newspaper. ia which he Is made 20 say
| he stole from the church IN order TO get money
enough TO marry beautiful girl, is not true.
| II is supposed that he is a man Of res pectahlo
| family conn NiiOns, and that having been OK
posed IN crime he thought he could motive un-
| der the disgrace.