The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-27
ASSAHANT'S
 NAME IS HELD Doctor Says One Dead
 Man Enough. TOWNSEND DIES OF WOUNDS Shot in His Bedroom by Known Person. At Point of Death, Declares That He wuI Not rmpIicate The Assa.sin.
 Case Surrounded by
 Mystery.
TOWNSEND DIES OF WOUNDS

New York. Jan. 27.--Dr. Charles W. Townsend. one of the best known phy- sicians and surgeons on Staten usand. was shot and probably mortalIy wound ed while in bed at his home in New Brighton. & l.. early Saturday and died after midnight Sunday morning.
 The case is surrounded by mystery. but from the meagre details which have been permitted to leaK out by the officials. 1t is believed thAt the doctor was the victim of man who sought vengeance from some real or fancied wrong. That 1t was not the work of a burglar ,as was at first believed waa borne out by the fact that not a single article was taken from the house. al- though hundreds of dollars worth of jewelry and siiyerware was within easy reach.
 This also is believed to be borne out by stories which were told the coroner by both Dr Townsend and hts wife, witnesses to the shooting. The coroner has declined to make known any of the information obtained from Dr. Townsend or his wife. He declar- ed that to do so would tend to defeat the ends of justice.
 From this statement it Is inferred that the identity of tho assafiant ls at least suspected, and that the officials hope to make an early arrest in com nection with the case.
 pr. Townsend and his wife were awakened shortly before o'clock Sat. urday morning by suspicious sound iu their sleeping room and a moment later they were startled by d Hash of a match which revealed man holding revolver in his hand. Leveiling the re- volver at pr. Townsend. the intrudos ordered him to arise at once, and then without waiting moment, fired.
 The bullet grazed the doctors bed3 and buried itself in the bed clothes Another shot followed almost instantly and the bullet entered tne doctors ahs domen and pierced the intestlnas. 4 third bullet lodged near the heart.
 Having thus completed his work, ths assailant fled from the room, ran down stairs and escaped,
 Gut Teiephgne Wires.
 When Mrs. Townsend tried to sail assistance, she found that two of tire three telephone wires leading to the house had been cut The tllird. w'hick was in the doctors office in the iowea part ot the house. Apparently had bset overlooked. Over this wire q BerTan m tho stable was notified of the shoot ing and word was also given the pc lice While awaiting the arrival o the police, Mrs Townsend. who herself is a physician. dressed the doctor.i wounds and made preparations for ths operation which, she knaws was In stantly necessary in the effort to save bis life.
 The police were unable to And any trace of the man who fired the shot All the doors and windows were se- curely locked and no marks of any kind had been left by the fugitive. Despite these conditions, however, the coroner appears to be satisfied that the man will soon be apprehendeds
 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. Spisr was shot in his home during the night and died from histwounds. It was at first believed that he had been the victim of 6 burglar. but an investt gation proved that he had taken his own life
 In the Townsend home at the tims of tho shooting, there were in addi- tion to the doctor and his wife, tha doctors aged mother and his four children. All of them occupied sleep- inR rooms in the upper part of the house.
 closer inspection of the Townsend house revealed signs that the intFuderG gained admission to the house by forcing a window in the doctors offics on the ground floor. Tracks also were found leading from the house to the waters edge and it is believed the as- sailant 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 1t.
 ... me-" he told the police. but I shall not tell you his name I don't want the man arrested. There is no need of sacrificing still another life"