The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-06-09
F|ENDS TORTURE
HELPLESS WOMEN
Vain Endeavor to Secure Mon
ey Supposed to be Kept in
Home

Somerset, Pa, June 9.-Five thugs
brutally and cruelty attacked, wound-
ed and tortured threa defenseless
women this morning, in the mining
village o. Belmont. in Jenner town-
ship. The victims cf the merciless
torture are Mrs. Minnie Ashe, aged
80; her daughter. Mrs. Mary Ober,
, aged &C. and the latters daughter,
Miss Minnie Ober.
There was only $3.50 in cash in the
. house and, believing the women were
| deceiving them. tho wretches bound
the three. held lighted candles to their
bare feet and tortured them in other
ways.
To bind the women the brutes, all
masked. used wire such as is employ
ed in hanging. pictures. Tho sharp
slender cords cut deep gashes and the
women suffered greatly from loss o.
blood. The women pleaded with tho
burglars not to leave then. thus tied.
With blood streaming from her wrists
and head one OF the women sought to
influence the thugs to be merciful by
rendering 2 certified check on Som
erset bank for $780, One of the rob.
bers said: That check might give the
whole gang away if we ever presented
it at the bank"
After struggle Mrs Ober sue
ceeded in releasing her feet when the
burglars had gone. With her hands
still bound she fastened to the near
est neighbor, Nelson Simpson. half
mile distant. She wore only her night
clothes. being unable to put on any
other garment. At the Simpson home
her hands were united and blood
gushed frCm wounds on her wrists
and face. Her head and body were
terribly disfgured by bruises.
William Swank and Thomas st.
Clair, neighbors OF the Simpson fam
lily, were called, but before they reach.
ed Simpsons Miss Annie Ober had ar
rived. She explained that. with the
aid of her aged grandmother. she had
freed her feet from the wire. She
was almost nude and cruelty bruised.
Mrs. Ober and her daughter. Annie.
were given clothing. the latter staying
at Simpsons till daybreak.
Mrs. Ober. accompanied by Swank,
Simpson and St. Clair. went back and
released Mrs. Ashe. The aged woman
was but hall conscious, lying on the
floor OF her sitting room with her
hands and feet tied.
The women say they were aroused
by q noise on the porch about 1880
o'clock. Sitting up in bed and listen
ing intently Mrs. Ober heard the front
door broken open with e crash. She
ran for shotgun. but was seized by
two of the desperadoes and bound.
Despite her advanced age and feeble
ness Mrs. Ashes hands were bound
behind her back and her feet encir-
cled with wire.
demanded the leader of the thugs at
ter the women had been carried to the
sitting room. The women pointed out
a bureau drawer in which the family
purse was kept.
Where is your money hidden?" re-
iterated the leader. who threatened to
make short work Of tho women if they
did not reveal the place where they
kept their cash. They were told again
that all the money available was in
the pockethook and tho certified check
for $500 was rendered
Ehraged by tho repeated assertions
that there was no more money in tho
house. the robbers seized the women
by tho neck and arms, tossed them
in tho air and flung them to the floor
with force. Then tho burglars used
the burning candles whilo their vic
Tins screamed with pain. Finally
satisfied that further torture would be
useless, the thugs departed, leaving
their victims bleeding and bruised.