The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-08-17
PEPPER IN Her EYES.
Annie Kenny's Story Of a Mys-
terious Assault Doubted
By the Police.

The residents of the West Side, in the
vicinity Of Marion We're startled on Sat
urday evening. about half-past eight
O'Clock, by hearing the affrighted screams
of a woman. and they thought of the
famous Barrowcliff case Of a few years
ago. Again the screams were heard, but
this time they were fainter and were heard
no more.
Henry Heye, of No. II Broadway, was
sitting on his stoop enjoying the cool even-
ing breeze, when he saw woman alight
from q West SIDE avenue ear and proceed
near Mr. Heye,s house she laid down sew
eral bundles which she carried, SAT- on the
stoop, apparently 70 rest herself. In a
snort While she arose and again pro-
ceeded on her way down West Side
When about tnirty-ive feet from Mr..
Heye's house she sank on her knees en
the sidewalk and uttered a shrin shrek.
Mr.. Heye was at first too startled to
and started toward the woman. About
the same time a man named Logan, who
factory, at the corner, of Broadway and
West SIDE avenues, having heard the
screams, started in, the same direction
Mr. Heye reached the womaf's side first
and in answer to his inquiry as to what
had frightened her she sad
.Oh, my, there. is pepper in my eyesr'
Dy lilS Time MI Logan arrived on the
scene, and the two men carried the wom-
an to nearby stoop, where Mr.. Heye
detected the presence of what seemed to
be fine powder, but this on investiga-
tion was found to be pepper
Mr.. Heye then notified the police and
at the same time despatched a messenger
for a doctor. Detective Larkins of the
Seventh precinct and DR.. Spence were
soon on the spot. DR.. Spence examined
the woman, and. although he saw pep
per on her dress he said that none had
entered her eyes.
When DR.. Spence had finished his exam
ination, Detective Larkins questioned
her She said she was Annie Kenny rs
years old. of Irvington-on-the-H Hudson,
where she is employed as domestic. She
had come to this city to visit her sister,
Mrs. William H. Howland, who lives at
No. lis Broadway Regarding her ac-
tlons and screams she said that when
she had stepped off the car q man came
up to her and caught hold of her arm.
She broke away and started TO run. but
he followed and when near enough threw
a handful of pepper into her eyes and
grasped her pocketbook, containing sS5,
and ran away with 1t. She described her
assailant as tall man, and that he wore
a cap with a peak to It.
Although Mr. Heye saw her alight from
the car and watched her until she fell on
her knees, he said that no one was near
her and was surprised at her story.
While looking for traces of an assault
on the adjacent ground Detective Lar
kins found a bag containing pepper. Il
was of the same kind that was found
on her dress. Later her pocketbook con-
tanning two cents was found inside the
fence of the watch factory, where it had
been thrown. The pocketbook was fas-
tened and bore no traces of having been
opened.
The direct contradiction between Miss
Kenny's statement and the statement OF
Mr.. Heye has started the police to won
dering whether the attempted assault is
not humbug. The presence of the pep.
per on her dress and some in her eyes
when she claimed that her assediant
threw "a handful there adds weight te
their theory.
The police are inclined to think thai
Miss Kenny either lost or spent the mon
ey which she claimed was stolen and en-
very clever means. but that in her at.
tempt she made bungling mess of it.