Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1893-10-20
TORTURED A WOMAN.
Five Masked Burglars Rob a
Widow Reputed to Be Rich.
THEY ALMOST BURNED HER ALIVE.
Five Men Thought Mrs. Logan Had Sa5,-
900 In Her Houss-A Newspaper Stenog-
rapher Who Says He Was HypnotiEed by
. Mind Reader.

PITTsBURG, Oct. 2u.-Mrs. Rachel Lo-
gan's little two story house. about one mile
from Coraopolis, nine miles below here,
was entered by five masked burglars, who
took her from her bed and then by torture
and threats of burning her alive succeeded
in robbing her Of s5l5.
The Pittsburg detectives learned of the
case about midnight Thursday. They have
now four of the men, and they expect soon
to get the fifth. Three have made confess
sions They expected TO get anywhere
from So, 600 to $50, 1000
Mrs. Logan is a rich widow nearly az
years old. She lives alone and walks with
long staff. She owns large farm which
is in the Coraopolis oilfield, and her income
from oil royalties and lenses has been very
large for several years. She has been long
credited with hiding large sums of money
about her house.
One of the Gang a Mesmcrist.
Those who are under arrest and who have
confessed are John Shields. n stenographer,
in the employ of The Dispatch; Bert Shu-
maker, telegraph operator, formerly in
the employ of the Baltimore and Ohio, and
Professor Grant Evans, n mind reader and
mesmerist. Besides these Sam I.aughlin,
about 80 years old, whom the police say
they never knew to do any work, is also
under arrest, but lie denies any completely
in the affair. The first three say that he
planned the whole thing. The fifth man
is another stenographer.
Shields is married and about %, and for
years has been n trusted clerk ON The Dis
patch, handling good deal OF money. He
has always been faithful.
When seen at the Central station, he said
he had known Evans, who is about 80 years
old for five years, and that Evans possessed
peculiar power over him. He could make
him lend him money and get him theater
tickets in spite of his wishes to the con-
trary. Shields says Evans is responsible
for his downfall and first proposed it to
him. He knew it was wrong, but could
not resist. strangely enough" said
Shields, Il was the only thoroughly sober
man at the time OF the crime, which knew
l would suffer for, and yet l could not re-
sist'
The story of the crime, as gathered from
the detective is that they learned of Mrs.
Logan through Laughlin, who said they
would have an easy job They arrived at
her house and pried open her door about
O'Clock on Wednesday morning 1t was
lonely place.
Taking her out of bed, they tied her to
chair, hands and feet, and drew n knife
across her throat, scratching it. One of
their number struck her severely on her
forehead with the butt of n revolver, de
mandinG that she should reveal the place
where her money was secreted.
She held out bravely. Then they searched
high and low, turning things upside down,
emptying preserves from fruit jars, tearing
her bed to pieces. They first put up blank
cts at the windows, but they worked in vain.
Poured Oil Over Her.
Enraged, they then took nearly a gallon
of oil which they found and poured it over
Mrs. LoCan's wooden night dress and about
the floor, holding lighted matches danger
Ously near, and even firing the thick stuff
and then eXtinguishing il.
They burned her face with the matches.
Finally she became terrorized and showed
them where she had hidden S5l5 in n cup
in the cellar.
Departing, the men left her tied to her
chair with the cotton ropes they had
brought Whether Intentionally or other
wise, one of the matches they dropped set
fire to the floor. Mrs. Logan got herself
loose in Il frantic struggle and eXtinguished
it. Of the money secured there were two
500 bills, II $50 bill and some $50 bills.
Most of it has been recovered.
Superintendent O'Mara detailed Detect
ives McTighe, Shore and Robinson to work
up the case. They saw Evans and asked
him how much money he had. He replied
that he had SOS.
They arrested and searched him, and
found 500 bill pinned inside his trousers.
Telling him that his confederates had con-
fessed, he broke down and owned up.
Shields was handled in a similar way, and
he also confessed, as did Shumaker. Evans,
when seen, said it was plain case of bur
glary and nothing else. They went out
there to get $40, 600 and didn't get il.
They treated the old lady very carefully
in fact, very courteously. All Shumaker
would say was that he was one of the party.
They will have a hearing today, when Mrs
Logan, the officers assert, will be able tc
identify several of her assailants-