Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-06-01
A DASTARDLY ASSAULT.
Aged Man and Wife Overcome and
Beaten in Their Home
Near BroOkfieId.

Waukesha, Wis, May 28.-[Special. i
Last night at about y o'clock an attack
was made on William Neubecker and his
wife, an aged couple who live on little
farm in the town of Brookfeld about five
miles east of here. Mr.. Neubecker was
awakened at about y o'clock by the
noise made by the aSsailants as they en-
tered a rear window 1t aDDpars that
they entered through a kitchen window
and Mr.. Neubecker occupied a bed in the
sitting room which opens into the Kitchen
He jumped out of bed and started for the
kitchen, but was stopped and thrown
back upon the bed by the men. His
hands and feet were bound with a piece
Of wire clothesline and he was then
pounded about the head and chest until
he was unconscious.
Ihe men then proceeded to the front
room, where Mrs. Neubecker slept. She
had been awakened by the struggle in the
sIttlng-room, and was sitting up in bed.
They struck her on the side and breast
and pounded her head fearfully and tied
her hands and feet and left her for dead
upon the floor
Mr.. Neubecker was struck upon the
forehead, under the left eye, and on the
mouth. Mrs Neubecker was struck in
the abdomen and breast and about the
and face. Her face is an unrecogniza BILE
mass of bruises
The men used small lamp which they
had stolen from the schoolhouse nearby
The weapon used was Il hickory club
about eighteen inches long, shaved off
and handle whitfield out
After committing the crime the men
tore the sheets on Mr.. Neubecker's bed
to Shreds for no apparent reason. The
beds and floors of the rooms where tie
two victims slept are covered with blood
Mr.. Neubecker became conscious some
time in the night, but he does not know
when, and after long and painful effort
managed to get his hands loose. He then
united his feet and dragged himself into
the room where his wife lay unconscious,
and, with a great deal of exertion man
aged to unite her.
All this took him until about 6
o'clock this evening. when a little later
he made his way to the house of his
nephew, Sam Busse, who lives about
half a mile down the road, and gave an
alarm. The sheriff was notified and Dr.
Hardness called.
Mrs: Neubecker is now conscious and
may live. Mr.. Neubecker will live
The only description Mr. Neubecker
can give Of the men is that there were
two of them-one tall and slim and the
other short and thick-and they wore
dark clothes
From their tracks under the window
where they entered it is seen that they
wore square-tocd shoes and one mans
feet were larger than the others.
Mr.. Neubecker is II years old and
Mrs. Neubecller is 76. They are Ger
mans and do not speak English. They
live on little farm which they own.
Inc house IS a small, four-room log cot
taSe, plastered outside and inside. 1t is
03vergroWn with vines and surrounded by
flowers and shrubbery.
Inc perpetrators of the crime came
crOSs-lOts from the schoOlhouse, where
they, stole the lamp, to the rear of the
Neubecker house, and, as the windows
were not fastened they had no trouble in
entering.
The apparent motive OF the assault was
robbery, but nothing was secured. This
is the fourth time this house has been en-
tered III the past few years. The last
time was about two years ago, when the
robbers secured about $40.
There is no clu" to the criminals None
of the neighbOrs seem to have seen any
suspicious characters about the vicinity.
August Hebner, who lives three houses
west of the Neubecker home says that
yesterday morning man came TO his
house at about s o'clock and asked for
something to eat, which was given him.
He was short, thick-set, wore dark
clothes. had a rag on the forefngar of
his left hand and had Il short blonde
mustache.
Charles Neubecker Of this place is a
son of the victims and Paul Christoph is
a son-in-Iaw
There was absolutely no proyocation for
the beating of the victims for they were
perfectly helpless and unable to defend
themselves and il the case of the old
man particularly for he was tied before he
was struck,
1t is the opinion of many thar the men
who committed the deed are the same that
attempted to assault the young girl near
the pumping station night before last
The sheriff has several deputies out in
search of the malefactors.
At noon today is is reported that the
sheriff has arrested a man who answers
to the general description Of the man
who assaulted the Neubeckers last night.
He was taken out to the residence of the
Neubeckers for Identification.