The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-05-09
A NARROWING TALE
Mrs. James Ahearn's Strange
Story of Being Bound,
Gagged and
Robbed.
MYSTERIOUS FLIGHT OF TIE ROBBER
When the Woman's Husband Dis
covered Her Her Clothing
Was Saturated With
Oil.
MYSTERIOUS FLIGHT OF TIE ROBBER

Mrs. Margaret Ahearn, Is years old,
with her husband James Ahearn, occu-
pies the top floor of the four-story double
tenement house at No. 1856 Pavonia avenue
4 Yesterday morning at half past nine
o'clock she was found bound hand and
foot TO the base of folding bed, gagged
and her clothing saturated with oil The
furniture was turned topsy turvy, indi-
eating that the house had been ransacked
The woman gives strange account of
the occurrence. 1t is a strange fact that
while the woman says she was knocked
senseless by a blow behind the ear with
some blunt instrument, presumably
black jack, her head was not cut nor was
there any trace of blood in the fiat, as
has been reported.
James Ahearn is a butcher and is en-
ployed by Michael Lally in the abattcir
at the foot of Sixth street. One year ago
he married and about four months ago
installed his wife in a cosy home in the
Pavonia avenue house. He took with him
for boarder Martin Murray, a butcher
who also works in the abattoir Friday
is not busy day for them and they went
to work at half-past seven O'clock At
nine O'clock they were through and de-
cided to go home and play a game of
t, 1t Il
estimated, within two blocks of the house
when the supposed fend was assaulting
Mrs. Ahearn.
1t was about half-past nine o'clock, as
near as Mrs. Ahearn can recollect that
her doorbell rang. She opened the front
door and stood in the doorway of the
kitchen waiting to see who her early vfs-
itor was. She was startled when tough
looking customer presented himself. IN
stinctively she says she shrank from him
He followed her into the kitchea and
calmly closed the door behind him.
Jin, your husband, sens me for S." he
sald looking straight at her.
II jim wants 50 he must come for, ii
swered.
"Tou won't give it to me, eh9' hissed
the intruder
Mrs. Ahearn turned to escape into an
other room when the man sprang at her
arc dealt her blow behind the ear with
q blackjack The blow knocked her down,
she cannot remember, she says whether.
she ran into the front room or whether he
dr2gged her. She recollects, She says the
man le2n.ng over her in the front bed
r9em, and contends that he kicked her
III the stomach She became unconscious
s ana ana no aceurats account of what trans
pred can be obtained.
From a kitchen closet it is said the
ilefld procured clothes line and with it
pound the prostrate woman.s legs. Passing
the rope around her feet he secured her
70 the base of a folding bed Apparently
tearing he would arouse his victim, he
tore off an apron which encircied her
waist. and gagged her with it. One part of
i was drawn ghrly over her nose, with
the evident intention of strangling her
His psXt move was to bind her arms over
her head, raise her body tie her hands
to 2 handle bar on the side of the bed
50 hat the woman's whole weight was held
by her wrists
His next move was to lock all the doors
ana place the keys in his pocket. He
fnen ransacked the house, turning the
ments, dishes and every thing else that
came in his way. He emptied bureau
drawers and placed two suits OF Ahearn's
cloths, a suit OF Murrays and several
suits of underclothes in valse From
Mrs. Ahearn's pecketbook he extracted S3
ayidently dlsgusted with his tr5fing booty
he determined TO destroy all evidence of
his crime by burning the woman to death
From a closet in the Kitchen he secured
can containing two gallons of oil. This
he poured al over her.
That he dd not carry out his scheme
was said to be due to the passing of some
says, apparently escaped by lowering him
self into the basement on the dumb
ore through the hall. The man, Ahearn
waiter.
The strange part of the story is that the
first intimation the police had of the
ourrence was when Thomas Jacobus, an
eleven, year old boy; of Henderson street,
ran into the Seventh street police station
and told Captain Kelly that there was a
drunken woman in the fiat at No. 1856 Pa
EUIl3 avenue
Policeman Frank Monahan heard the
boys statement and with Policeman
ts!Za2nor was sent to the house. Cap
tain Kelly gave strict orders to the men
to remember their duty about removing
a drunken woman from her own house.
Al Pavonia avenue and Grove street
Monahan and O'Connor met Policeman
Dunnigan- Aheam had returned to his
home in the meantime ard had found his
w fe as reported, bound hand and foot as
described above Murray notified Dun,
ninsfam and they rushed for DR.. Ko-
petcheny.
Captain Kelly turned out all the reserve
men, and from a. description of the thug
given by Mrs. Ahearn, tramp who has
heen lettering. about saloons in Pavonia
avenue was looked for. Railroad yards
and cars were searched, hut no trace of
the suspect could be found
In ore of the saloons frequented by the
man. Policeman OConnor was installed
a bartender. For three hours he re-
mained on duty there but the man did not
aDpear. The search was kept up all
nishd, but without success
Mrs. Ahearn was all right this morn
ing. and was able to go about her house
hold work The search for the suspected
man will be kept up