The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-08-11
LIKE THE sERKgY OUTRAGE.
Aged Cambria County Bachelors Tortured
by Burglars.

Philip and John Dever, bachelor
brothers, who have for many years lived
quietly on their farm in Munster town.
ship, Cambria county, about mile
southwest of Munster postoffice. were
on last Friday evening made the victims
of an outrage strikingly like that COM
nIitted upon David Berkey and his wife,
in Paint township. Somerset county, a
little over year ago, for which John
and James Roddy are now under SELL
tence of death, says the Johnstown Trib-
une IL promises to differ from that
now famous crime, however, in that
results are not expected to he fatal. A
nephew of the two bachelOrs-Jamcs W.
Dever, of Altoona-who " Is present in
the house at the time, was also badly
used up and will be disfgured for life.
Phillip Dever is seventy eight years
old, and for some time has been an al
most helpless paralytic, having no use of
his lower limbs and but little of his
hands and arms; his brother John is
seventeen years his junior and has been
reasonably robust, while their nephew is
an able-bodied man of thirty.
The burglars, four in number. all
masked, paid their visit at 905 O'Clock,
and entered first the room where Philip
was lying in bed, half asleep. The other
two occupants of the house were in
another room. The leader of the band
thrust a revolver into the paralytic's
face and demanded money. The old man
protested that he had none, and in this
he was joined by his brother John, who,
with the nephew, had been brought into
the room.
but by God you have" said the lead
er, "and Wen have it or your life. What
did you do with the pay for your coal
right?'
Both brothers protested they had not
received any money for their coal right
yet, but the robbers evidently did not
believe them. They tied Philips feet TO
the part of the bed next the wall, as that
was the side upon which he was lying.
They bound Johns hands and legs Sc
curely and tied him TO a stove. Then
they threw the nephew with his back
upon the bed and his feet upon the floor
and tied him tightly in that position,
blindfolding and placing a gag in his
mouth. The house was next gone
through-drawers emptied Of their con
tents, boards torn up, and everything
turned topsy tnrvy. All the plunder
they obtained were the pocketboOks oi
the two elderly men, containing a small
amount of change, and two watches.
Exasperated by their failure in getting
such small booty, the burglars returned
Ia the room where the three men were
tied, and again demanded 10 know where
the money was hidden. Being answered
As before. they swore they would burr
the three men up. The leader LIT stick
of wood and held the burning end against
the feet of Philip, who, from his sick
and weakened condition, could make
little outcry. Not getting the informa
tion they sought, they held a lighted
candle under Johns arm, and burned 4
patch as big as a saucer until it was raw,
causing their victim TO yell with pain
Then they stuffed his mouth with ral
and burned him horribly in several
other places.
While the burning stick was being sp
piled TO the feet of Philip, the nephew,
who had managed TO slip the blindfol6
from his eyes turned his head to see
what was going on. No sooner had one
of the robbers seen this move than he rar
to him and struck him terrible blow in
the mouth with his revolver, knocking
out his teeth, shattering the lower jaw
bone, and splitting the upper lip.
All their efforts failing to obtain infor
nation as 10 where they could find mon
ey, the four men departed, leaving theil
victims tied. They remained in that po'
sition for about half an hour, when by a
great effort, Philip managed to reach the
rope with which his nephew had been
bound and loosed one end Of it. Further
struggling on the part of the nephew re-
suited in his release, and soon all three
were loosed from their bonds. 1t was
quite late by this time, the nearest neigh
Dor was more than half a mile away, and
the men decided to raise no alarm until
morning, dressing their wounds them
selves.
Not clue was left behind by the burg
lars, and there were no tracks or Other
evidences outside the house to tell which
way they had come or gone.