The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-06-02
THINKS ROBBERY
CAUSE Of ATTACK
Aged Landlady Says She Knows
of No Other Reason for Brutal
Assault Upon Her.
YOUNG sPANlARD ACCUSED
Joseph Garcia, Who Claims to BE
Son OF Famous General, Says
He Is Innocent.

The only motive j can advance for
his attack upon me was robbery" said
Mrs. f. f. Webster, sixty-five years
old. who was brutally assaulted at
her boarding house, us East Franklin
Street. yesterday morning about 2
o'clock, by ledger. said to be
Joseph Garcia. barber. twenty one
years old Garcia is now In custody.
Mrs. Webster was lying in bed with
her left arm. which Is broken in two
places. in splints. and her face and
shoulders covered with bandagcs as a
result OF the assault. II was always
good 10 joe" she told reporter for
The Times Dispatch last night. He
has lived with me on and off for two
years. When he was out OF work
ala not charge him rent, and gave and
loaned him money TO buy food until
he could find employment believe
there was some ono with him, and q
robbery was planned"
MN Webster said that occasionally
she had considerable sums OF money
IN the house
Pleads Innocence.
Garcia. who Is a ,Spaniard, and
claims TO be son of the famous gem
oral. between sobs. denied the grave
charge against him when interviewed
IN his cell at the First Police Station.
Il was in bed when Mrs. Webster was
hurt" he said. az heard her call out,
but thought she was calling her pet
dogs. She must have fell down the
steps. never touched the old lady"
:erday morning at 1:45 o'clock, and Mrs
Webster, who admitted him, told him
she thought n drunken man was on
the back porch He said he looked for
the man, but when he could not be
found. went to bed When policemen
rushed into his room a few minutes
after the alarm had been given that
Mrs. Webster had been murderously
alta cked, he was found undressed and
in bed
Joe came in about a quarter past
e." said Mrs. Webster. II opened
the door for him and asked him how
he had made out during the week
because 1 knew that It was his first
week as barber He said he had
done we'll, and told me he wanted to
room and some t!me later called me
out. There's drunken man on the
back porch he told me. though:
he was mistaken and went out there
10 see. The next thing I knew ] was
struck n heavy blow on the back OF
the head and fell down the steps to
the yard. Joe ran down. and with
both feet jumped on my face, chest
shoulders and arm, breaking 1t. l
managed 10 scream and then lost con
seriousness. did not know anything
else until the policemen came in with
Joe and asked me TO identify him,
which did"
Was Well Recommended.
Mrs Webster said that Garcia came
90 Richmond about TWO years ago
from Washington and was we'll recon-
mended He worked in local lunch
room and later at the plant OF the
American Locomotive Works Las,
week ne took up the occupation OF a
barber.
The aged woman referred to an in
oident which occurred about four
months ago. II found Joe in the kit
chen one evening" she said. "He had
a bottle OF .,wch!skey, which he said
had been given h,n,''by salesman re-
presenting a whskey house. He did
not drink. I know. He told me I
might have the wh,skey TO keep In
the house. and then insisted that
drink some. He was 80 !ns!stent that
I did take & SIP barely mo,sten!ng
my mouth. ! PUT the whiskey away
and one sunday, some days afterwards.
two OF my boarders asked me for a
drink got the hottie which Joe
had given me. and each took big
drinks Shorty atterward they be-
came violently H. looked IN the
bottle and found a strange settlement"
Mrs Webster advanced no reason
why che permitted Garcia TO remain
IN her home after this occurrence