San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-07-02
MURDER AND INCENDIARIsM
Attempted Upon a Respectable Cit
lien BY An Assassin This
Morning.

At4o'clocK this morning an alarm OF
fire was sounded from box AZ, corner Of
Augusta street and Lexington avenue.
The fire company from engine house No.
2 was out in quick order and did very
credita0le work. The fire was in the rear
of a one-Story house on the corner OF
Baltimore avenue and Augusta street, &C.
cupied by Mr. j. w. Lee, who keeps a
stationery store on Houston street, and
was owned by Mrs LIE. Caldwell. 1t
seems that about 2 o'clock, Mr.. Lee, who
was sleeping in a front room. heard a
noise in the rear, and, thinking that prob
ably some one was trying to get into the
house, he partially dressed himself and
started back. He searched every room
excepting the kitchen and servants room,
which are back Of the dining room,
seemingly all right, returned TO
his bed and went to sleep. About thirty
minutes later he was aroused by noise
similar to the one he first heard and made
the second attempt at finding what the
difficulty was. but of no avail. He did
not think even this time to enter the
kitchen and again returned to his room.
Naturally he was somewhatanxious about
the matter and did not allow himself to
go to sleep, thinking that something
might develop later. So it did. He heard
the third and loudest racket at $3.50 and
this time he went out with the determine
lion TO find the cause of so many unusual
sounds. All Of the rooms back TO the
kitchen were again examined and Mr.
Lee then concluded that it came from the
kitchen or servants room. He had no
light in his hand, but the light in his bed
room was sufficient to see what was
in all the rooms. As he opened the
kitchen door, instead of standing
hnol IL nd loalztAp IN hofn ba
made step into the room as soon as the
door was partly opened. As he did so, a
man sprang from behind the door and
struck at his face with an open knife in
his hands. Mr.. Lee was quite astonished,
and threw up his left hand to ward off the
blow, not knowing at that moment that
the visiting rascal had weapon. Never
theless the blow came and struck him on
the left wrist, cutting quite cash of
more than two inches in length. The
fellow, not thinking that the stab had
the desired effect, made a second strike
with his knife, this time making very
deep and severe cut about one inch above
the first. Mr.. Lee then began to stagger
and the assassin gave him a most. severe
blow with his fist on the forehead,
knocking him on the floor in an I'M
conscious condition. AS he was lay
ing there the intruder set fire to the
eastern side of the kitchen and made
his escape through the window in which
he entered. When Mr.. Lee had partially
recovered, the entire back portion of the
building was mass of flames. He quick
ly aroused his wife and children and they
left the house. MIR. Nathan Hart, who
resides next door, had turned in the
alarm, and in very few minutes the en-
CINE was at work and the fire was eXtin.
guished with but little damage to the
house, excepting the two back rooms
which are badly burned. and the dining
room, which is in a bad condition from
the water used.
Mrs. Caldwell. the owner of the house
is insured for $1,000 and Mr.. Lee is insured
with the Alamo insurance company fol
$500. The insurance will cover all losses
Mr.. Lee was Immediately after he gOi
his family out of the house, taken in q
carriage to the Office Of DR.. Simpson anC
his wounds were properly cared for. HI
then returned and was interviewed by {
LIGHT reporter, making the above state
ments. He said he thought the party
was Mexican, but did not get goOC
look at him, consequently cannot desCrib,
him.
A singular fact leads to the suspicion
that it was a Mexican, who has LeeI
making frequent visits in that part OF tn
city but who has never been detected
Last Sunday night about II o'clock
Mrs. Caldwell, who, as before Statet
owns the house burned this morn
ing, and who resides directly oppo
site, was aroused by noise a
her bed room window. She procured &
pitcher of water and very quietly slippe
up, looked out, and, seeing a Mexica
man STOPPING down below the window
let go of the pitcher, water and all, givin
him both the china pitcher and waite
bath. The fellow took to his heels an
the neighborhood has been free from in
truders until last night. Mrs. Caldwell
stated to reporter that she is of tn
opinion that her house was set on fire b
the same Mexican who visited her paten
bath room Sunday night.