The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-03-03

~v,rx nuraIARs vAxoursuED-oN or THEN
eHOT

a Brave WomaB's Psss0ss
~v,rr nuxarARs yANoursuED-- ONE or THEN
SHOT.
A New York Telegram says: Mrs, Ellen
>yelch. A wealthy widow, who resides on
On, fourth floor OF the Blossom Club Flats,
on he southeast corner Of Twenty-third
sfret and Broadway, has In her apart
ments a great deal OF valuable property.
That sic can with great ability defend her.
self and her property she abundaniiy
nroyed Wednesday morning, when she
boldly faced three burglars alone, putting
fhem.to flight. and shooting one OF them.
About 4 O'Clock "Wednesday morning
three men effected an entrance into
the fats mentioned by means OF skel-
eton-keys and proceeded on a purloin-
ing expedition through the house. Mrs.
Welcb. who had been awake most OF the
night suffering from neuralgia. heard the
unfamiliar footsteps on the stairs and also
heard the bolts In several locks moved II.
s,,d ant M their sockets. She concl' ,det
shst there were burglars in the b.,ase and
Sstermjned at once to defenS. herself and
alarm her neighoors. Tbr owing wrapper
around her person Fad takipg revolver
from bureau drawer, she went to the door
and listered. soon she heard stealtby foot
steps approaching her own apartments.
BOLDLY ADVANCING ON THE ENEMY.
She turned the gas low and knelt on the
iloor, peeping through the key.hole.
Standing Immediately in front OF the
door she saw three men, with black bags
In their hands and disguised. Prompt
notion. she thought, was the better plan,
40 opcning the door with SWING she boldly
faced the men, revolver in hand, and called
ON them TO surrender. One OF the burg
Isrs advanced a step and Mrs. WEIGH fired:
There was a great commotion in the baii
outside and the men uttered terrlpie
oaibs. Mrs. Wesch fired another shot
and screamed aloud. The report OF the
pistol AZ once awoke the house. AS
stems and hasty calls were heard on
every side the burglars dropped what they
held and ran down stairs for their lives.
Mrs. Welch, who had shut herself In imme-
diately after firing and had reloaded the
pistol. stepped out rs the lower hall doors
were heard sIamming on their retreating
stems. I'm the house the utmost confusion
preyaiIed. Officer Parkerson, OF the Twen-
ty-ninth precinct, who, passing. was IN
formed by telegraph boy that something
was wrong in the house, found the stairs
and hall fred with frightened half-dressed
people. All down the broad stairs from
the fourth floor there was evidence that one
OF the burglars had been shot and badly
wounded. The steps, wall, and banisters
were spattered with blood.
RoOD-soAKED HANDKERCHIEF.
A handkerchief soaked with blood was
Dicked up in the lower hall. Down the
front steps and across the sidewalk TO the
curb the tell-tale drops were traced AT
the curb they suddenly ceased in great
pool. Evidently the thief had jumped into
q carriage there and had been driven away.
In the house plenty OF evidence was found
that vehicle must have been in waiting.
Three black bags that were left behind
could not when filed have been carried
away unobserved except in wagon. They
pointed to the presence OF three instead OF
two burglars. One OF the bags was almost
filled with Mrs. Welch's dresses, valued at
more than $500. Two skeleton keys and a
fine-pointed horseshoe-nail, such as thieves
use in picking locks, showed the means by
which an entrance into the house had been
effected. The locks Of several closets had
been tempered with, but only one opened.
WOUNDED MAN ARRESTED.
Officer Parkerson reported the affair to
Captain Williams, who, with Detective
Scbmittberger, at once started out in search
OF the thieves, acting on the assumption
that the wounded man had been removed
i'm a cab. A general alarm was sent out
from police headquarters. Before ii had
reached the men on patrol, Officer Doolan,
OF the Eighteenth precinct, patrolling
Twenty-third street between Second and
Third avenues, ten minutes before s |
O'Clock, was hailed by man who held
bloody handkerchief to his face and
asked to be taken to the hospital.
He said that his name was Richard
Donovan; that he was stableman,
and had shot himself by accident
with q pistol. The policeman took him to
Bellevue Hospital, where his wound was
dressed. 1t was in the cheek, rather slight,
but had bled q good deal. Afterwards the
officer accompanied Donovan to his house,
at No. go east Twenty-seyenth street.
When he reported the case AZ the station III
Twenty-second street word OF the matter
was teiegraphed to police headquarters.
and Captain Williams was sent for. He
found Donovan at his house and arrested
him there. The prisoner claimed that he
had really shot himself in the livery-stable
Office, and several men were found there
who supported his story. He was taken
before Mrs. Welch, but she could not iden-