The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-06
BEATEN AND TIED BY ROBBERS
BROKER ELIAS ASIEL THUMPED
IN BED BY BURGLARS.
Then One OF Them washed IN Blood From
His wounds Silver and Gold ware
Packed Up sndLcft-Althoush Bound.
Mr. Asiel Rang an Alarm and They Fled.

Elias AsieI. a broker. living at Is East
Sixty-third street. who was sleeping in his
! bedroom on the second floor OF the house!
was awakened a little after 4 o'clock yes
terday morning by a noise in the room.
He was lying on the right side of the bed.
and raising himself on his elbow saw In
the gloom the figure OF a mai standing
near his head.
Mr.. Asiel is SIS years old and not more
than S feet O inches tall, but he had plenty
OF courage. He made a lunge at the figure
on his right, half springing out of bed.
He landed his blow, but in return received
one full in the face that knocked him back
fiat on the bed. He had no sooner fallen
than another arm shot out from the gloom
on the left side Of the bed, and landed a
blow squarely on the top of his head. He
had been partly dazed by the first two blows Z
and two or tn rec more put him in such a
condition that he couldn't call for help.
At no time, though, was he entirely un.
conscious.
One of the burglars whipped ont a re-
volver, and holding it close to Mr.. Asiel's
, lace IOlu nun not 10 move, WnllP Ine OIUeT
began to tie his hands, palms together,
with stout pieces OF cord. The hands
fastened, the two Of them went to work at
his feet. binding the ankles together.
There are two win lows in the room, but
they open on a court and are heavily cur-
tanned. MIR. Asiel wasn't able 10 see his
sssailants clearly IL ntil they began to tie
his feet. Then they fash ed an electric
dark lantern. and he saw that both were
masked. One of them threatened him
with death il he made any cutlery. Then
they began to ransack the room. They
went through his clothes. The broker
could see them at work. He had some
papers in his p~ocketbook which we're OF
value to him but worthless to any one else.
Take everything but the papers,, said
Mr.. Asiel. They will do you no good"
Certainly, = replied one Of the burglars.
"we don want your papers"
The two men had been at work in the room
probably three minutes when they returned
TO the bedside, in response to a call from
Mr.. Asiel.
Would one OF you please wipe the blood
out OF my eyes?" asked the wounde broker.
1T won't disturb you in your work any;
you've got me down now"
The burglars held a whispered confer
ence, and one Of them stepped to the bath
room. He returned a moment later with
a dampened sponge. and bending over the
man In the bed, bathed his face.
Thank you, . said the broker.
That's all right replied the burglar.
A few seconds later the two men returned
TO the bed again.
Damn you" said one Of them, give us
the combination to that safe"
This was the first time they had referred
10 the safe. Ii was in a room at the rear
Of Mr.. Asiel's bedroom. The only entrance
10 it was through the bedroom. Mr.. Asiel
hadn't seen the men go into that room.
1t was not learned definitely yesterday
what was in the safe, but it is supposed
that it contained jewels belonging to Miss
Irma Asiel, the brokers' eighteen year-old
daughter. Mrs. Asiel died about two years
ago and she had a good many valuable
pieces of jewelry.
Mr.. Asiel didn't know the combination
10 the safe. and he told the burglars 80.
They swore at him some more, and told
him they didn't believe him. Then holding
their %revolvers close to his head they
threatened to shoot If he refused to give the
combination.
The broker assured them as best he
could that he was telling the truth and
they evidently believed him. for they
began Immediately TO prepare TO leave
the room. But before going they came
to the bed once more and one Of them.
pulling out a gag, forced it into the brokers'
mouth and kno tied it behind his head.
Then uttering a final warming they tiptoed
out of the room.
Mr.. Asiel lay motionless for perhaps
two minutes. He was waiting 10 hear the
footsteps Of the men as they went down
the marble stairs, but suspected that they
were only trying him. His surmise proved
correct. for the two stepped back into the
room again and warned him not to move.
Then the broker heard them descend into
the reception room on the first floor.
There was one thing the burglars had
overlooked in Mr.. Asiel's bedroom. That
was a bell cord that hung down near the
head of the bed. II rang a bell in the but
ler's room and one or two in the basement
Of the house. Mr.. Asiel with his feet and
hands tied rolled across the bed until he
was directly under this bell cord. Then
he worked his way up on the bolster until
he was able TO reach the bell cord with his
hands. He pushed the button two or
three times.
Then Mr.. AsieI began to try to work his
hands loose. He accomplished this pretty
easily, and IL took him only a few seconds
to free his feet. The broker ran 70 a rear
window and shouted for help. He hurried
to the floor above to learn IL his daughter
had been harmed. His b~loodstained and
battered appearance gave her a grea.
fright, but she kept her head, and while
the father resumed his calling for help
from a rear window she called up Police
Headquarters first and then the family
physician. DIR. A. II. Fridenburg of Park
avenue and S~ixty-fourth street.
The butler, Ernest Gooch, meantime had
arrived in Mr.. Asiel's room and seeing the
blood stains on the bed had run out shout
ing Murder" The butler passed the alarm
TO a milkman in the street, and Thomas
McGroarty, the Holmes patroIman hired
to watch the Asiel house with several others
! In Ahat kLnnE .ann nnnanEnd ~ H. -..a.