Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-05-16
ALMOST MURDER.
An Old lady Treated In a Horrible
Manner
BY Nlliass Who Ransack Her Home in the
Hopes Of Securing Big Booty
choked for Half
an Hour.

Again early yesterday morning an afro
eious outrage was committed this time on
sn old lady, in which the leading incentive
was the root Of al eyil-the love Of money,
and is case similar to several that have
occurred in this vicinity lately.
Miss Louisa Damn is Q widow lady, aged
seyentyone years. Since her husband s
death she has been living entirely alone at
No. 2205 Alley E.. as she was never afraid
10 stay by herself and preferred living in
this manner. She Is the owner of several
houses, besides the one she resided in, and
the fact tina, she has been living BY herself
and receives the rent from her property
every month has no doubt led some IN
scrupGlous william to think that she had
FTLE OF MONEY HoARDED UP
somewhere in the house. At least the fol-
lowing circumstances lead to that conclu-
sion.
Sometime between and $50 o'clock
yesterday morning, Mrs. Damn was aEsk-
ened from her slambers By the noise of q
lock swapping of the door that leads from
her bedroom to the dining room. She was
Just on the point of rising when 9 man leap
ed in the room and seized her by the throat
with q grasp that took away her breath.
Another man followed this one into the
room and they then demanded that she de-
liver up her money, threatening to Kill ner
if their demands were not complied with.
She then proceeded to the bureau drawer
where she got all the money she had in the
house, which was about $3.50. This she
gave to the men, but they insisted
that she had a hidden treasure some
place, aud proceeded to look for it, when,
upon
THREATENING TO KILL HER,
she still asserted that she had none. All
this time the villain had her by the throat
and held her N the same position until his
pal rsnsacke1 the house, which was done in
q thorough manner. Every trunk, box, b1-
reau, &c, was gone through and their con
tents promiscuously scattered over the floor.
The villains were even so confident that
Mrs. Damn had some money hidden that
they tore q sheet iron front out of fire
place, thinking that it was probably con-
ceAled there.
This performance must have occupied
some thirty minutes, and the wretch still
held the throat Of the poor old lady in his
grasp. she imploring him, as far as she was
able to speak, TO release her, bat the scoun-
del was mercileas, and retained his hold
almost
CEOEING EEG ID DEATH.
The i!lians did not use any light excep:
ina. q match was struck occasionally wa9a
they hunted new place to rumuage.
~ lss', after everything had been search
&c thoroughly. the rascal who held the oil !
lady gave her throat an extra clin2h aud
then flung her back against the bed, cutting
q hole in The back OF her head. The Old
lady vas so stunned from the shock that for
n time she was unable to move, but after
recovering q little she crswled on
her hands aud knees about one square TO
where her daughter, Mrs. Ernest Metznsr,
lives. Here she knocked at the door, and
Mr.. metzner came down and was Mortified
70 End his mother-in-law in condition
ALMOST BORDERING on DEATH,
She was unable to speak above whisper,
out after she had been taken into the house
she was able to partly tell the story Of the
horrible treatment received at the hands OF
the villains. Her tonsils had actually been
squeezed until they almost protruded from
her mouth and in addition to the cut on the
back of the head, there are several bad
bruises on her face. Ii was next to i'm
possible for her to take any nourishment
Yesterday, and it was with difficulty she
could take medicine, although last night
she was great deal better. Dr.. Rhess is
the attending physician and thinks she will
recover.
Mrs. Damn says one Of the men was tall
and the other short and heavy set, the latter
being the one who
TREATED HER so sHANEFuLLY.
She was unable to get a glimpse Of their
faces on account Of the absence Of light.
The house was examined yesterday, and it
was discovered that the thieves had at
tempted an entrance at each one of the
windows and doors, but failing they entered
through transom over the kitchen door.
They evidently knew the lay of the house
and the location Of Mrs. Damm's bedroom,
for after entering they proceeded there d.
rectly. However, whoever the heartless
seoundrels may be, sho1ld they be cap
tured hanging would not be too severe a
punishment for them.