Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-02
MRS. ENGELs BRAVE FIGHT.
She Gives Battle to a Thief and Re-
covers Part of His BOOTY.

covers Part of His Booty,
Lieut.. John Engel closed his barber shop
and billiard room at y O'Clock last night,
says a Hackensack special of the 30th
ult. to the New York Sun, and, with his
two young sons, walked to his home in
Cottage place, two blocks distant. When
he opened the front door he discovered the
apparently lifeless body of his wife lying
in the hall. Her dress was disordered and
torn. her long hair was dishevelled and
partly hid a death-pale face. Her right
wrist was marked as though it had been
in wise, but the fingers clutched the
brass handle on the lid of a box.
scattered about the floor were a num-
Der Of crisp new fiYe-dOllar national bank
notes, and near an open window at the
foot OF the stairs was a large white
bundle. Lieut.. Engel and his sons car
ried the unconscious woman to the parIOr.
where, after careful treatment. She re-
viyed. Her first words were:
us the money safeE'
After time she was able TO give a par
italy coherent statement Of a desperate
struggle with a thief who, had evidently
been secreted in the upper part of the
house for some hours before She discov-
cred him. Mrs. Engel said her niece. a
young lady, had retired early with the
little children, leaving her employed in
the household duties. At an hour which
she could not definitely designate, she, too.
started to 20 up stairs to look after her
infant child. She went through the par
lOr, and when she opened the door leading
TO the hall she was confronted by a man
standing on the stairs, near the foot, with
"A large bundle in his right hand and her
husbands money box under his left arm.
Mrs. Engel is amuscular German woman.
whose courage and presence of mind
were fully attested a few years since.
when she beat Off Il rufiian who attacked
her in "a secluded spot.
She promptly gave battle to the intruder.
Selling the handle of the money box, she
endeavOred to wrench it from the mans
grasp. He dropped the bundle, and a
fierce struggle followed. Grasping her
by the hair, he beat her head several
times against the stair rail. She fought
back as best she could from her disadvan-
tage of position, the thief being above
her on the steps.
Finally he endeavOred to break her hold
Of the box by twisting her wrist. At this
point of the struggle a noise Outside led
her to believe that her husband was re-
turning, and she called loudly for him.
still clutching the box with one hand.
The man dealt her a fierce blow on the
breast. At the same instant the lid of
the box broke open. and Mrs. Engel felf
to the floor. She heard the window open.
but remembered nothing afterward until
revived by the family,
Lieut.. Engel says the box contained
5000 in new five-dollar bills. AS only
eighteen Of the bills were found it is sup
posed the thief carried off twenty-five of
them in his hasty flight. The bundle
which he left consisted of slverware and
wearing apparel, including Lieut.. EngePs
uniform, in all valued at about $500.
Owing to the noise of the high wind Mrs.
EnSeFs Outcries were not heard even by
her niece. Although suffering from pain
and nervous shock Mrs. Engel was able
to receive the congratulations of her
friends to-day. She says the attack and
struggle were so sudden and fierce, and
She was grasped in such a manner by her
hair, that she did not observe the thiefs
appearance further than to see that he
was of low stature and stout build. He
did not speak word during the fight.