The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-07-17
MASKED BURGLARS In PELHAMVlLLE

AN OLD LADY TIED IN BED-sINGUIAR cIEcuM-
STANCE EPISCOPAL CHURCH ROBBED OF
IT'S CARPET.
rather mysterious burglary took place yester'
day morning in the village of Pelhamvlle. which Is
situated on the New York and New Haven Railroad,
in Westchester county. The circumstances
peculiar to puzzle the inhabitants of that
quiet suburb. The victim of the crime is Mrs. Mary
Parrish. widow about seventy years old, who lives
entirely alone in stone house and is reputed to be
the possessor of considerable of ready money.
Quite recently she had at least 5000 in her purse
Whether this still il her possession at the time
of the burglary cannot be ascertained. 1t is known
that she had large amount of Adams Express
stock Putting this and that together the residents
of Pelhamvie infer a good deal in the way of con-
spiracy and interested motives.
WELL PLANNED DEED.
Mrs. Parrish according to her own statement
awoke ut one o'clock yesterday morning In her bed
ROOM OH the first floor of her house. to hear a
sound of prying ut her door. which speedily
opened. revealing tho form of u strange man, who
wore q mask. She utterly alone. and knew
that. although the nearest neighbor was
not more than hundred yards distant,
it would probably be fatal to her to
cry out. The burglar held up a warning hand and
said. in hoarse whisper. "Now. keep quiet. old
lady; don't be afraid; we're not agoing 10 hurt you
so long as you don't give no alarm" Then he
stepped into the room and two other men followed
him. She describes them all as rather small in
stature, but further than that fact she remembers
nothing of their appearance terror seeming to bs
the only preston of the affair remaining upon her
mind. All their faces We're masked She heard
them address each other by the numbers /. and 3.
The Others repeated that they did not wish to harm
her; they only wanted her money. Then they COM
manded her to rise from her bed. and proceeded to
rip 1t OPEN
''You have some bonds" asked the man who
seemed to lead the party; where are tney?"
Mrs. Parrish strenuously denied that DO ssessed
any bonds. but without convincing the robbers who
told her to go with them into the diaing room.
Meanwhile one of them had seized a satchel which
she kept in her room and had torn it Open not even
attempting, in his eagerness haste, unlatch it,
although it was not locked. His manner led her to
believe that he knew she was in the habit of using
it as receptacle for some of her valuables. He was
not disappointed for he found there 500 in money
and several documents. The lattei however were
OF no use to any one, excepting herself. In
the dining room the carpet taken up, tho
drawers OF the buffet and the tables were forced omen
and the closets ransacked. The other rooms
in the house were visited by them, with herself
as an unwilling companion and they were lett in the
direst confusion. She was repeatedly questioned
with protane threats in regard to her bonds but
seadfasty denied that she had any securities Of that
"Have you Bible?' they then asked her.
''Ycs,' was her response.
"Then get it,, said the leader.
The Bible produced, and the villains admins
tered to her in the very words OF the court form
oath to the effect that, in declaring she had
vertible securities, she told the truth the whole
truth and nothing but the truth. She could not be-
shaken in her denial. The robbers evidently much
disappointed, led her back to her bedroom. Here
they laid her upon tho bed and tied her limbs to the
bedposts, just Chastine Cox did those Of Mrs.
Hull They told her to beware Of making any noise.
and threatened to return Immediately If she gave
alarm before they had been gone q sufficient time
render certain their escape.
The time which they spent in the house was about
two hours. They made their exit through the front
door. locking it and throwing the key away 1t was
found in the morning underneath an evergreen
shrub in the yard.
STRANGE HIATUS OF MEMORY.
Early in the morning Mrs. George Pearson. Q
neighbor received q message from Mrs. Parrish
that she desired to her. On going to her house
Clark. the wife of the Postmaster of the village.
They entered and found Mrs. Parrish in q most
excited state. When asked how she had got
ten loose from her bonds after the departure Of
and nothing at all could BIO learned from her
on this point. This reply SO inconsis-
tent with her statement that she had been tied
| by the burglars that it has caused q good deal
OF wonder among her neighbors. Many OF them,
however seize the occasion to declare that they
for long time suspected her OF being unsound in
mind certain subjects. and that she has Of late
read and talked great deal about the murder Of
Mrs. Hull. They hint, therefore, that the whole
currence rs related by her may be an Illusion the
| result of monomania. Not only does the crctm-
stance Of the binding remind one strongly Of the
Hull tragedy, but candle, half consumed. which
was found in her room and which, according to her.
was used by the robbers. forms another singular
incidence. On the other hand, another burglary
points to an organized plan OF plumber the part
OF band OF thieves. who were very we'll acquainted
with the locality. An hour earlier than the
robbery or Mrs. Parrish the Episcopal church
entered, and large and valuable carpet taken
away. Several dogs belonging to neighbors barked
warningly, but did not cause alarm.