Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-12-01
TRIED TO BURN HER.
EXCITING EXPERIENCE OF MISS,
HIGGINS WITH BURGLARS.
SPRING UPON HER WHEN ALONE.
A Cloth Thrown over Her Head and
Her Mouth Covered 10 Prevent
screaming-Banda Around Her
Wrist Set on Fire. Z
Her Mouth q

Wrist Set on Fire.
One Of the most remarkable attempts
at robbery ever made In this city occur
red late last night at the residence OF Mr..
John NJ. Higgins. No. 2i9 Governor street.
In this case the burglars, not content
with entering the house and placing
themselves In a good position 10 carry
OFF good deal OF the silverware and
other valuables. attempted to burn the
young daughter OF Mr.. Higgins, Miss
Marie. who probably placed herself in a
way to thwart their schemes.
The residence in which this dastardly
attempt was made Is a handsome struc-
ture, located just at the summit Of the
hill on Governor street, and facing ;ha
grounds OF the Governors Mansion. Last
night Mr. Higgins, with his entire family,
attended the entertainment of the McGill
Catholic Union. held at Cathedral Hall.
The house. during a portion OF their abb
sence, was left unoccupied, as the colored
butler went out shortly after tea, and tho
cook also left rather earlier than usual,
q
ed up the silver.
CLOTH THROWN OVER HER.
When Mr.. Higginss family returned
from the entertainment it was about half
past 10 o'clock. That gentleman i'm
mediately went upstairs with his little
grandchild. The others remained in tho
front parlor for few minutes discussing
the evenings entertainment The large
were wide open. The little family group
sat conversing in the semi-darkness, az
there were no lights burning I'm either
room, though the light from the hall.
coming in through the open door, was
sufficient to dimly illuminate the room.
In few minutes the party. consisting OF
three young ladies and two gentlemen.
proceeding upstairs. with the exception
of Miss Marie. Feeling the need OF some
light refreshments before retiring, She
started TO the dinng-room i'm the base
ment. preceded by her brother, Mr. John
Higgins. When she had gotten to the
steps leading to the basement she re-
membered that the keys to the pantry
were on table I'm the front parlor She
turned and made her way through tho
hall back to the parlor, telling her bro
ther TO go on, and that she would be
down in a moment. When the young lady
reached the front parlor and had gotten
to the table. which stands between tho
two front windows. n heavy, cold hand
from behind was laid over her mouth, and
in twinkling a cloth was thrown around
her head and tied over her eyes TITO
hand still pressed firmly against her
mouth, preventing her from screaming.
and she was forcibly dragged towards
the back windows in the rear parlor.
TRIED TO BURN HER.
Upon reaching the latter room tns
bracelets she wore were rudely torn rrom
her and cloth bandage was tightly
wrapper around her wrists. THIS band-
age, which afterwards proved TO have
been saturated with turpentine, was then
lighted with a match. Then IL was tnat
Miss Marie succeeded in freeing nerselr
from the hands that held her. and with
a scream ran TO the hall This brought
the members OF the family down stairs
Immediately. the young lady's fpu,<e-
first reaching her side followed the next
moment by her brother John. The for
mer loosened the burning bandage from
his daughters wrists, and the young lady
in a fainting condition was carried up
stairs
Messrs. Caskie Cabell and Landon Ca
bell, two neighbors, were attracted by
the screams. and reached the house
shortly afterwards. Learning the cause
Of the alarm, they Immediately notified
the First Police Station, and Officers
Kerse and Goodman were upon the sceno
in a short space Of time. They. with
Mr.. Higgins, searched the house. No
trace could be found OF the burglars.
One Of the rear parlor windows was
found raised, and IL is supposed they
escaped through II TO the back porch.
f.I. tI,nrr hFVr fttt.a
the ground, distance OF nearly twenty
feet.
In q closet In the wing Of the house
We're found two handsome candelebra
wrapped up In a piece OF carpet. These
had stood upon the front parlor mantel-
piece With this exception everything
else was found in it's place.
COULD NOT SEE THEM.
The young lady was not able 10 de-
scribe the men who attacked her, as she
could not see them, being blindfolded.
She thinks there must have been two.
The hand that was pressed 20 her mouth.
she said was a soft one. Her arm was
very painfully hurt when she was being
dragged TO the rear parlor
This is the fourth time an attempt has
been made TO rob the house. MIR. Hig-
gins four weeks ago employed a new
a
wants room was entered and his over
coat stolen. The garment was fouSd
by the police in a pawnshop shortly af-
forwards and identified by the man.
The suppOstion made by some MEM
bers OF the family I'm regard TO the rob
berry last night is that the men concealed
themselves behind the piano I'm the front
parlor, which could easily have been
done. Why they should have decided to
attack the young lady they cannot
imagine, unless IL was that they feared
when Mr.. John Higgins returned from
the basement TO put out the lights and
lock up the house they would be dis
covered. and that, therefore. they de-
cided that in the confusion necessarily
caused by the attack they made upon
the young lady they would make their
escape.
The case will be put in the hands or
the Chief Of Police to-day. There was
no clue last night to lead to the capture