New-York tribune., 1891-08-31
A RUFFIAN IN A CONVENT.
PANIC OF NUNS AZ MIDNIGHT.
LOCKED IN WITH BRUTE WHO FRIGHTENED

LOCKED IN WITH BRUTE WHO FRIGHTENED
SOME OF THEM INTO UNCoNscIoUsNEss'
The shrieks of a young nun aroused the other
Sisters and the Mother Superior in the little con-
vent building in Harrison Place, near Morgan-ave.,
Brooklyn, at an early hour yesterday morning
At once all was in confusion and excitement
Owing to the darkness of the building no one
could tell what the trouble was until the Mother
Superior succeeded in lighting one Of the gas
burners in the hall. Then to her horror she
saw one of the Sisters struggling with man VINO
was fighting desperately. By this time the other
Sisters had from their rooms into the hall, ana
on seeing the ruflan ran screaming down thc
stairs to the lower oor where eight children were
sleeping.
Despite the screams of the Sisters the man
persisted in his assault and the young woman
was left TO his mercy. AS soon as the Mo'her
Superior could gain the ground floor she huhg
open the windows looking toward the rectory
occupied by the Rev. Father John Feulgrat, the
pastor IF the parish, and shouted for help' lhe
priest did not hear her cries. and the unprotected
Sisters were terror-stricken at finding themselves
in the house with no protection from the ruIiian.
The Mother Superior made another attempt 10
arouse the priest. Selling some missile, she threw
it with all her strength at the fence WHICH
separated the lawn from the priests house. 1orV-
unately il struck the board fence with sufficient
force to alarm the priest When he appeared
at the window the situation hurriedly eX-
planned to him. He seized a shotgun and dls-
charged both barrels in the open air. The report
aroused the people in the neighborhood and
brought several policemen to the scene.
The Yunian in the convent meantime had con-
tinued his attacks, frightening into UNCONSCIOUS
ness the nuns. 1t not until he heard the
gunshots that he made his escape by jumping
through the kitchen window, which he had left
open He scaled the back fences and gained the
street Before he had left the convent he had
made attacks on each Of the frightened Sisters
and two of them had been savagey treated All
traces of the man were lost after he left the
building, and the excitement in the neighborhood
was intense no clew up to late hour last
night had been obtained.
The convent is branch of the Convent OF the
Dominican Sisters. Graham and Montrose aves.,
and is attached to the Church of Our Mother OF
Sorrows. which stands at Morgan-ave. and Har-
rison Place and the rectory stands in Morsan-ave
A rule OF the convent has been that the Sisters
retire at o'clock, when all lights are put out
The building is then left in total darkness. The
nuns sleep on the second floor and rise at A 80
a. IN.
IT. was a few minutes after midnight on Satur-
day night when one Of the Sisters was awakened
by a touch. She at once discovered that there
was n man in the room, and she cried out to alarm
the other Sisters She succeeded after fierce
struggle in escaping from the brute. She ran into
the corridor where she was joined by the other
Sisters. The man followed her until She fell on
the floor in n faint. Tie ruiian then followed
the other Sisters to the ground floor, leaving his
first victim unconscious On this floor ne repeat
ed his attacks until the shots were fired by the
priest a.,
According to the description given of the man,
he was of middle age, short and stout, and wore
black trousers and derby hat. He wore no shoes
The police are making diligent search for the
brute but uD 10 late hour last night nothing thaI
could lead to his arrest had been obtained.