The Portland daily press., 1891-01-15
A BRUTAL OUTRAGE.
A Tramp Assaults a woman In Her
Own House.
Beats and Kicks Her and Injuries Her
Seriously.

About as deliberate and brutal an assault
as has ever been recorded in this city took
place late yesterday afternoon, according to
the story told by the outraged party.
Mrs. Alice Patterson lives at "a May street
She is a woman between thirty and thirty
five years of age. apparently. and lives with
her father aud brother. Her husband is
away and has been for over year. About
o'clock yesterday afternoon. man, appar-
entity tramp, called at the back door and
asked for food. Mrs. Patterson was alone in
the house, but she gave the man something
to eat. Then. supposing he had gone off, she
went into her next door neighbours in the
block and chatted with the family until near
ly 6 o'clock, when she said she must go home
and get tea for her father and brother, who
would be waiting for it.
Mrs. Patterson went in the back door of
her house, which had been left unfastened,
and as she went in she saw man cross the
back yard near the door, but thought nothinS
of the circumstance. She passed from her
kitchen into the sitting-room, and, as she did
so. heard noise in the room overheard. She
called out. SIS that you, Charles? ?" surprising
1t was her brother, but received no answer.
She then walked through the sitting room
into the parlor, and thence into the front
hall. Here she found the front door open.
Presuming her brother, or father, had left
the door open aud gone up stairs, she shut
the door and went up stairs herself, calling
her brother at the same time. When she
reached the second story she passed across
| the hall to one of the chambers, and, looking
In, saw the man to whom she had given food
| rummaging the room, and that he had already
| gathered up quantity of things. She called
out, "What are you doing in my house?" At
these words the fellow turned round and
looked so ugly that Mrs. Patterson started to
run down stairs.
AS she ran the burglar pursued her. Mrs.
Patterson tripped at the head of the stairs,
oyer bundle of mems clothing the burglar
had gathered up. and fell The burglar gave
her kick that sent her down the whole
flight he running after her. She got up and
ran into the parlor. The brute chased her
and knocked her down, but she scrambled to
her feet and got into the sltting-room, crying
out, "For Gods sake, don't kill me" damn
you," he shouted, ''I'll murder you," At the
same time he knocked her over again, and
then. as she attempted to cry out, seized her
by the throat and began choking her, while
he kicked her fearfully. The woman tainted
The next that Mrs. Patterson remembers
she found herself being ministered to by her
neighbors. 1t seems that one of them, with
her husband, went into the Pattersons' and
saw Mrs. Patterson lying on the floor in the
sitting-room. They thought she had tainted
and began to rub her. This failed to restore
her to consciousness. At the same time they
saw that she had been injured. They got
some restoratives and gradually, by constant
rubbing and the use of the medicine, brought
the woman to. Then they found she must
be badly hurt and sent for DR.. Gordon. The
doctor had Mrs. Patterson placed in bed in
the room where she was found and made an
examination. He said last night he couldn't
tell how seriously she was hurt, although he
thought she was a very badly injured woman.
The case was Immediately reported at the
police station, and, while there is no clue to
the brutal assailant, it is hoped he will be
secured. 1t is thought the man who Mrs.
Patterson saw crossing her back yard was a
pal of the burglars.
The most remarkable thing about the affair
was that this man should have attacked Mrs.
Patterson at all, and further that instead of
going out the front door and making off,
after he had kicked her down stairs, that he
should have followed her up, from room to
room, and continued the assault About a
week ago somewhat similar assault was re-
ported from Bath. Whether the assailant
in both cases was the same is question.