The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-29
Her Face and Breast So Burned that
She VIII BE DIshEured
Permanently.
MYSTERIOUS COMPLICATIONS
OBSCENE AND THREATENING NOTES
LEFT UNDER DOOR.
Suspicion Directed TOwnrd Two WOm-
en- and a Man of Very Pc
culiar Behavior.

ne ponce were CdlleO upon last IlBnl ~
investigate an acid-throwing case. which.
as it appeared last night, may prove as
much of a mystery as the Haskinson-Kline
case, which was for several years in the
local courts. Mrs. Sherman Mobley. living
in the rear of SO North Pine street, after
washing her supper dishes. went into a
little passageway between the house and a
woodshed to throw the dirty water into
the alley. AS she threw il carbolic acid
was thrown in her face. Mrs. MObley said
she did not know whether it was a man or
woman who threw the acid and she might
not be able to identify the person if brought
before here. Her injuries are severe but
not dangerous. Her face on the right side
will, no doubt, always be SCARED. Her
breast was also badly burned by the acid,
which soaked through her clothing.
y peculiar feature of the case is that the
acid is supposed to have been thrown by
one who had been writing notes and leaving
them under the door of the Mobley home.
in which there was a sort of professed
friendship and interest. The notes, which
were of obscene character, seemed TO be
for the purpose of advising Mrs. Mobley
of her husbands actions. The last note
was little different from the others except
that it contained the following threat or
warming: You had better go down or you
might get your pretty eyes and face spoilt.
So go down and you will be all right. Good
bye if you don't go. Yours" This note was
left in the door Monday.
Mrs. Mobley said, in describing the as
sault upOn her, that as she went to throw
out her dishwater she saw an arm raised
before her. Instinctively she threw up
her arm. Before she saw the arm, she
said, she distinctly smelled the fumes of
carbolic acid, but thought nothing of it.
Three attempts were made TO throw the
acid into her face. The first time she pro-
tected her face by throwing up her arm
before she fully realized what was going
on. She was then partially overcome by
the fumes of the acid, and when the un-
known assaiIant grabbed her with one
hand and tried to throw more of the acid
into her face her other hand, containing
the empty dishpan, was raised. This time
the acid, in large quantity. struck her
shoulder, soaking through the thin gar
ments to the flesh. The third attempt was
when the bottle was thrown or when she
knocked the bottle from the hand of the
unknown assailant.
She said she was for a time unable to
get her breath and could not speak until
after the acid was thrown the second time.
Then she began screaming. Her husband
rushed out. 1t was very dark in the pas
sageway, in which Mrs. Mobley had fallen
TO the ground, and he could not see her.
He called to her several times before she
answered him. Mobley picked her up. car
ried her into the house, left her in charge
of ~neighbors who had by that time come
in, and, taking a Ratchet, started out
through the alley in search of the person
who had thrown the acid. Not being able
to find the assailant, he went to DR.. Con-
gers office and asked him TO attend his
wife. The application of soda, milk and
other home remedies by ~neighbors before
the arrival of the doctor greatly relieved
Mrs. Mobley's suffering and did much in
preventing permanent isjury or disfigure-
ment. The police were advised. Bicycle
Police LOsh and Low were there within
ten minutes. but after learning as much
OF the story as they could were unable to
catch the one who had thrown the acid.
a WOMAN SUSPECTED.
Mrs. Mobley said her assailant was
clothed in something like a rain coat and
had a fascinator or hood about the head.
She was unable TO distinguish any feature.
The bicycle police found in the mud in the
alley at the side of the woodshed the foot
prints of a woman who had evidently worn
rubber overshoes. The empty bottle was
found. 1t mad been broken by the fall, but
on a portion of it was found a label
Poison" The bottle was a common half
pint whisky flask. The acid was said by DIR.
COnger to be of extra trength
Suspicion was directed TO a woman living
on Massachusetts avenue, near St. Clair
street, with whom Mobley said he asso-
ciated during the absence of his wife from
the city. The explanation given by this
woman was satisfactory TO the police and
in view of the threatening or warning note
il was decided that there must be some
other woman connected with the case.
The manner i'm which the notes. all of
them hardly legible and without signature.
were left at the Mobley home. is another
peculiar feature of the case. Mrs. Mobley
said six weeks ago a man came TO her house
and asked for her husband. who was at
that time in Richmond. Nearly every day
this man would pass the house, stopping or
slowing UP as he neared the house. Each
time he would address her by name and
smile sweetly upon her. She said she paid
no attention TO him. He was. she said. a
tall nne-lOOk1ng man, rather dark. we'll
dressed and wearing a heavy black mus
tache. Nearly always he rode a bicycle.
y few days ago he passed and by his man
ner showed he had intended TO stop. Two
of her brothers were sitting i'm the front
room. one of them close to the window.
The man, however. instead of stopping.
suddenly q~uickened his speed and hurried
away from the house. This man is sup
posed to have something to do with the
acid throwing. as in some of the notes il
was plainly stated that Mrs. Mobley was
foolish TO live there in that alley when
she might as well have as good a time a
her husband was wins Mrs. Moblev
said that a note was invariably found under
the door shortly after this man had passed.
She said no note was found except after he
had been seen.
FURTHER COMPLICATIONS.
She said she had once seen this man
standing in front Of the house on Massa-
chusetts avenue where the woman first
suspected lived. She had once visited the
house and inquired for her husband. who
was there and accompanied her home.
Persons living near this house on Massa-
chusetts avenue say there were many dis
turbances i'm the house. and a few DAYS
ago the police were called in to eject an
unruly visitor. Two Of the neighbors said
this visitor was Mobley. but he claims not
To have been IN the house for some time.
Mrs. MObley thinks a woman who has
called upOn her several times has also some
connection with the case. She said this
woman called and wanted To sell her some
medicine. She did not buy. despite the in
ststence OF the woman. \ few days later
"a small package OF The medicine was found
under the door. with n request that il be
taken and the effects noted. Mrs. Mobley
took the medicine. and said she expert
cnced rathed peculiar effects. The woman.
she said. passed the house several times.
once or twice about the time notes were
found and after the man who was thought