The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-09-20
Finding a Burglar in Her
Bedroom She FearleSsly
Grapples With Him.
HER HUSBAND DRUGGED
The Robber Stabs Her Three Times
and Leaves Her Unconscious
and Covered With Blood
An Arrest.

! had desperate encounter with a muir
| derous burglar about two o'clock this
| morning. AS result she is lying in a
| critical condition at her home suffering
| from deep stab wound in the right
| thigh and another in her right leg above
| the knee.
! Her husband, Elmer Hile, was evident
| ly chloroformed by the burglar, as he
| lay motionless in the bed, while his brave
| little wife struggled with the burglar.
| His brother-in-law, strangely enough, who
| occupied room on the floor above, slept
| through the entire affair. According to
Mrs. Hile's story she was awakened by
| the unusual heavy breathing of her
| husband.
| She made an effort to arouse him, and
| failing, got up to light the gas. AS she
| was making her way around the foot of
| the bed her foot came in contact with
| mans body.
| STABBED BY THE BURGLAR
| Before she could make an outcry, the
| burglar, who had been crouching behind
| the footboard, sprang to his feet, seized
| the terrified woman by the arm and
plunged a dagger deep into her thigh.
| She gave a shrill scream for help and
| then in the darkness grappled with her
| assailant.
| The burglar was a short, thick-set man,
while Mrs. Hile is a muscular young
| woman. AS she grappled with the man
ne made another effort to stab her, but
| she seized his arms and held them in
| such a position as to keep the thief from
doing her further injury with the dag
| ger.
af kt1 Tn,
her thigh was telling on her strength
With a dexterous movement the thief
broke her grasp upon his arms, and
sizing her by the throat dragged her into
the hail. Here she made an effort to
| scream for help with the hope of arous-
| ing her brother. Before she could open
her mouth the grip on her throat tight
ened and her head was banged against
| the wall with terrific force. For an in
slant she was stunned. She relaxed her
hold on the man and he made dash for
the stairway.
PUSHED HIM DOWNSTAIRS.
Mrs. Hile again grappled with him. In
some way he broke away from her
and, drawing his dagger, stabbed her
in the leg, above the knee. The plucky
woman was too exhausted to continue
the battle, and, with a mighty effort
she gave him a shove which sent him
headforemost down the remainder of
the stairs. He was on his feet in an
instant and out of a rear window in
an extension. through which he had eff
fected an entrance.
Overcome by excitement, exhausted
by her struggle Mrs. Hile tainted on
the platform at the head of the stairs
Ten minutes later her husband awoke
and, missing her, at once instituted a
search.
COVERED WITH BLOOD.
When he discovered her apparently
lifeless form, her nightdress covered with
blood. he was unable to speak. He soon
recovered, and. summoning his brother
in-law, they administered brandy to
Mrs. Hile and she finally recovered con-
sciousness. DR.. Vreeland was summoned
He dressed the wounds, finding it neces-
sary to put six stitches in the thigh
wound and four in the other.
In the meantime an alarm had been
sounded for the police Rain was fall
ing in torrents. and this probably ac-
counts for the delay in the arrival of
police assistance, as the entire Fourth
precinct was virtually packed with
police. Policeman Hanbury and Detec-
tives Dalton, McNally and Pearson were
the first to arrive.
THE THIEF ESCAPES.
The entire row of houses was surround
ed, and thorough search instituted for
the burglar.
He had made good his escape. The
storm had rendered the telephone SER
vice on the Hill useless. AS a result
Captain McKaig, who had been sum
moned to take charge of the case ord
cred Detective Dalton to proceed to Head
| quarters and send out general alarm.
The house was searched by the remain
ing detectives, and the burglars hat
found, An effort was then made to find
out what had been stolen. A pocketbooIs
the property of Mr.. Hile, containing a
large sum of money was gone, and also
handbook belonging to his brother-in-
law, six spoons, six forks, six knives,
silver watch and chain and number of
minor articles. A search was made for
the stolen goods, but they were nowhere
to be found. This, to the police means
that there were two thieves in the house.
The theory advanced by Chief Murphy
| for the burglars return to the bedroom
ldlleT lue uOWH stairs apart
ments, was to get away with hand
some gold watch and chain which was in
| Mr.. Hile's vest, which was on the foot
! board of the bed
| The police on the Hill kept UP the
search all night.
DALTON MAKES AN ARREST.
| At four O'Clock, as Detective Dalton
| was returning from the ferry, where he
| had instructed the policeman on duty to
| look out for bare-headed man, he
| was surprised to see a man without a
| hat, and answerign the meagre des-
| cription of the burglar, standing on the
| corner of Washington and Montgomery
! streets Dalton slipped up the south
| side of Washington street, and finally
| crossing directly in front of THE NEWS
! office, collared his man without the
| slightest difficulty. Dalton recognized
| him as crook who has served a term in
| States Prison. He handcuffed him and
| marched him off to Police Headquarters
| without delay. His clothes were exam
ined with the hope of finding blood stains
| upon them, but none were found. He
| was carefully searched, but none of the
| articles stolen from the Hile house were
| found in his possession. Dalton was
| about through searching the man when
| fresh cut was discovered on his right
hand. The prisoner made no effort to ex-
4 plain how les came by hesswound He
became insolent and refused to answer