Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-24
STRANGE CASE OF DAVID MOLLOY.
Suddenly Stricken Deaf and Dumb Through
Being Dragged and Assaulted.

Suddenly Stricken Deaf and Dumb Through
Being Dragged and Assaulted.
The case of young Tavid Molloy Of New
York is one Of the strangest that has come TO
the notice Of physicians in some time, and is
leading topic Of interest in the metropolis.
He is the son Of William Molloy, manager of
David Dudley Fields estate.
A week ago Molloy started out to collect
rents On his way down town he entered a
saloon at Chatham square to get drink. He
remembers getting the drink. but says he sud-
denly became unconscious after leaving the
saloon. The next thing he remembers he was
in the hallway Of 10 Pell street struggling with
four young men. His satchel. containing the
money he had collected, was missing
The four men were subsequently arrested by
Detectives Price and Schirmer, who also took
INTO custody young woman named Maggie
Williams, who says she saw the prisoners as
sault and rob Molloy. Molloy did not make
staggered up to Policeman Devlin in Pell street
and wrote on piece OF paper that he had been
robbed and that he could neither speak nor hear.
day or so later Detective Price arrested Della
OConnor and Maggie Reilly as witnesses
against the prisoners.
Molloy and his father came to court early.
The young mans face was full of color and he
looked In good health and spirits. His father
has become pale and haggard. After the oath
had been administered to Molloy in writing
Justice fainter wanted to know whether the
prisoners pleaded guilty or not guilty. This
inquiry brought Lawyer Moss to his feet.
II forbid my clients to plead" he cried.
but want to know how they plead now"
answered the Justice.
''You have no right to ask them to saw
whether they are guilty or not" said Moss.
The court of general sessions is the place for
them to do their pleading Justice fainter
said no more.
Questions we're written to Molloy on paper
and the answers were read aloud by Stenog-
rapher Seltman. In answer to the Justices
question he described the particulars of the
assault and the robbery and identified O'Toole,
Leonard and Morrow. Dineen he was not sure
about
Lawyer Moss tried ruse to see if Moloy was
shamming. After asking the witness if he
could tell which man had hit him first and re-
celving the reply that they had oil gone at him
at once he exclaimed: Didn't you cry for the
police?"
As the witness read the question he smiled,
and he wrote back: IT couldn't"
Young Molloy wrote that it was not beer that
he drank. but Holland gin and bitters. He
said that he didn't go home because he had no
money and his receipt books were gone. He
walked the streets all night because he was
dazed, and Tuesday night woke up in lodging
house at either 81 or SO Bowery. He denied
that he was at the Grand View Hotel at Fort
Hamilton on Monday night, as stated by Daniel
Mcbride. He also denied that he ever smoked
opium.
The fact that young Molloy is deaf and dumb
made the examination irksome affair, last
ing from $3.50 o'clock in the afternoon until
o'clock in the evening. Molloy occupied the
witness chair for four hours, and was cool and
quite free from nervousness.
Prior to going to court Molloy was taken to
see Drs. Field and Turner. To reporter DR..
Turner said:
Although we are satisfied that Molloy is not
shamming DR.. Field ard tried to induce him
to take ether this morning He consented,
but after taking one breath jumped in the air
and refused to take any more. If the ether
had got him under its control he would GER
tainly have spoken if he could. He told me
that he could hear his sister Just a little
when she talked yesterday. but that it hurt
him to try to listen. The young man is evil
IDENTIFY III nervous condition. His face is
flushed and his blood vessels enlarge under ex-
citement. His tongue is thickly coated and
tremulous, which denotes stomach and liver
trouble. 1t is my opinion that his head is
little light and any testimony which he gives
In court which is not corroborated is of little
yalue"