The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-03-08
SHOT RABBIH. P. MENDES
wooa1sH BgGaAR FIRES ON HIM
IN HIS HOUSE.

IN HIS HOUSE
.,.. Him at the Shearith Israel syna-
-o0ue Door After Service Saturday
N,0ht and Walked Home With Him
0own Fifth Avenue-The Wound
iuckny Is Not Dangerous-Escape of
the Assassin.
The MORNING NEWS Sunday contained
hrief account Of the shooting Of Rabbi
3 wondss in New York Saturday night. The
4 solloving from the New York Sun is q
fuller account:
Dr. Henry P. Mendes. pastor Of the
sbsarith Israel synagogue at Nineteenth
..raat and Fifth avenue, had q remarkable
ascape from death at the hands Of violent
hsgoar shortly after o'clock last night.
The man is a Hebrew native of Morocco
and his pane is Jose Mesrachki. He is a
bsgqar whom DIR. Mendes and some of his
wealthv congregation have helped along
,rom time to time with small gratuities.
4 He attended the services at the syna-
4 0ogue. which were begun at 6 o'clock
81 waited on the street for the doctor
af.srward, At Z o'clock DIR. Mendes
appeared. mesthcuAi kfeoeou nln anu
uaIked along beside him. He asked for
Dr. Mendes said he was getting tired of
+ giving him money continually, and said
q tnat Mesrachd ought to go to work and
support himself.
Dr Mendes bound for his home, which is at
"A West Ninth street. Aaron Eiseman, a
N IS-year old boy. followed after. DIR.
& Mendes had asked MIN to come along, and
70 take back to the synagogue some books
n for Sundays services.
Mesrachki said he would try and get
work II DIR. Mendes would give him enough
money to live on for few days.
At Ills they had reached DIR. Mendes'
house. DIR. Mendes opened the door and
AInvited Mesrachki in. Half way down the
hall there is a sliding glass door. When DIR.
Mendes reached this door he rolled it back.
Suddenly Mesrachki slammed it shut again,
aud DR.. Mendes turned to see man with
blazing eyes and livid face. Mesrachki had
q revolver in his hand. Pointing 1t at DR..
Mendes he exclaimed:
81 want 500 right away"
DR.. Mendes after an instant recovered his
presence Of mind.
'Don't get excited, and I'll get it for
n YOU" he said.
30, no you won't. I want IL now" cried
the indignant man with laugh.
DR.. Mendes put bis hand in his pocket
and drawing forth some money, said:
Here. this is all the money have here. "
II want 800"
"lf you don't get out I'll call the police, {"
Dr. Mendes replied.
With the revolver aimed point plank at
DR.. Mendes' breast Mesrachki fired.
DR.. Mendes had backed down the hall and
"a tried TO get to the street door.
The bullet passed through DIR. Mendes'
vest on the left side. over the abdomen, and
struck the plating of his shirt. The plat
it hit was about an inch wide and very stiff.
il saved Or. Mendes' life by DETECTING the
bullet The bullet glanced off the plat,
then pierced the shirt. undershirt and SKIN,
passed along the abdomen just under the
skin and was stopped by the lowest left side
&rh
A servant who heard the door slam,
reached 1t just as the shot was fired. She
screamed and ran up stairs for Mrs. Men
des. After firing the revolver. the man
made a dash for the street and escaped. DR..
q Mendes began to go up the stairs. His wife
appeared at the head of the stairs.
81 DON'T DO alarmed. am not hurt" he
said, and he went up as though nothing had
happened. He knew that he was hit, how
lever. When his coat and vest were re-
#moved his shirt was found to be stained with
"a blood
& Messengers were sent for the nearest
f physicians, and the first to respond were DR..
& Dorm of 81 West Ninth street and DR.
N Partridge Of - Fifth avenue. It was not
& easy to tell at first how serious the wound
d was. In case it should prove that the in
n testines had been severed, and that lapa-
#rotomy was necessary, Drs. Charles Nc
II Burney, Eliot Ellsworth and Robert f.
s. Weir were sent for. The family physician,
q DR.. A. A. Smith, was also summoned. DIR.
B Smith said afterward that the bullet was
soon found lying little under the skin
Il against the rib, and was removed with a
B very slight incision and without difficulty,
as IL was not imbedded deeply. There was
no danger, DR.. Smith said, and DR.. Mendes
would be able TO get up 10 day or two.
The pistol was a large one, throwing a
heavy bullet, but probably with the bad
81 powder sold In cheap cartridges.
Mesrachki is little known to DIR. Mendes
or his family. He is described as homeless
: tramp, about feet inches tall, and stout.
tie Is 45 years old, and is dark of complex
Ion and hair. He wore long, black, shabby
overcoat and turban or polo cap, which
ought to make him an easy find for the de-
tectives. He is known to members of many
& Jewish congregations, who have fulfilled
81 toward him the injunction. 'Give to him
that asketh of thee"
DR.. Henry Pereira Mendes is very short
and slender. He is 50 years old. His con-
s gregation is composed of wealthy Portu-
guese Jews. He is a son Of the Rev. Abra-
ham P. Meudes of New York, and brother Of
the Rev DR.. De Sola Mendes of the Forty
fourth Street synagogue.
81 The police of the Mercer street station
81 were notified by Lucian Nathan. Capt.
Ryan went up to the house and got an &C
curate description of the assassin. Detect
ives Lesson and O'Connor were detailed to
nunt for him, and general alarm was sent
out from police headquarters.