The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-27
While in Bed Dr. Townsend
is MOrtaIIy Wounded
KNEW HIS ASSAILANT
New York Physician and Wife Are
Awakened at 4 a. n1.-The Intruder
Strikes a Match, Orders Him
to Rise, Then Fires.

New York, January 26.-Declarng
that he knew who shot him. but that
lie would not reveal the identity of
his assailant. Dr. Charles ". Town
send is in critical condition at
hospital tonight. suffering from pis-
tol shot wounds inflicted by man
who attacked the physician at his
home in fashionable section of New
Brighton, Staten Island. early today.
Mystery surrounds the shooting, but
from what meagre details the police
have gathered. they are inclined to
the theory that DIR. Townsend was
the victim of man who sought ven-
geance from some real or fancied
wrong. Two men were arrested and
taken before the physician, but he
declared that neither of them was his
assailant.
That it was not the work of
burglar. as was a first believed, was
borne out by the fact that not
single article was taken from the
house, although hundreds of dollars
worth of iewelry and sllverware was
within easy reach. This also is be-
lieved to be borne out by stories which
have been told the coroner by both DR..
Townsend and his wife, Mrs. Town
send, who witnessed the shooting. The
coroner has declined to make known
any of the information obtained from
DR.. Townsend and his wife. He de-
clared that to do so would tend to
defeat the ends of justice. From this
statement it is inferred that the iden-
tity of the assailant is at least sus-
peeted that the OFFICIALS hope to make
an early arrest in connection with the
case.
Flash of Match.
Or. Townsend ana his wife We're
| awakened shortly before a o'clock this
morning by a suspicious sound in their
sleeping room, and a moment later
they were startled by the flash of
match which revealed man hold
ing a revolver in his hand. Leveling
the revolver at DIR. Townsend the in
truder ordered him to arise at once,
and then without waiting a moment
fired. The bullet grazed the Doctors
clothes Another shot followed almost
instantly and the bullet entered the
Doctors abdomen and pierced the In
testines. A third bullet lodgned near
the heart.
Having thus completed his work, the as
sailant fed from the room, ran down
stairs and escaped.
When Mrs. Townsend tried to call as
sistance she found that two of the three
| telephone wires leading to the house had
been cut. The third which was in tho
| Doctors office in the lower part of the
| house, apparently had been overlooked.
Over this wire a servant in the stable
was notified of the shooting, and word
was also given the police. While awaiting
the arrival of the police, Mrs. Townsend
who herself is a physician, dressed the
Doctors wound and made preparations Tor
| the operation which she knew was In
stantly necessary in the effort to save
| his life 1t is feared, however. that even
| with the prompt attention the wounds
will prove fatal.
No Trace of AssaIant.
The police were unable to find any trace
| of the man who fired the shot. All the
doors and windows were securely locked
| and no marks of any kind had been left
| by the fugitive. Despite these conditions,
however, the coroner appears to be satis-
| fed that the man will soon be appre-
hended.
| The Townsend home is scarcely half a
| mile from the home of Charles l.. Spier,
which. not more than year ago. was
| the scene of tragedy strangely like that
| of today. Spier was shot In his home dur
| ing the nlRnL ana ulfu Ifonl HIS Wouiu.
1t was at first believed that he had been
the victim of a burglar. but an inVesti-
cation proved that he had taken his own
! life.
In the Townsend home at the time of
| the shooting, there were in addition to
| the doctor and his wife, the Doctors
| aged mother and his four children. All
of them occupied sleeping rooms in the
| upper part of the house.
| A closer inspection of the Townsend
house revealed signs that the intruder
| gained admission to the house by fore
| ing n window in the Doctors office ON
| the ground floor. Tracks afterward were
| found leading from the house to the wa
| ter edge. and it is believed the assaiant
after his crime, made his escape In a
| boat which had been provided in advance
for that purpose.
| DR. Townsend at first declared that his
wounds were inflicted by burglar, but
later said he knew the man who did it.
"T know perfectly well who shot no."
he told the police, but / shall not tell
you his name. do not want the man ar
rested. There is no need for sacrificing
still another life"