New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-01
SHOT DOWN BY A THIEF.
A LODGER WOUNDED BY THE INTRUDER.
THE INJURED MAN IN A CRITICAL CONDITION
NO TRACE OF HIS AssAILANT. AND ONLY
MDAGRs DESCRIPTION OF HIM

AS GUIDE.
In a struggle with thief who broke into hi
room, Charles T. Wall. paperhanger. was sho
yesterday afternoon at No. 202 East Seventeenth
St Wall is now lying in Bellevue Hospital. anC
his assailant is still free
According to the account Of the shooting giver
by the daughter of the landlady at the house
where 1t occurred Wall was alone In his roon
about O'Clock In the afternoon. when he heard
the sound Of some one trying to enter from the
hall. He started toward the door and Just then
1t was forced open, revealing on the threshold q
stranger, who had under his arm a bundle which
Wall recognized as containing clothing belong
ing to another lOdger In the house. on seeing
Wall the stranger started to run back through
the hall. Wall sprang after him. calling to him
to stop, but the thief rushed to the stairs. Wall
overlook him before he could go further and
seized the fellow by the shoulders. In the strug-
gle which ensued Wall cried for help The sound
OF hurrying footsteps heard. and the thief
wrenchod himself free, but Wall cutched him
again.
'Tll kill you II you don't drop me-" the fellow
gasped breathlessy. but Wall still held him. un-
I'll. with great effort. the thief wrenched an
arm free for moment. In the instant he gained
he pulled pistol. and pressing it close to his an
tagonist's side. pulled the trigger. Wallis grasp
relaxed as the bullet entered his side. and he fell
on the top stair. The thief. stepping over his
PROSTATE body almost threw himself down the
stairs and rushed out through the street door
just the landlady. who the only person
besides Wall In the house, reached the stricken
mans side.
To the Wall gasped the story Of the
fight. Her screams brought n policeman to the
house. call sent to Bellevue Hospital for
an ambulance and the wounded man was soon
removed. At the hospital the surgeons decided
that no effort could be made at that time to eX-
tract the bullet, Walls condition was critical.
All trace Of the thief and woud-be murderer
had vanished when the police reached Walls
side. and they able to obtain from him. in
his weak condition, only meagre description
Of the fellow He wes. Wall said. about the
medium height. and was not more than thirty
years old Wall thought the man wore dark
not certain. This meagre description was all
that the police had to guide them in their search
Of the city last night and they had little hope
OF arrestng their man unless they were able 10
obtain further details as to his appearance.
The andady OF the house spoke in high terms
Of Wall last night Sho said that he had been
her tenant for several years.
Two intoxicated men. whom Policeman Bali
OF Brooklyn. considered suspicous-looking were
arrested by him in Smith-st.. Brooklyn. yester-
day afternoon At the First Precinct police sta
ton they described themselves az Willard q.
Russell, twenty-five years old, OF No. 3D. west
Twentieth-st New York. and Alexander Smith.
twenty-eight years old Of Melrose. Mass. AS
the appearance OF one of the men tailed some
what with that Of the man implicated in the
shooting they were taken to New-fork to see
whether Wall could identify them