Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-11-03
VICTIMS OF TWO BRUTES
Nh. and Mrs James Dusan,R Residing Near
Rising Sun, Murder0uSly Assaulted.
FORMER IN A SERIOUS CONDITION
The Latter Likely to Suffer For
a Long Time. ~
ASSAIlANTS HAVE NOT BEEN CAUGHT


Two brutes in human form attempted
TO murder Mr.. and Mrs. James Dugan
ut about 1890 o'clock last Saturday
night, the former while standing be-
hind the bar at his saloon on the
Rising Sun road about 100 yards below
the passenger station Of the Whining
ton City Railway Co., and the latter
in the road near the saloon. Mr..
Dugan's injuries may prove fatal, but
Mrs. Dugan will recover, although she
may suffer for long time from the
effects, and, possibly, during the re-
mainder of her life. The condition
OF Mr.. Dugan was such Tuesday that
friends were not permitted to see him,
aud it is not known yet to what extent
he is injured.
The young men living in the neigh
borhood are suspected, but, as Mr..
Dugan has been unable to have war
rants sworn out they are still at large.
From what can be learned, the men
had no occasion whatever for COM
hitting the assault, the impression
being that it was entirely without pro-
vocation. 1t is said that man named
Buebel was assaulted at the same
time, presumably by the same parties,
but It is thought he was not much hurt
At about 1920 o'clock, while Mr..
Dugan was behind the bar, waiting on
some customers, stone as largo as
paving block, was hurled through the
window and struck him on the head
An ugly hole was inflicted and Mr.
Dugan fell in heap to the floor. A
number of friends, who were in the
saloon at the time, ran to his assist
ance, They found that he was uncon-
scious and blood was flowing from the
n hv1rant Tho
men in the saloon cared for the injured
man as best they could. They carried
him to an adjoining room, as soon as
it was possible to do SO, and placed
him on a settee
Early in the evening somebody had
thrown something like a tomato against
the window, soilipg the glass, and Mrs.
Dugan was on the alert for any similar
actions on the part of mischief makers,
aud as soon as she heard the crash of
glass, caused by the stone being thrown
through the window, ran to the door
at the side Of the saloon, leading from
the residence portion Of the house to
the porch. When she reached the porch
she saw two men, one of whom was be=
lieved to have thrown the stone. in
front Of the porch, evidently in the act
Of running away. One drew his coat
over his head TO hide his face.
Mrs. Dugan darted toward them and
when she reached them, only few
feet from the porch, endeavored to pull
the coat from over the mans face in
order to ascertain who he was. She
succeeded, but Just as she got the man g
cont from his face she was felled to the
ground by singing blow in the back
Of the head.
Just before she w;s knocked down
she saw one Of the men pull a pail from
neighbours fence, and it is possible
that she was struck with that, but she
thinks she was first knocked down by
blow from a fist. When she was
knocked down one or more OF the men
continued to assault her in a most
brutal manner and for short time she
was unconscious and does not know
Just what happened. She believes she
would have been killed had 1t not beer
for the interference of man named
Wright, who, at the peril of his owl
life, rushed in to the rescue.
The assailants ran as soon as Mr.
Wright appeared upon the scene, and
with the assistance of Mr.. Wright
Mrs. Dugan was able to get into thu
house.
While Mrs. Dugan was on the grount
she was SO roughly handled that he
bled profusely, her dress being spattere'
with blood. As soon as she reache,
the house she was first acquainted witt
the fact that her husband had been as
saulted, her informant telling her tina
he was dying. Although she was Il
had condition herself she did what sh
could to assist her husband.
A message was at once sent for DIR
Joseph II, Chandler and another 70
The Rev. william J. Birmingham, bot
Of whom arrived as soon as possible
The physician made an examinatio
and gave as his opinion that the sku
was not fractured, but after the ston
had boon shown to him he remarke
that it was large enough to kill
steer. Father Birmingham also minis
tered to the suffering man and wa
prepared for the end, which it was bt
jieved was not far distant.
After DIR. Chandler had dressed MI
Dugan's injuries he gave as his opir
ion that they were not necessarily fata
The latter's condition was such, how
ever, that it was impossible to mos
him to the second story to bed unit
Monday. He has suffered considers
bly, and, according to Mrs. Dugan, wa
delirious and raved nearly all of Monda
night. She sat up with him and hi
not had an opportunity to remove HI
clothes since the assault. In additio
to the injury on the back of her heat
her nose and face are badly gashed an
her right arm and shoulder are alino
paralyzed. Her body and lower liml
are also very sore and it is with diff
equity that she gets about.
Mr.. and Mrs. Dugan are peaceab
(people and the neighbors are very mut
Cncensed over the cowardly attacl
Similar assaults have occurred in Il
neighborhood in recent years and it
hardly safe for people to walk aloI
the roads there after dark.
1t is believed that the men who col
mitted the assault had Just return,
from a trip to this city, and, fro
what can be learned. they were not !
toxicated, but simply had desire
commit some rash act.