The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1913-09-13
THROTTLE WOMAN
AND ROB HER OF
HER LIFE SAVINGS
Aged Mary Murphy Struck
Down in Home by Two Men
and Robbed.


Mary Murphy. sixty-sevon years old.
lives on the top floor Of the four STORY
tenement at No. 81 East Forty-elshth
street. She has lived there alone for
yoars She had no visitors she had no
income. but she paid the n rent rssu-
larry TO the agent each MONTH She
would have nothing 70 do with her
neigh ors save to pass the time OF day
with them a. she went out to buy her
meat and vegetables or groceries or her
morning and evening papers. Tho neigh
bors were very curious that one OF the
tenants should be able to pay cash and
do no work.
And whore do you get your money.
Mrs. Murphy" they would ask.
Her name 10 Miss Murphy. but they
called her Mrs" to tease her. She was
never married and has no kith or kin
In the wide world. So she answered
them. saying:
"Oh, I have enough TO live on. please
God" 81
MEN ENTER ROOM OVER ROOF
AND sTRANoLE HER.
The old woman was aroused about
o'clock this morning by noises on the
roof, which IL directly above her rooms.
At first she paid no attention to the
| sounds, for there Is n pigeon cote on
| the roof. and often the janitor's son
| and others go up there to hy the
| pigeons. But A. she listened she dis
tinGuished loud voices and she arose.
nervously. and lighted the candle which
stands on u little altar she keeps IN
her bedroom.
| She heard n key In the door. but she
knew that the door was fastened by a
paddock on the inside. She was much
| frightened when she heard the voices
on the roof again and then u sound at
her window. The light from the altar
gave a clear view TO the inside OF the
room, but shut out her view or tho
outside. with trembling limbs shc
reached the door. and while she fumbled
with the key In the paddock she saw
two shadowy forms In the next room.
Before she could utter a cry the men
were upon her. One OF them. q tall.
slender young man. clutched her by the
throat and bore her to the ground. He
put his knee on her chest and shook her
by the throat, and asked her II she
wanted to die. She could not answer
him.
tn, other man. dark and stout. went
RI mt to the bed. and throwing back the
mattress pulled out q skirt. Without
hesitation he cut out the pocket OF tho
skirt In the pocket was &1,065. The
man who held her told her that II she
opened her mouth they would come back
and kill her. Then the two. after blow
Ing out the candle. left by the window
through which they had come.
HOURS LATER BEFORE SHE RE.
PORTS TO THE POLICE.
Miss Murphy lay in the dark. unable
to move. for half an hour. Then she
made her way out into the hallway and
to the tanitor's door. Frank Monaco,
the janitor. his wife and their son went
to her aid. They thought she was out
OF her mind when she told Of the rob-
berry. They put her back to bed and
the janitor's wife remained with hel
the rest OF the morning. 1t was 10
J o'clock this NOR ming before she cOu,o
get out and make her way to the Easl
Fifty-first street police station. Detec
. tive Bernhard Ditch was assigned t.
, tho case.
I The woman sat in her room an,
rocked In her chair all day, trying IL
realize what had happened. Yesterday
she had 3l.otH. To-day NJ cents sto)'
between her and the pOorhOuse. Sh,
, came here from Ireland seventeen year
ago, Three years ago she fell III AM