The Washington times., 1913-08-25
BURGLAR THROTTLES
WOMAN, ESCAPES
Mrs. Pearl Cauffman GrappIes
With Intruder Whom She
Finds in Her Home.

/ Graphing with a burgla- who she
/ found ransacking the bureau drawers
OF the family sleeping room this morn
! ing at o'clock. Mrs Pearl Cauffman,
wife of Frank G. Cauffman. residing
at 10 Fifteenth street northeast gave
the thief a battle for supremacy worthy
of a man of physical prowess, and
which lasted for several minutes.
| Mrs. Cauffman grabbed the man who
was standing with his back turned
toward her. He turned quickly and
caught Mrs. Cauffman by the throas
sinking the sharp nails of his fingers
deeply into the flesh of her neck, chok-
! inE her until she could hardly breathe.
/ Despite the advantage and superior
strength of the man, Mrs. Cauffman
kept up the fight. the pair swinging
| from one side of the room to the
other until the hold on her throat SO
weakened her that she lost conscious
ness, The burglar realized she was
helpiess and dropped her TO the floor.
In her last effort to break away from
the burglar and scream an alarm,
stool standing near the foot Of the bed
on which lay a metal shoe spoon, was
overturned, the noise of which awak-
ened Mr.. Cauffman who was asleep
in the bed which Mrs. Cauffman had
left to attack the burglar.
Wife Unconscious.
When Mr.. Cauffman jumped from his
bed he found his wife lying on the
floor unconscious. His first thought
was that she had tainted. He applied
water to her temples, reviving her in
a few minutes. AS soon as the wo-
man regained consciousness she told
her husband of her fight with the burg
lar.
Mrs. Cauffman said that the fash OF
burglars electric hand lamp and the
dropping of a metal jewelry tray on the
bureau where the burglar stood had
awakened her. When she looked to-
ward the bureau the electric light
flashed brilliantly in the looking glass
which reflected the light in her face,
partially binding her.
The man was standing only a few feet
away from the bed occupied by Mr.. and
Mrs. Cauffman. AS soon as Mrs Cauh-
man saw the man standing at her
bureau she said she was convinced that
he was a burglar and without any sense
OF fear. but with the desire to rout the
thief. she jumped from the bed and
grabbed the man. He was holding her
husbands gold watch in his hand at the
time, which he dropped, turned and
with both hands gripped her throat.
Mr. Cauffman, atIired in his pa |
ismas. went to the car barn OF the |
Washington Railway and Electric
Company, inst across the street, |
where he Is employed as a motorman,
and gave the alarm.
Cut Out Screen.
Investigation of the house showed
that the burglar had entered the
house by cutting the screen OF the
front door. After ransacking the |
downstairs rooms. piling everything
in the dining room in a heap in a |
search for silverware, he had gone to
the second oor and entered the bed
room of the Cauffmans. Mr.. Cauff-
mans trousers, which had been
thrown across the back Of chair,
were found in the hallway. From
them the thief had taken a pocket
book containing S29. A small cast
iron bank belonging to Harry, the
ve-year-old son of the family. con-
tanning $3.50, the little fellow had
purchase pony, was gone. and $40
taken from Mrs. Cauffman's pocket
book In addition TO the money the
thief procured two rings, one cameo
valued at $35, and plain gold band
worth s..
The burglar overlooked another small
b. nix on a table in the room, the prop
erty of Alice, the ten-year-old daugh-
ter, that contained something like 81.
A jewelry case in the bureau drawer
hA frK-n ri N
was overlooked. In contained jewelry
valued at $50.
Unable To Describe Him.
A snort time after the robbery had
been reported to the police the Ninth
precinct sent an officer there to make
an investigation There was no clue
lef. by the burglar. Mrs. Cauffman
was unable TO give the police a descrip-
tion of the thief. She was not positive
that he was white or COlOred, but said
that size felt almost sure that the man
was Of 'stocky' build. Mrs; Caun
man explained that at the time sEf
era appled with the burglar It was dark. :
not then daylight, and as there was no
light burning in her bedroom she was
| nable to see positively whether the '
ran vas white or black.
When she was awakened by the fash
of the burglar electric light the fash
vas of such short duration and in her
half awakened state she did not get a
view of the mans face. The police are .
doing everything possible TO pick up a
clue to the burglar. but so far they .
have no one under suspicion. There Is :
no possibility of Mrs. CauffmHn's lden-
titving any one the police may arrest.
Il is probable that the police may ar
rest some suspect whose face and hands
are marked with scratches made by
Mrs. Caufiman's hands in her struggle :
with the thief.
Slept Heavily.
Mrs. Cauffman said that she and her
husband had retired late. Mr.. Cauf {
man is a mOtorman on the Washing
ton Railway and Electric Company's {
ines and served long hours Yesterday.
He was worn out when he reached p
home and retired and slept soundly. In
he same room slept the two children d
md in an adjoining front room Henry
otter father of Mrs. Cauffman, was
sleeping.
Il was awakened" said Mrs. Caurf-