Evening star., 1886-11-22

HIS oBJECr THOUGHT To HAVE BEEN ROB-
Berry, AS HE HAD BERN GAMBLING AND
WAS FINANCIALLY EMBARRASSED.

HIS oRJRCr THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN ROB-
Berry, AS HE HAD BERN GAMBLING AND
WAS FINANCIALLY EMBARRASSED.
Mrs. Page, who was the victim of the mid
night attack In her own house, 1888 l. street,
Friday night, the particu ars OF which were
given in Saturdays STAR, is gradually recover
ing from the effects OF the injuries received.
Her upper lip was quite badly cut and her
lower lip was considerably swollen. while she
Is still sore from the struggle She suffers, how
ever, principally from the shock TO her nervous
system, which, as may be easily imagined, was
very great The doctor who attended her says
that The struggle must have been a very severe
one. ana In the course OF IL her assaiant, West
must have struck her about the head and face
win MS nst twenty times. Alter he had chic
roiormed the mother OF Mrs. Page, who was
sleeping by her side nearest the door he stepped
around the front of the bed to chioroiorm Mrs.
rage she was, however, awakened 10y the cold
aif, either from the open door or from the rapid
evaporation of the liquid. and West stepped
figure indistinctiy. When she jumped out OF
bed TO strike a light he rushed at her, and seiz
ing her he attempted To force the chloroiorm
upon ner she fought desperately, and her
screams, as well the noise OF the struggle,
aroused her mother and her little daughters,
wNo slept across the hail, and then her assail.
ant, fearing detection, made his escape, knock
ing over the old lady and one OF the little girls
IN MS flight. He left the house the same way
ne entered, through the cellar and then out
through the door, which he had already pried
open, into the back yard and into the alley.
HE WAS FINANCIALLY EMBARRASSED.
The police officials who are investigating the
| case think that West went 10 Mrs. Pages house
for the purpose of robbing her. They state that
west had been gambling and has been borrow
Ing money lately, and has expressed himself as
desperate on account OF his financial straits.
!hey also state that he had got the idea that
Mrs. Page had several hundred dollars in her
house. when the tact is that Mrs. Page had her
mother and three daughters To- support, aud IL
was only recently that SHE had been earning
S1,2O0 year. She had rented the house " mere
the assault was committed with the intention
OF renting rooms and thus reducing her own
rent Her friends say that She had hard
struggle since the death of her husband To
maintain herself and her family. She has
however. managed To do So but both Mrs. Page
ana ner friends deny that she had accumulated
any amount OF money. A statement has Ueen
published that Vests object In entering the
house was To obtain 81 200 which Mrs PAGE
had told him she had saved up and wanted 10
invest In properly. Mrs. Page stated this morn
Ing that she had accumulated nothing, and had
only small sum OF money by her.
THE POLICE UNABLE TO TRACE WEST
Friday night, when the assault was com.
mitted, Sergeant Trunnell, who was i'm the
nelghborhood at the time, heard Mrs. Pages
screams and went to the house in company
with Officer Maddox. Dr. Cook had then been
summoned To the house and had dressed Mrs.
Page S face, which was badly bruised. The OFF,
GERS found Mrs. Page greatly excited aud
almost unable 10 speak account or her
mouth being SO severely injured. After the
case was reported to headquarters SATURDAY
morning Defective Raft was detailed TO assist
in the investigation. Meanwhile Lieut. Guy,
OF the third precinct, had taken the bottle oi
chloroiorm TO Mr.. Gates drug store and there
discovered WHO had purchased the bottle and
afterwards learned from Mrs. Page that VAST
had visited her house and made a confess Mn
west, IL Is thought, escaped from the premises
by the back way anu went through DE Sales
street TO his boarding house, on Connecticut
avenue. Up To this morning the officers had
lOund no traces OF him.
IN CHARGE OF THE WORK OF FOUR LADIES'
West is said to be a man OF good education
and manners. lie was placed in charge of the
work done by tour ladies by Mr.. Park, the
chief OF a division in the Land office. Mrs. Page
was one OF the four ladies', and when W est was
placed in charge Mr.. Park said TO them that it
might seem strange in democratic adminis-
tration to have a colored man put in such a
place, but il they had any objections he would
like TO know IL. The ladies said that West was
pleasant unasSuming man, with whom they
got along very nicely, and they did not see any
reason IUr Change simply because he was a
coored man. Mr.. Park says that West was an
efhcient clerk. and as FAR as he knew his habits
We're good. lie must have learned of Mrs.
Pages methods OF liie, aud carefully ma ling
his plans took along with him The chloroiorm
10 prevent the other members OF the househod Il
from interfering with him. West came here
from North Carolina about 1876, and was ap-
pointed TO the Land office.