Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-12-01
A PIucky woman's Contest with a Burg

NEW YORK, November 30.-The old Still
we'll homestead, at Throggs Neck, West
chester county, now the home of A. NJ. Cros-
by, was broken into en- Friday just before
midnight by man, who frightened all the
inmates and severely assaulted Mrs. Crosby.
The house is a large and Eoomy two-story
frame building, standing 200 feet back fr0ln
the road. The stables and the house for the
coachman and farm-hands are about the
same distance 10 the rear. Mr.. Crosby is sell
dom at home, and when he is absent the
house is deserted at night by everybody save
Mrs. Crosby, her five children and the women
servaLts. Lion, big mastif, il the only pro-
tector they have. The fastenings of the
house have been thought strong and secure,
however, and the inmates have not felt any
alarm.
On Friday. night Mrs. Crosby went to bed
about IL 80 O'Clock, having secured, as she
thought, all doors and windows. In about
fifteen minutes she was aroused BY the ring
ing of the front door bell. She opened her
bedroom window and asked who was there.
For some time there was no answer; but
finally mans voice replied that he wanted
to get in. Mrs. Crosby ordered him away,
but his only reply was: you'll rue il if
you don't open that door,"
Mis-. Crosby and the nurse girl who was
with her then called for help, and rupg a
bell out of the window. The children by
this lime became aroused and screamed in
frightened way, and Lion barked, but all
TO no purpose. No help came. The man
then went around TO the back of the house
where there is a small conservatory, and
breaking pane of glass wiihbhis hand, was
able 10 unlock the door from the inside.
Here he seized a box containing a croquei
set and tried 10 force open the back door OF
the house with it, but in this he failed. H
| then tried a window to the left of the dool
| and found that it had not been secu rely
fastened. As he entered the house Lion
| sprang at him and rolled him over, but the
children, with whom the dog is great pet
called frantically for Lion, aud the dog left
the intruder TO give prote ction to them.
The man then rushed up stairs. A few
steps from the top the nurse met him, anC
| struck him such blow in the neck with ;
cane that he was staggered for moment
and the cane fell broken at his feet. The
nurse then ran into the nursery and locked
the door. But the man was not easily BAT
fed. He at once knocked at the lower
| panels of the door until they feb in spliut
err, and then he forced his way into th'
room. Mrs. Crosby had BY this time Sc
| cured a gun, which. however, was no
| loaded, and she confronted him.
You take care of the children, Maria,
said she, "and Phi look sitter him.
| In an instant she raised the gun anC
struck at the man so that the stock wa
broken, but he closed with her and threw
her down. Then the little boy "Willie,
about seven years old, came to his mother
assistance, and manfuIly kicked and Tough
the man until his mother got up again. Thu
| intruder then seized Mrs. Crosby, with on
hand partly in her mouth, her right ear ant
on her neck, and threw her second time
| But she pulled him down after her, and bein!
the first 10 rise, she caught him up bodil.
and pushed and threw him down stairs
When be reached the bottom and had picke'
himself up be fed inconlinently at the sigh
| OF Mrs. Crosby coming down stairs with
pistol in her hand. More shouting and bell
| ringing finally brought the gardener and III
coachman to the houss, but too late to rende
any assistance. When she had recovere'
from her fright, Mrp. Crosby discovered tha
her neck bore cruel finger marks, the mai
had been torn from one of her litlle fingers
and that she was otherwise very mucl
bruised.
On Saturday morning a coustsble wa
called. Mrs. Crosby described her ssssilan
as tall young man, with black hair, mus
tache and side whiskers, as we'll as she coul'
remember. A man named "Psi" Burns va
suspected, but when brought before Mn
Crosby she said be certainly was not the N ar
Later, Lion was discovered pIayiue With
soldiers cap. and the suspicion folIcsed tha
Mr.. Crosoy'y assailant was a soldier. Gef
Jackson, commanding at Fort Schuyler, wa
seen, and ne made Inquiries which seemed
i'm pliczte one of his soIdiers. Two men wer
taken TO Mrs. Crosby yesterday snd ne n
stantly pointed cut one of them as Der ~
| ssilant. He had mark in his reck tina
might have been inflicted by the nurs.'sc an'
his eye was blscked and his hand Gu an
scratched, as if from the glass Of a mske
window. He will be arrested ON q pzzraE
to-day. Mrs. Crosby said 10 7fib1s n
porter last night: at was a good thing 10
the fellow that my pistol was not loadsd, 10
should surely have shot him had if bseE
| Nothing was stolen from the house.1