The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1897-06-04
Robbed I
An Old Farmer Brutally As
saulted. His House
Burglarized, Then Burned to
The Ground.

One of the most heinous crimes
of recent occurrence WAS perpe-
trated on an old man living near
Bridgeport, this county, Satur-
day evening. Henry Forsythe
! came from eastern Virginia, is
about IS years of age, and is an
industrious farmer and peacea-
BILE citizen. Saturday afternoon
Forsythe went over to get . pig,
in part payment for some small
cattle he had recently sold to
young George Faris. The
pig weighed about 40 pounds,
and the old man carted it home
in q wheelbarrow. After plac.
ing the pig In the pen, and at
tending to its material wants.
Forsy the went into the house,
and hanging up his hat and pull
! ing off his boots. threw himself
ON the bed. without undressing,
and was soon asleep. It was
probably ten o'clock when be
awoke and saw the door broken
in and three masked men stand
ing before him. One of them i'm.
mediately assaulted him, and
threw a cloth over his head. The
others coming up, he was buck
ed and gagged, and the villains
demanded the $500 which they
claimed TO know was in his pos
session. Forsythe denied any
knowledge ofthe whereabouts Of
such an amount. and begged for
his life. The ruffians then bound
him hand and foot. They tied
his feet with ropes, and twisted
a short coil of wire around his
I wrists. Then pouring oil on his
face and feet and hands, they set
him afire. The old gentleman's
lips and chin were painfully
burnt, and feet and hands were
badly scorched. Forsythe after
ward remarked that the ..only
reason that he was not severely
crippled wasibecause his socks
were wet The old man man
fully resisted the indignities to
which he was subjected, but TO
no purpose, aud after torturing
their victim for some time in a
vain endeavor to get him TO re.
veal the whereabouts OF the al.
legged amount of money, the out
laws left him apparently uncon-
scious, and as they supposed,
dead. They had managed to
secure $21 in cash, all the money
Forsythe had, and which he had
! saved up to pay his taxes. They
then ransacked the house, scat
tering papers and books over the
floor, overturning the furniture,
and upsetting things generally.
The three men then left the
house, presumably to search for
the money supposed to be hid
away on the premises some.
where. 1t is supposed that they
explored the cabinet-shop near
Forsythe's residence, but on the
following day everything in that
building was found to be in good
order. Right here it may be men
toned that Forsythe is a fine
carpenter and skillful workman
in marble. He has built a mum.
Der of fine residences in various
parts of Harrison county.
When his assailants had gone
away. Forsythe managed after a
time to unloose the ropes from
his feet, but was unable to re-
lease his hands, and the sharp
wire cut into the flesh. Passing
out the doorway, he hobbled
along as best he could to the
nearest neighbours, Joe Nutter,
and gave the alarm.
After travelling about two
miles. he turned and saw a light
from his house. It is supposed
that the burglars had returned
and set fire to the residence be-
lieving that their victim was still
there. The building was burn
ed to the ground. Forsythe
went on to Bridgeport and mott.
fled the officers of what had &C.
Cured. Deputy sheriff Denham.