The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-08-09
Brave Robbers, These !
Venerable Squire Beam and Wife
Brutally Beaten by Three
Masked Rufians.

The most c0ga-diy and brutal crime ever
committed IN this county was perpeirsted al
the home Of the venerable Abram Beam,
near Beams Church, in Jenner township
last Tuesday night Three masked men en-
tered the house. occupied at the time By Mr.
Beam and his wife, and after subjscting the
deienselsss old couple to most cowardly and
brutal treatment, ransacked the house in a
vain effort to find money. Both Mr.. Beam
and bis wife were quite seriously hnrt, and
considering the great age Of the former, il
will be remarkable indeed il he reoovers
from the effects of The dastardly assault.
Mr.. Beam. who IS nov in his ninety-sev-
enth year, and his wife, who is sixty years Of
age, retired soon after dark. The front door
was left unlocked IN order that J. ". Ben
son. Of Pittsburgh. who is spending the
summer with the Beams and who had gone
TO the house Of neighbor, half-mile dist
ant, TO secuTea Pittsburgh daily newspaper,
which the msil carrier had left there for
him, might enter without arousing the fami-
".
Mr.. Benson, who IS seventy years Of age,
returned TO Beams shortly after nine O'Clock.
When be drew near the house be heard
voices inside and believing that Mr.. Beam
had been seized with a sudden attack of
sickness he quickened his pace. Upon en-
tering the front door he saw the sorms of
three strange men in the bedroom occupied
by his hosts. The men were talking in loud
and angry tones and were urging Mrs. Beam
10 tell where her husbands money was con-
cealed. Benson carried a light cane in his
band, and realizing that robbery was being
committed, he drew his cane to a striking
position and rushing up to the door demand
ed what is the maiter?' The only reply he
received was a command from one of the
men, who pointed revolver in his face, to
drop his hands. Before the old fellow had
time TO comply with the command, he was
felled 70 the floor by blow from a club in the
hands ofone ofthe robbers. Benson says that
the robbers evidently thought that he was
leading a band of farmers bent on capturing
them and that they appeared to be as anx-
ious TO get out Of the house as he had been
to get in. Struggling to regain his feet, he
cried, cone on. men and bloody muir
deTr' at the top Of his voice to his supposed
followers He was knocked down three
times by the robbers before they left the
house. As soon as the robbers fled Mr..
Benson again entered the bedroom of Mr..
and Mrs Beam. Ms. Beam was bleeding
from number of ugly cuts aud bruises on
her head and was bending over the PROSTATE
form of her aged husband, who was lying in
one corner OF the room, apparently uneon-
sc;ous. Blood was streaming down the
old mans face and had saturated his cloth
ing. Benson helped 70 place him on the
bed and then went into the yard and rung
the dinner bell in order 10 arouse the neigh
bors In saort time several neighboFs re-
piled 10 the summons when one OF them
went TO Jenner Y Roads for DR.. Cavode-
The DR. found Mr. Beam suffering from sew
eral ugly scalp wounds aud nervous prostra-
ton His wife was more seriously hurt.
An ugly cash four OF five inches long on her
forehead, showed where one Of the coward
" brutes had struck her with q club. Sew
eral other scalp wounds were made by the
cruel blows that had been rainei down upon
her. Her body was mass OF bruises aud
for long time it was feared that she might
die from the wounds and excitement under
which she labOred.