Evening star., 1927-10-23
WOMAN CONQUERS
BURGLAR IN HOME
Miss Landon, Alone, Fights
and Drives Intruder
Through Window.

Attacked while alone in her home
at 1907 Minnesota avenue northeast.
last night, Miss Emily Landon, 81
years old. fought desperately for her
life with a burglSr she had surprised
at his work.
Though stunned by a rain of blows
on her head, the plucky woman drove
the unidentified man into the kitchen.
forcing him to dive for safety through
an open window.
Miss Landon did not stop even then,
for she seized a heavy block of wood
and staggered to the locked door in an
attempt to follow the intruder into the
yard.
Blinded by blood that poured over
her face. she screamed for help and
William B. Roloff, residing at 1913.
hurried to her assistance. No trace
of the man was found but police of
the eleventh precinct picked up in the
yard q short iron crowbar which they
are examining for finger prints.
Saved by Mass of Hair.
Miss Landon's life was saved prob
ably by the thick mass of hair which
she winds in knot on her head. Five
deep gashes penetrated nearly to the
skull, and she bears the marks of
other blows about the head, face and
arms. She is a woman of unusual
strength and about feet stall.
The dining room and kitchen where
the desperate struggle took place ad-
join. Chairs and tables were over
turned during the fight, and the floor
and walls spattered with blood.
Miss Landon lives with a brother,
J. S. Landon, who is employed until
road Yards. For this reason. she
usually spends the early part of the
night with sister, Mrs. Anna Barnes,
who lives next door at 1909 Minnesota
avenue.
She returned to her home about
915 o'clock last night, entering
through the kitchen door. which opens
upon q side porch. AS she came into
the room, she locked the door be-
hind her. There is no electricity or
gas in the house, so she went into
the dining room to light an oil lamp.
AS she did so a man sprang upon her.
She turned in time to ward off the first
blow and fought with him. He rained
blows on her head with some blunt in
strument as she tried to grapple with
him.
Believe He Was MulattO.
Miss Landon cannot give a descrip-
ton of the man. for he attacked so
suddenly. She thinks he is colored, a
light mulattO.
Fighting all about the dining room,
the plucky woman finally drove her
assailant into the kitchen. She told
her sister, later, that she thought
she had him locked in the room and
could fight him off until help came.
Seeing the open window, the man
struck at her for the last time and
dived headlong through it. He was
gone before she could get out to the
porch, and had disappeared into a
vacant lot on the left side of the
| house.
Police found the kitchen window
| had been jimmied. Once inside the
house the man had begun to ransack
| it from top to bottom. Contents of
bureau drawers Uttered the bedroom
| floors, mattresses were overturned,
! and clothes taken from closets.
Some of the clothing was found
| later in the dining room and one
piece in the yard. Miss Landon has
no recollection how it could have got
| there.
If the intruder was looking for
money he was disappointed for there
was none in the house.
Exhausted by Struggle.
Miss Landon told her sister that the
man evidently had heard her enter
the house and had hid behind the door
in the dining room as she bent over
the lamp. Stunned and exhausted
from her struggle she was taken to
her sisters home and DR.. George
Eppard, who lives nearby, was called
He had to cut off most of her hair so
as to sew up the wounds.
DR.. Eppard was fearful last night
that her injuries might prove severe
In addition to the cuts and bruises on
| her head, Miss I4andon is suffering
from the shock of her encounter. She
| is in a highly nervous state. Mrs
Barnes heard sounds of scuff1ing in
the house and called out the window
| to learn what the matter was. Her
own cries and those of Miss Landon
brought Roloff. Miss Landon's
| brother was notified.