The evening times., 1899-05-24
DEADLY ASSAULT By ROBBERS.

i
Jured on HIS Doorstep.
Greenwich, Conn.,, May 24.-Shadrach ].
Close. the venerable postmaster of STAN
| wich, a little hamlet about seven miles
from here, was murderously assaulted and
| robbed on his doorstep Mohday night.
While he was still breathing late last
| night, he never recovered consciousness
after being struck down, and there is little
hope Of his recovery
The case is a most mystifying one;- but
four men were arrested on suspicion yes
terday. and the Greenwich authorities feel
satisfied that one ,N them was the assas-
sin. The old postmaster lay where he fell
| until o'clock yesterday morning, when
| he was discovered BY his wife, who, on
| waking, found that he was not by her side.
and went in search of him.
Stanwich contains about fifty scattered
| houses, Of which the centre is the general
store and postofiice. kept by Mr.. Close.
The store is a little red frame one story
and attic structure. low porch on two
sides serves as hitching place for horses
and lounging place. Separated from the
store by garden and orchard stands
Closes house.
The old couple have three children
Hannah. Lewis, and William-all of whom
are married and live near by. The latter
is partner in the store business. Close,
who is in his seyenty-ninth year, is re-
ported to be possessed Of considerable
means.
The store on Monday night was. as usu-
al. filled with customers and loungers. but
at $50 o'clock. the usual hour for closing,
only two young men fingered on the porch.
William Close put up the shutters and aft
er bidding his father good night, started
for his home, about 100 yards down the
road. At that time the young men had
disappeared.
The old man for more than forty years
had pursued an unvarying routine in clos
ing his store. After the shutters were up
he would take his cash box, strap it to his
three account books. lay II on a particu-
lar counter and then go to the front door
and stand on the stOop to take a final look
up and down the road This done, he
would re-enter the store, lock the door,
take his cash box, blow out the lamps and
pass out of the rear door to his home.
where his wife always left lamp burning
in the window to light him across the gar
den.
Closes habit Of standing for few mo-
ments each night at the front door was
well known. II was while SO standing
Monday night that he received his death
blow.
Mrs Close was startled on waking at
o'clock to find that her husband had not
returned Going to the store she found
his body lying on the front stoop. She
hurried to the nearest neighbors and pro-
cured assistance.
Coroner Jones. of Greenwich. examined
the sufferer and found that he had sus-
tanned a fracture of the left side OF the
skull. of the left Jaw and of the hyoid
bone in the throat. Apparently he had
been struck three times with a piece of
fence rail about four feet long, which was
found on the porch.
An examination of the store showed that
nothing was missing except the cash box
and the three account books. The box
only contained about $40 in silver and
some insurance papers. The drawers in
the postoifice were found open, but Curl
ously enough the stamps were not disturb
SIS I'm money, which was untouched, and
he had also in his hip pocket a revolver.
which he always carried.
Prosecuting Attorney James +. Walsh
and Deputy Sheriff James Fftzroy came 10
the conclusion that the assassin must have
been some one thoroughly acquainted
with Mr.. Closes habits. who hid on the
porch and struck him down as he came
out to take the air..
1ney learned that the two young men
who were seen lettering about just before
the store closed were Clarence Green and
Frederick McCann, both of whom were
placed under arrest. McCann is brother
of John McCann who was concerned sew
eral years ago in the abduction of the
child of Charles P. Waterbury. of Long
Ridge, and who. with two others, was
sent to State prison. Green is a carpen-
ter. but neither he nor McCann has any
regular employment.
Wilbur Adams. laborer in the Water
Works, and William Smith, a farmer,
were arrested later. All the men, with
the exception Of Mccain. have been pre-
viously arrested for robbery and assault