Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-11-25
MRS. RoB1NsoN's STRANGE TALE.
Her would-be Ravisher Softened by Re
ligious Exhortation.

ligious Exhortation.
NEW YORK, November 24.-Mrs. Mary
Robinson, the story of whose attack and
terrible maltreatment by a villain was sent
out in these dispatches, tells a strange
tale.
Mrs. Robinson was found at the resi-
dence of Mr.. Oscar Purdy, about one mile
and half from Mamaroneck, Westchester
county, and about three hundred yards
from the cottage owned by Mrs. Robin
son.
She is lady upon whose delicate fea-
lures traces of beauty linger with caress-
ing kindness. About thirty-eight years Of
age, of slight form and below the middle
height, she looks the last person in the
world to be able to go through the terri
BILE ordeal she tells OF.
The only marks of Of violence upon Mrs.
Robinson's face, it was noted, were slight
cut across the bridge of the nose and an
apparently not very recent discoloration
of her left eye.
MIDNIGHT INTRUDER.
Mrs. Robinson said:-"I have recently
been living in a little cottage near this
place, on one of the Purdy farms, i'll which
/ spend my hOnrs in study and writing,
away from the noise of the world, rs am
in delicate health and cannot bear any
disturbance or hustle.
'0n Sunday morning last, ut about
three o'clock, / heard somebody trying to
get in my sitting room through window.
| was undressed and in my night clothing
and wrapper but took lamp and went
to the window. l then clearly saw the
face of man who had raised the sash and
was irving to enter. managed to close
the window and the man retreated. but
returned and began to force the window
open. | then sprang to the opposite win
dow, opened it and jumped out just as the
wretch entered the room from the other
side.
PRAYERS AND STRUGGLES.
"He followed ME through the second
window and ran after me up an embank-
ment or hill behind my cottage. He
caught me, flung me down, and then be-
gan terrible struggle. l repeatedly call
ed for the neighbOrs, but no assistance
came. He then placed his hand over my
mouth and grasped my throat, but still
managed TO appeal to his better instincts.
We had long, long battle on the side of
that dreadful hill, lasting, | think, about
an hour and half. talked hard and
eloquently with him, combining my ap-
peals with physical resistance.
During the struggles | made him re-
peat Thou God. seeSt me, and other
Scriptural phrases but he only listened
in the pauses between struggles and would
again get mad and fling me about. Final
ly he was disconnected and batfled, and
appealed to him to feel how cold my feet
were and let me 60 He wanted me to re-
turn with him to the cottage, but | would
not.
Eventually, after repeated physical
efforts and moral suasion upon my part,
the villain got cold. He dragged me down
the hill and placed me in cellar or open
ing under the cottage, buttOned the door
and went into the cottage through the
window to warm himself While | was
lying on the sand and ashes under the
floor heard him ransack the place. Then
he took my pOcketbook, containing $50,
and came out, SAYING
"'I think I'll leave you in thers.' He
finally went away, leaving the door un-
buttOned. This was at about twenty
minutes past four a. m.
$50 soon rs was able | ran to Mr.. Oscar
Purdy's house, reaching there about a
quarter to five.
This last portion of Mrs. Robinson's
story is corroborated by Mrs. Oscar Purdy
and her servant, Mary.
Mrs Robinson then gave the following
description of her alleged assailant:-
'He was young man about twenty
two years of age, of medium height well
built, of brown complexion, smooth face,
slightly aquiline nose, course mouth, the
general type OF his face being that of the
second-claSs loaier. He wore plush
limitation sealskin) cap and roundabout
jacket of greenish or brown stuff. He
was about five feet five inches or five feet
six inches in height and probably weighed
about hundred and forty pounds. His
trousers were tucked into the upper part
of his boots
The neighbOrs all speak most kindly of
Mrs. Robinson. She is known to them rs
the literary hermit of Mamaroneck