The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-07-29
NEW ENGLAND's HUMANITY.
A Woman Covered with Tar ana Her
House and Stable Burned on.
ciaI Ala 20 Compromise
the Case.

A Pittsfield, Mass, telegram Of the 22d
says: An extraordinary case was brought
up in the Superior Court Of Berkshire yes
terday. The complainant was Mrs. johann
ma Sullivan, now Of Connecticut. but lately
OF Sandistield, bill town OF Berkshire
county, this State, and the prisoners were
George l.. White, +. Il. Sackett, Smith
Sackett, Eugene y. Clark. Andrew Sackett,
w. III. Rugg, Algernon 5. Hamilton, IIar-
ley y. Sage, and George Hall. Mrs. Sulli-
van had clear case against the men who
had prosecuted her and did her personal
violence TO an outrageous degree, and yet,
through the instrumentalty OF county
officials, she compromised the case tonight
for 5000 and all expenses.
The action of the officials In allowing the
criminals to escape is most severely criti-
cised. Mrs. Sullivan. in compromising for
the above amount, also agreed TO leave the
state, and not to appear rs witness.
The particulars OF the case, which had
previously been tried but resulted i'm the
disagreement OF the jury, are as follows
THE ATTACK.
On the night Of July 10, or rather on the
morning Of July II, 1881, the house Of
Mrs. Johanna Sullivan, ut SandiSfield, was
broken into by four men, who subscquent-
w poured tar all over her body. Mrs. Sui
Ivan. VINO lived near the old Congregational
church, had as her two nearest ncighbors
Smith Sackett, farmer, whose son she had
caused TO he arrested for a gross insult,
and Harley Sage, who lived with his father
in-law, George White. On the night re-
ferred to she noticed suspicious actions
about the house Of Sage, and as she had
previously had trouble with him, she feared
another attack. She told her children OF
her suspicious and they all went to her bed
room in the rear OF the house. Shortly
aiterward her house was broken into by
four men, three OF whom she recognized
Us Sage, White, and Sackett, but the fourth
she did not know. They deliberately
lighted lamp and proceeded to the room.
Mrs. Sullivan took refuge in a closet
while her eldest boy defended her rs best
he could with piece OF board. Finally
one OF the men called for I'M axe, but while
they were getting one Mrs. Sullivan cS-
capped through window and ran out To
the village green. which stretched for half
a mile either way in flont OF her house.
TIE OUTRAGE.
Her fight was soon discovered by the
men, who followed and soon captured her.
She was then Knocked down, Invested Of
her clothing, and tar poured all over her
body. She was then left, nearly dead with
fright and thoroughly exhausted, TO re-
turn home or not, rs she liked. She was
afraid to 80 home, and applied for shelter
10 nelghbor. who, however, refused TO
take her i'm, but allowed her to remain on
the stoop OF his residence until daylight.
Her children had in the mean while joined
her. and when daylight broke the eldest
boy walked 10 Great Darlington, distance
OF fourteen miles. for a warrant and a
sheriff, who arrested Sage and White, the
others having gone to Connecticut.
THE CONFESSION.
Since then Andrew Sackett and w. III.
Rugg and Eugene A. Clark, of Naugatuck,
Conn, have been arrested, and the latter
has made Il confession to the district attor-
ney. in which he says that the parties TO the
assault were invited TO Sandisicld to attend
dance. They drove TO place on the road
between Winsted and Sandisfield known
rs Stickles, where the real object Of the
Journey was made known by Smith Sack
cit. and masks were furnished them. Ii
quor had previously made them fit for any
yillainy. They then went TO Sacketps
house, where they met Sage and White.
The masks were put on, but all hands were
so drunk that they fell off before Mrs. SUI
livan's house was reached. They then
completed their task as set forth by Mrs.
Sullivan.
Two weeks ago new indictments were
found against George l.. White, Frederick
Il. Sackctt, and Smith Sackett. They are
charged with the commission of the crime.
Eugene A. Clark. Andrew Sackett, Alger-
non s. Hamilton, Harley Il. Sage, and
George Il. Hall and W. II. Rugg are in
dicled rs accessory. They are each under
500 bail. Mrs. Sullivan was obliged TO
leave the town soon after the outrage, and
has taken up her residence in Connecticut.
THE VICTIM.
Mrs. Sullivan first moved to SandiSiicld
about fifteen years ago. She had married Il
man in this country, and about four years
AGO discovered he had a wife about twenty
miles from here. She threatened him with
bigamv and he gave her the little farm they
occupied TO release him, and since then she
has lived alone with her four children.
Ever since her husband left her she has
been prosecuted To IN outrageous degree.
The neighbors were amfriendly to her and
burned two OF her barns. They then set
fire to her house. On another occasion
they sheared the hair from her horses.
The young men neighbOrs insultcd her re-
peatedly. -
She was forced at last to sell her little
property at sacrifice, and where she has
gone to now nobody seems to know, but ii
is supposed to New York or some other
large and distant city.