Year: 1878

Mr.. George w. Kidd was unexpected
ly detained at his alchohol distillery in
Washington street, New York, recent
ly, owing to change of workmen.
Mrs. Kidd, who had visited him at the
distillery, returned to her home at Is
East FOrty-seventh street at 9.30 o'clock.
While she had been absent the guard
chain at the front door had been
attached as usual, but when she entered
she left it unlocked, so that her husband
could let himself in with his night key.
The house is one of handsome brown
stone row, which is guarded by a pri-
vate watchman. Mrs. Kidd had al
lowed her maid to go to a party, and
there were in the house, besides her.
self, only two women, kitchen servants.


Soon after her return home she went
to bed. At 934 o'clock she was sitting
up in bed reading. She heard rust
ling Of papers in the bathroom, which
adjoins her bedroom on the second
floor. Without thought of fear she
arose, and in leisurely manner unlock
ed her bedroom door and drew back the
bolt.


As she turned the knob the door was
thrust open and man sprang in. With
his left hand he got a savage grip on
her right shoulder, and with his right
he pressed the muZzle of cooked
pistol against her temple. The light
shOne full in his face, and Mrs. Kidd
says she will never forget him as long
as she lives. He was only little taller
than herself. He wore short, we'll
cut, chocclate-colored overcoat. His
face was pale, and she is certain he was
an American. His light mOustache was
handsomely trimmed, and his hands
were as white as lady's.


The door as it swung open screened
the bed from view. He eagerly thrust
his head forward until he could see
that there was no one in the bed. Then
he said: "Be quiet or | will kill you"
His voice was low, but she could not
help noticing that the tones were not
those of man used to rough life. His
manner, too, was as polite as was possi-
BILE under the circumstances. He open
ed his eyes very wide and tried to scare
her by the fierce expression of his face.
He repeated his threat again and again;
''Be quiet or | will kill you" Mrs.
Kidd replied; you dare not kill me
because my maid is in the next room"


Her right arm, unprotected except by
her night-dress, was nearly paralyzed
by his grip, but with her left she kept
striking away the pistol from her fore
head. He pressed her across the room
until she got her back against the
bureau. Then she made desperate
effort and pushed him back to the door,
all the time screaming at the top of her
voice. He then tried to trip her. In
the struggle he kept treading on her
bare feet, but he wore rubbers, so that
they were only bruised and not cut.
Her right side was bruised in the strug-
gle.


Mrs. Kidd is a brunette, about ~
years of age, of the medium size, strong,
quick and brave. Twice, she says, the
burglar pushed her across the room to
the bureau, and twice she pushed him
back to the door. The second time she
managed to shove him out into the hall.
Here her screams were heard by the
two women servants. They had not
yet gone to bed, but they did not arrive
on the scene of conflict in time to rem
der aid. Mrs. Kidd continued to scream
while she pushed her enemy half way
down the stairs. At this point he made
his last struggle. She had kept hold of
the barrel of the pistol during most of
the struggle. Now she succeeded in
getting hold of it with her right hand
also. He made desperate effort to get
it away. Her only thought was to pre-
vent him from shooting her. In the
struggle her right arm was badly
spraincd. Suddenly he let go of the
pistol, and, turning around, gave one
leap from the middle of the stairs to the
bottom, and went out of the door like
shot, just as the two servants came up
from the kitchen.


He left the front door ajar. Mrs.
Kidd stood on the staircase minute or
two, and then hurried down and fell
fainting at the bottom, with the pistol
yet clenched in her hands. One of the
servants ran out on the front stoop and
screamed until some hackmen waiting
in front of the Windsor Hotel came
running To thp house