The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-04-27
RUFUS FRENCH. BADLY BEATEN.
 SEEKS HELP
He Is 70 Years Old and a Brother-in-Law of Payer weather, the Late Leath-
 CT Millionaire.
Inherited a Portion of the Fayerweather E s t t e., Through His Wife - Is Now in Care of a Conser- VatOr-

Rufus French. aged 70 years, the
 leather millionaire. brother-in-law of
 the late Daniel Fayerweather, and well
 known in the North End of the city
 was brutally assaulted at his boarding
 place. 1707 Main street. sometime last
 night. The old man appeared at the
 emergency hospital. this morning, his face pounded to a jelly, both his eyes
 closed and numerous cuts and bruises
 scattered on his face. His long white beard was saturated with blood and he was weak from bruises upon the
 body. which he said were administered
 during the beating.
 MT. French asserted that his condi-
 tion was due to an attack by George Main. a butcher. who, until to-day was in the employ of a local market When asked how he received his injuries the old man said:
 last night when George Main, who is a boar in the same house with me hit me. Mrs. Nettie Curtis runs the house. She is a connection of mine a sort of cousin. I don't know what it is. Main struck me in the face; then knocked me down. I don't re- member anything else until I came to this morning. in bed. Someone had taken off my clothes. I was soaked with blood and my face was pounded up. I don't know what made Main strike me. for we never had word in the world. I never had any words with Mrs. Curtis.'
 After Dr. KrauSe had dressed the old mans wounds a representative of the Farmer accompanied him to the boarding house and interviewed Mrs Curtis. She said: Its all Rufus fault He went out yesterday and came back drunk. He sat down by the stove and refused to move. It was getting late and I wanted him to go to bed, but he said, I won't go to bed for any d-m woman or man. till I get ready
 Then MT. Main picked Rufus up in his arms just as you would a baby and took him into his room and laid him on the bed. In a few minutes MT Main called me and some of the other hand and had stabbed MT. Main twice fnathe leg. MT and Mrs. King, board CTS then came in and we succeeded in getting the knife away from Rufus but Mrs. King received a cut on the wrist in the struggle I don't know how Rufus got banged up so, but it must have been in the struggle to get the knife away from him, or perhaps Ia ter when heard him trying to open his window. He's a terrible crank when he is drunk
 When asked what right Main had to to coerce the old man, she said, Main was angered at the old mans remark to her and resented it.
 Old Rufus French has had more than ordinary bad luck foE man of his years. Nearly two years ago he lived with his son, Walter French. on Lib erty street. The son gave the old man a. terrible beating at that time and was fined in the city court.
 Rufus French married the sister of Mrs. Fayerweather, the wife of the New York leather millionaire after whom Fayerweather's Island in this city is named and who was well known in this vicinity. Mrs. French inherited } large sum from the Fayerweather much of which is now in the possession of Rufus French. Mrs French died years ago. The old man has large deposits in local banks and also owns a farm of 40 acres in Tashua, which he rents. Through the instru- mentality of his son. Walter, a con- was placed over the father 1 some years ago. Attorney Robert c. l is now in charge of the old mans estate. Mrs. Curtis boards the 1 old man and receives her pay from | the cOnServatOr.
 Everyone in the vicinity of the place | where the old man lives speaks of him | as a quiet, inoffenSive old man.