New-York tribune., 1902-08-08
SAVES ACTRESSES PETS,
EX-COWBOY WOUNDS ROBBER AND is
SORELY WOUNDED AT BLANCHE
BATES'S COTTAGE.
EDWARD VI.

Miss Blanche Bates the actress. who with her
mother Is living in a cottage at Quaker Ridge
a high eminence which overlooks Mamaroneck-
on the-Sound had an experience yesterday with
a band of robbers. who attempted to rob the
house and steal her trained horses. Cotcheese
and Molasses which she rode last year as
Cigarette in Under Two Flags" One rob-
ber was shot and carried away by his COM
rades, leaving a pool of blood to TESTIFY TO the
accuracy of the story. Sidney Yardley, young
man who is overseer for Miss Bates and who
bravely foiled the robbers and saved her pets,
is lying in an upstairs rooms of the cottage
and Miss Bates is at his bedside nursing hlin
in his fight for life He received a blow from
a blackjack or sandbag the back of the mead
and DR.. J. NJ Hail. of Mamaroneck, who Is
attending him. fears that he may have concus-
sion of the brain. Yardey is the son of an
Episcopal clergyman of Denver Col. He spent
four years on the plains a cowboy and for
the last two years has been employed py MISS
Bates to care for her horses. He is twenty
three years old.
The robbers according to Mrs. Bates, were
seen by a cook prowling about the house early
in the evening but the women paid no attention
to them. as she thought that they were servants
on some of the negbboring estates The men,
Mrs Bates thinks. intended to rob the house
of her nephews, who were at the cottage Visit
ing her.
II was after midnight when Yardley, who
slept in an upstairs room. heard talking near
the stable and. hastily dressing himself and
taking a revolver. went out--A minute later
Miss Bates her mother and the other occupants
NJ the cottage were alarmed by a fusilade
of bullets. and the cursing and shouts OF the
robbers They also heard a vehicle OF some
Of he and tearing down
the road toward Mamaroneck
Hastily dressing Miss Bates aroused her
cousin 7 G Mossnan. of Philadelphia, and her
mother The actress then ran TO fardleys s
room and found it empty She then ran from
room, 10 room arousng the servants and
shouting:
.-sidneys at the barn and somebody's muir
derng him"
They ran out into the yard and found Yardley
living under q tree. Miss Bates knelt beside
him and said: sidney what's the matter. Have
they shot yOu?"
YardIey made no reply but put his hand TO
the back of his head and tainted away He mas
since been unconscious most of the time he
was taken into the house. and as Miss Bates
had no telephone the neighbors were called to
go for a doctor.
Nicholas Burtis a farmer. and his hired man.
who lives across the street from the coltase'
drove TO MamaroneCk ana tOld the poliIe.
Yardley did not recover consciousness untl
late yesterday and then he was able TO talA
only a short time He said that he had heard
voices and had gone to investigate. When ne
found that the men were robbers he stood benind
n tree and was taking aim TO shoot when one
of them saw him and shouted:
! Who's there"
Before Yardley could reply the man hred ana
| Yardley fired at the same time. Yardley Is con-
ndent that he hit the rObber, as he saw MIN
! stagger against the barn. and throwing up his
| hands shout to a companion; Help me, DICK
As YardIey was preparing TO fire second
time he was struck the back of the nead-
1t is believed that after getting Yardley out
| of the way the robbers picked up their COM
! panion and placed him in their carriage Ihe
! place where the man fell is covered with large
clOts of blood which would Indicate that ne
vas badly wounded. The robbers had saddleu
both of Miss Bates's pets. and were Pl'cih6
saddles and harness in bags when they were
surprised. H.. 49,, ,,-,,,,,,5 ted
! The police of MamarOneck believe the "ouiltIe"
rohher NAV have been taken by his accoinpIceS
to some physician or hospital along the ooulu
Miss Rates borrowed large NeWfoundIahu uUS
Yesterday from Mr.. Burtis, and hence1ortn nc
will be on guard at the cottage