Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-18
ROBBED ON MURRAY HILL.
Young Lady Attacked by a FoOt-Pad.
Ye1C York World

NelC York World.
The detective force at police headduar-
ters has for a week past been emploved i'm
hunting for man who on Tuesday last
attacked and robbed the daughter of a
wealthy resident of Murray Hill i'm the
Park avenue tunnel. A strong effort was
made TO suppress the facts, until Yesterday
they leaked out at police headquarters.
The story has caused much excitement
on Murray Hill. Miss Christina Isher-
wood, daughter of Benjamin +. IsherwOOd.
Chief Engineer in the navy, was the vic
tim of the crime. The family occupy fine
house at No. Ill East Thirtv-siXth
street, Just east of Park avenue. A
cousin Ofthe young lady, Miss CARPENTER. of
Auburn, was on visit to the house. and
the two young ladies had accepted an in
yitatiOn on last Tuesday to take luncheon
with friends in Eifty-SeVenth street. They
left the house together at noon and went
to IhIrty-elghth street, where there is an
entrance to the Park avenue tunnel. A
flight Of stone steps wiUds down from the
street to a platform which serves as a car
landing. The stairs wind around so that
a person on the platform is not visible
from a few steps above. The ladies ar
rived at the descent chatting and laugh
ing, and as they heard bells in the dis
tance Miss IsherwOOd asked her cOmpan-
ion to run down to the platform and sig
nal the car. She herself stopped for a
moment at the entrance, and had
descended but half a dozen steps
when tall man with sandy whis-
kers. who came up from below,
brushed against her. As he did so he
made sudden grab for an alligator skin
pOcketbOOk which Miss sherwood car
ried in her hand. The pocketbOOk was a
very valuable one, and contained her
money and earrings. She held fast as the
thief tugged, and shouted to her friend to
come to her assistance When Miss Car
penter's feet were heard on the steps, the
brutal fellow seized Miss IsherwOOd by
the shoulders and flung her down the
steps, wrenching the pOcketbOOk from
her grasp. Miss Carpenter, emerging
into view, saw his form disappear through
the entrance on the street.
Miss IsherwOOd's velvet dress was
sOiled and torn and she was out Of breath,
but otherwise not injured. Quickly
springing TO her feet she led the way up
stairs. Emerging on the street with her
friend. they saw the thief running east
ward through Thirty-eighth street. The
ladies started in pursuit, shouting ''StOp
thief" The few persons who were pass
ing in the street stopped and gaZed in
amaZement at the strange chase. but only
one man Joined in the pursuit. He was
not able to keep up with the thief. 4 man
who was sweeping near Lexington avenue
put out his broom and tripped him up,
but the fugitive recovered his feet
with a bound, and turning into
the avenue ran southwark. The ladies
followed, still shouting, and turned
into Thirty-siXth street after him. No
policeman was in sight during the whole
Of the chase, which was kept up to Third
avenue, where the rutfian disappeared.
Exhausted, the ladies turned towards
home, but; learning that the police station
was i'm Thirty-fifth street, they reported
Miss IsherwOOd's loss to Captain Ryan.
The lady was able to describe her assail-
ant only as a tall. rather stout man. with
dark clothes and sandy whiskers. The
pOcketbOOk, she said, contained a pair of
opal earrings set with diamonds, four
tickets to DIR. DamrOsch's concerts, $40
gold piece, 50 and a 81 bill and
some change. Captain Ryan put his
detectives on the trail of the fugitive at
once. and advised Superintendent Walling
and Inspector Byrnes of the robbery. De
tectives from the central office joined in
the search later in the day. A thorough
canvass of Murray Hill resulted in the
discovery that fellow answering his de-
scriptiOn had been lettering about Park
avenue and the side streets for some days.
seeking entrance in the houses on the plea
of work or charity.
Not since the assault upon Mrs. DeBary
on Fifth avenue, four years ago. by a ruff
fan who tore her diamond earring from
her ear, has any crime caused such SEN
satiOn among the residents on Murray
Hill. The thief has not vet been captured.