The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-09-25
H0LDUP F0|LED.
Robber Kills One Man and Is Near
Iy Lynched
BY AN ANGRY CROWD

The RObber Dangerously wounds
Two Others for No Cause But an
Uttered Threat. Woman Had
Thwarted Him, and He Fires OH
Her Defenders, and Mob, Led by
Woman, Fights for Revenge.
One of the most determined at
tempts ever made to lynch a prison
er in the streets of New York was
witnessed in upper Second avenue,
near One Hundred and Fifteenth
street Wednesday night. when for.
eigner shot one man to death and
desperately woundedtwo of the vic
TINS brothers. The following &C.
count of the affairs we take from the
American:
, The slayer's only motive was re:
sentiment because he, with four OF
his countrymen, had been interfered
with when the tried to hold up and
rob a man in front of Mrs. Anna
Kaufmann's dry goods store at No.
2256 Second avenue.
Mrs. Kaufman heard the cries of
the victim. who was beaten and
kicked by his five assailants, even
while he protested that he had no
money. Mrs. Kaufman ran be-
tween the assailants and their VIC
tim. They fell sullenly back, and she
rushed the man into her store. He
was bleeding from cuts on the face.
The five Becker brothers, who keep
a large hardware store at No. 225O
Second avenue, heard the noise of
the struggle and they came running
up just as Mrs. Kaufman had res
cued the man. She is a powerful wo-
man, and the holdup men had receiv-
ed ample evidence of her ability to
hit hard. But they still hung about
and linstened while she told the Beck
ers of the affair.
"It is too bad we were not here"
said Henry Becker, who did not no.
tice the men nearby. 1--WE would
have punched their faces for Them"
You would, eh?" exclaimed one
of the foreigners. we'll soon fix
you," and they darted off into the
darkness.
The Becker's returned to their
store, where they were joined by
their mother, Mrs. Lena Becker,
their sister, Mrs. Annie Postlenseck.
and her husband. The stranger who
had been held up had slipped away
from Mrs. Kaufmann's store. Even
his name was not learned.
But it was not ten minutes after
the disappearance of the mans as
sailants when all five suddenly reap
peared in front of the Becker store,
and, singing out Henry Becker, at
tackled him with clubs.
The other Beckers started to aid
their brother. and the two woman
also jumped into the melee, when
Francis Sica, one of the five assail-
ants and the smallest of the party,
suddenly whipped out a revolver and
shot Henry Becker through she
breast, killing him instantly.
The other. Becker brothers then
ran to the store to get hatchets, and
axes to avenge their kin, but Sica
followed them, firing as he advanc-
ed. One shot struck Samuel Becker
in the abdomen and he fell MORALLY
wounded. Then Sica shot Isaac Post
lenseck in the right ear and turned
to flee.
But he ran almost directly into the
arms of Detective Higgins, who fol-
lowed by Detective Naughton, had
come on the run when they heard
the shots half a block away.
Sica, the moment he saw the de-
tectives, pulled the revolver and aim
ed q shot at Higgins. But the lat
ter knocked the weapon from his
hand and, though the man fought
fercely, he was speedily subdued.
The detectives were about to
march him into the street, where a
vast throng, including many foreign
ers who had been celebrating the
feast of st. Rocco, were gathered,
when Mrs. Becker and her daughter
advanced with hatchets.
LET me cut him to pieces!!" *
claimed aged Mrs. Becker, as she
tried to get near the prisoner. L will
save the county from trying him. He
shot down my son."
Advancing on the other side of the
now covering Sica was Mrs Postle-
neck, also armed with a Ratchet.
She, too, cried for the blood of Sica,
and had not policemen, who rushed
into the store at this point, seized
both women, they would have chop
ped the man down.
But the mob outside had under
stood. They saw the dead form Of
Becker on the sidewalk and there
was q rush for the store entrance,
while hundreds took up the cry, Kill,
him! Kill him."
Men drew pocket knives as they
rushed toward the narrow store en-
trance. But the doors were slammed
shut by the detectives and the re-
serves from the East One Hundred:
and Fourth street station, arriving
at this moment, charged the mob
with drawn clubs.
The crowd gave way slowly. The
foreigners in the throng seemed the
more determined to get at and STAY
Sica. 1t took a hand to hand fight
of ten minutes to clear a space about
the door so that the prisoner could
be led forth.
The mob followed close on the heels
of the police and when the detectiv-