The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-05-23
SPICY CASE
OF ASSAULT
IS AIRED

A very interesting and spicy assault
case was tried in the Sixth district court
today
The complainant was Mary Murphy
and the respondent Mrs. Louisa Van
hoesen. Of 500 Broadway
According TO the story as It was brought
out by the evidence, Miss Murphy and
her younger sister bright, attractive girls,
Employed in separate mills engaged
room Of a family residing on the lower
floor OF that house.
Mrs Vanhoesen had let a room to Henry
Myers. who came here from New York
month ago 10 assist In the establishing
Of new manufacturing industry.
All three OF these principals took their
meals at a house nearby and thus be-
came acquainted.
ON Saturday. May 18th. Mr.. Myers
went 10 a ball game and the Murphy
sisters went with other girl friends TO
Boyden Heights.
twice before Mr. Myers had given them
lunch which the girls ate alone In their
room.
That afternoon he said that when they
came home he would have some lunch for
them. II they saw a light in his room
they would know that he was in the
house
The Young women had intended 10 come
home early; but had such a good time
with their friends that IL was l2.lo
o'clock I'm the morning before they reached
the house.
Mr. Myers. tiring OF waiting for them
ate part OF the lunch, put the remainder
I'm bureau drawer and went 10 bed
The younger sister asserting that she
| an a
and get the spread that had been prom
ised them
They saw that Mr.. Myers door was
open and that his gas was burning so
removing their hats they went upstairs.
Mr.. Myers was aroused by knock
upon his door and told Mary where the
lunch was.
AS she stepped into the room and was
moving toward the bureau. Mrs Van
hoesen burst in. seized Mary by the hair
and hit her over the head repeatedly with
a rattan carpet sweeper. following up
the attack with an umbrella.
Finally the women separated and the
Misses Murphy retired 10 their room.
They and Mr. Meyer are still living at
that house as roomers with the down
stairs people.
Mrs Vanhoesons story was quite
| different.
She aVerred that MI. Meyers was di"ne
in tf~-room. the door being shut and the
gas lighted.
She had been up TO give her boy some
medicine. and looking out 10 the entry
saw n woman. clad only in night dress
boldly walk UP 70 Mr.. Meyers door. turn
the knob and enter leaving the door but
| an inch or two ajar
/ She placed her boy on guard. called her
| husband and dressed herself
| Ten minutes had elapsed when she went
| into the room armed with the carpet
| beater.
/ Mr. Meyers was In bed. resting upon
| his elbow. The woman was about foot
or two from the bed, and both wore
satisfied smiles. s."
| She demanded OF the intruder what she
| was doing there and stepped toward her
4 with the carpet beater raised.
The woman seized that implement by
! the further end and both held fast 10 II
until the entry was reached, when the
| woman broke away and ran 10 her room.
That woman was Mary Murphy. She
had entered the room alone, no other per-
son was with her, or In the hallway ano
! she was disrobed with the exception or
! her night apparel.
This was I'm direct contradiction 10 the
evidence offered by the sisters, who were
posItive that they were together and that
| barring the removal of their hats they
were dressed there and then just as they
were attired I'm court today.
The evidence OF Mr.. vanhoeson and ~
his son was such that Judge Rueckert
found the respondent not guilty.