The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1907-11-05
Assaulted and Robbed.

Assaulted and Robbed.
A serious crime was committed at th
home of Stephen Benedict. located on tn
: cranberry boys of Edmund Braddock, a
Buzby's Mills, on Tuesday evening, an
is one of the results of the importation Q
foreigners into the pine districts.
Like many other growers Braddock ha
secured the services of Italians to assis
In picking his cranberries. When tn
work was done they were sent back t
Philadelphia.
On Tuesday afternoon three of the Ital
ians. who are known and who were recog
nized by their victims, returned to Med
ford, where Braddock has berries on stor
age. They wanted to know where tn
"big boss" was. AS he could not be 10
Gated at that place, the trio walked out t,
the Benedict house. The latter person.
come to Medford every day to assist ii
cleaning and asserting the berries, an(
they got home Tuesday night just abou
the time the Italians reached there.
The men entered the barn but failed tt
learn frem Benedict where Braddock was
They then knocked Benedict down AT
ter pointing three revolvers at his head he
was bound hand and foot with rope and
horse lines and his clothing searched fol
money. Drawing stiletto and placing
it on the breast of Benedict, one of the
Italians threatened to pierce his heart if
he did not disclose the whereabouts of
Braddock, whom they evidently intended
to rob. Finding the man was ignorant on
that subject Benedict was left alone.
The three men then went to the house,
and as their actions indicated robbery,
Mrs. Benedict hid $50 which she had on
her person. She had the money in to-
bacco bag, and later it was recovered.
After looking the place over for cash,
the men then turned their attention to the
helpless woman, who was forced up stairs,
bound and criminally assaulted. Her gold
watch was in plain sight on the bureau.
but the robbers refused to take this, pro-
baby for the reason that 1t might lead to
their detection.
The Italians then returned to the barn,
carried Benedict to the house and placed
him in bed with his wife, They were
covered with revolvers and threatened
with death should they make an cutlery.
AS soon as Benedict could free himself he
gave an alarm.
On Wednesday morning Deputy Sheriff
Fleetwood and Constable Throckmorton
were dispatched to the scene to get any
clues that might be of assistance to the
authorities In running down the criminals
Shrieking and crying for protection,
Mrs. Benedict fed from the City Hall cell
room, In Philadelphia, Saturday morning,
when two men who were arrested Friday
night were led before her for identified
ton.
The terrified woman dashed out into the
corridor. ran downstairs to the fifth floor,
where she sought refuge In small room
the Detective Bureau, where
she crouched in a corner trembling with
fear.
Benedict, the husband, collapsed at the
sight of the two burly prisoners and sank
to his knees. Keep them away from my
wife. they will kill herl" he cried
The two captives, Giovanni Bonanni
and Arfio Musemisi, were arrested by De-
tectives Tate, Jr., and Wood, and Special
Policeman Vignola.
After they had been locked up at the
City Hall, Detective Parker. of Mount
Holly, was notified of the arrest, and re-
quested to brig Benedict and his wife
to the city to identify the prisoners.
The detectives and the two victims of
The assault reached the City Hall shortly
before 10 o'clock, and were taken into the
cell room. Mrs. Benedict, still suffering
severely from the effects of the brutal as
sault upon her, leaned heavily upon her
husbands arm When Bonanni and Muse
mist were brought from their cells, Mrs.
Benedict's face blanched, her eyes bulged
and, In spite of her sufferings, she ran
swiftly from the room.
Detectives Tate and Wood followed the
terrified woman. A few minutes after
she had been found crouching in the fifth
floor room Mrs. Benedict tainted, and DIR.
Wanamaker. the police surgeon, was sent
FOR. She was revived and led to the Cen
sral Station hearing room, where another
ordeal awaited her. The two men were
TO be arraigned before Magistrate Scott,
and Mrs. Benedict's testimony was need |
ed to establish the identity of the prison
ers.
When Musemisi and Bonanni were
placed In the dock Mrs. Benedict was as
sisted to the witness stand by Detective |
Tate and reserve officer.
The trembling woman firmly clutched |
the detectives hand When asked by the |
Magistrate If she knew the prisoners Mrs |
Benedict looked at the pair. She gave a
low moan and shuddered. But for the
support of the reserve officer she would |
have fallen. In q low voice, pausing
long between each word, Mrs. Benedict
said: eyes, they are the brutes; they are
Joe and Sam who assaulted me, who said
they would kill me, who tied my hus-
band"
The two men were committed to prison
to await requisition papers from New Jer
sey.