The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-06-24
ROBBERS
TORTURE
WOMAN
Mrs. Bowers, Aged, Sick and
Alone, Bound and Gagged
by -Four Masked Men.

New York. June 24.-Bound hand and
foot, blindfolded and gagged by four
masked men Mrs. Bridget Bowers. an
aged woman, was found tied to the floor
in her home near Eltingville. s. l., Sat
urday night. The police OF the New
Dorp station received their first report
of the crime yesterday morning.
Since her residence was burned several
weeks ago Mrs. Bowers has been living
much alone IN the barn on the premises,
which she temporarily fitted up to serve
as a cottage home during the summer.
She Is an invalid. having experienced
partial stroke of paralysis several
years ago She thinks the robbers were
men who live I'm the neighborhood.
1T was about two o'clock last Sat-
urday afternoon said Mrs. Bowers yes
terday. that i heard footsteps coming
up the walk / reached for my crutches
and walked to the door, but before
could open 1t the men pushed II open
and four Of them stood before me.
"They had pieces OF cloth tied about
their faces and their hats were pulled
down over their eyes.
"'Who are you, and what do you
wantT I gasped. but before / knew IT
the men had me by the arms and shoul-
ders and were pushing me back toward
nv bedroom They did not utter a
word The first seemed bent only upon
torturing me.
.'They roughly pushed me back until
fen and then they through a cloth over
my eyes and tied something over my
mouth They bound my hands and tied
nv feet together and then fastened my
body to the foot OF the bed post and
bound my feet to the bottom OF the stove
FOUND NO MONEY.
ct had to lie there in silence while they
ransacked the house, as II In search OF
some treasure Fortunately | had moth
ing OF great value here. for since my
residence burned down | have made II a
rule not to keep any money here In this
barn.
''It Is possible that an erroneous idea
NAV have got out that i was miserly and
boarded money. because l was content TO
make my home In a barn after my
dwelling was burned TO the ground, and
because my life, so isolated and so Sc
cluded, has been something like that OF
a recluse.
disappointed at finding so little OF
value the robbers hurried from the
place, leaving me lying on the floor,
bound and gagged. II was torture. for l
am partially paralyzed, and have been an
invalid for many years.
After long time John Ertl. a work
man who sometimes sleeps In the outer
room and looks after me when I am III,
found me lying on the floor"
Mrs Bowers torture reveals pitiful
story. Her husband died and left her In
comfort with two sons and a daughter
The elder son went away from home
and is supposed 10 be well-to-do and liv-
ing on the upper west side. The younger
son died several years ago.
Her daughter Mary has not lived with
her mother for many years She was
young woman OF great beauty. She left
home with a wealthy young man and her
mother believes she is married TO him
Everything I had In this world 20
speak Of" sighed the aged woman yes
terday. "I gave TO my daughter ] wish
she would come back to me now. I sit
at the window every day and long for
her. I kiss her picture and wish for her
until tears come into my eyes"