ATTEMPTED MURDER.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLIX, Issue 12643, 2 November 1905, Page 2

ATTEMPTED MURDER.

A SENSATIONAL OCCURRENCE

ADVENTURES OF AN AUSTRALIAN

IN AMERICA

ROBBED OF A LARGE SUM

(Per Sonoma ait Au'C^nrJ.) SAN FRANCISCO, October 12

A we/ird affair, involving three persons who arriviad recently from Australia, was enacted yesterday at Berkeley, a beautiful college town opposite San Francisco, on the Bay shore. "William Oh arks Ellis, an Australian horseman, alleges that he was decoyed into a cottage in Ellsworth Street and savagely assaulted and /robbed of a thousand pounds. ElliSj with a gaping wound in tho back of his bead, escaped from the house, and iiis /being ciaired for in the hospital, where an operation has been successfully performed on him. Following is the statement of the wounded man: —"I am William Chiaries Ellis, thirty-four years of age, lato of Sydney, Australia, <where I have at present a <wtiife, Elizabeth Ellis, and three children, living at 235, Grown Street. I am a bJoreeman by profession, and caime to this country to try my fortune on the turf. I met in Sydney a man named Wilfeni Curtis, and in conversation with him I learned that he was interested in horse-racing, and needed a man to took after a jsteing of horses he owned in America. We decided to dome together on the steamer Sienna. Curtis and his 'wife sailed together, hut they (registered as Mr and •Mrs Brush, and were known by those ■names during the entire voyage. They dressed .well, iand apparently had plenty of imoney. When wo arrived in San Frawoisco a *we>&k ago I went, to Oakland •and regastea*>ed on October 4th at the Hotel Touriaine. Ourtis • and his wlife (the name Brush had been 'given up after getting off the ship) rented a cottage •ait 2214, Ellsworth Street, Berkeley. They did not plan to stay there long, as they were anxious to go on Elast. In fact they had made their plans to go to New York this evening. They told me they had bought tickets, and they supposed I had done the same, but I was beginning to be doubtful of them, and I had no intention of ■making the trip with them across the Continent. Yesterday both Mr and Mrs Curtis called upon me at the Hotel Touiraine, and invited me, to take lunch with them this afternoon. At the same time Curtis took occasion to borrow £50 of me. They knew how much money I bad, and knew I could spar© ■it.

" I called this afternoon, late far lundh, .but found 'both, glad to see me. They had spread a light lunch and ■moved tihe tables^ over to the window. Everything was pleasant, and I felt so mudh at home that I took off my coat ■and eat down nearest 'to the porch window. Before I had time to take a mouthful. Curtis oaxne up behind" me and attacked me wth a hammer and dagger, following up has iatteck wut-h a hatchet. Blows on the skull knocked me off my seat and left me all but senseless. I have a fuddled recollection that they went through my pockets, for I remember dimly that they fuanbled at my trousers pockets, and I had a realisation ibhat they were robbing me cf all my money. Next thing that I remember was tihat I -was trying to get out of the door, and" jtJhey were fighting with me. I was absolutely defenceless, not having so much as a penknife. They were aironed with all sorts of horrible weapons. They attacked me in the front yard untdl I escaped from them, and ran down the street towards town. Then I found myself being taken care of by a party of stablemen, several blocks from where I was assaulted."

That the young Australian is possessed of great stamina r!s demonstrated by the fact that he managed to totifcer for three blocks a/long Ellsworth Street and down Allst'on Way to Maples and Merritt's stables. Just before reaching their barn he attracted the attention of a blacksmith in the adjoining place. This mom says Ellis made wild gestures towards him, and oalkd him to his side. The poor fellow murmured. " They've murdered me —they've robbed me of everything. Help me. I'm dying." An ambulance made out of a fire department waggon was pressed into service to get the man to Roosevelt Sanatorium, and there an operation was' performed by Dr Gillihan and Dr Rein-hart. The injury was not as bad as the mass of blood first seemed to indicate. It was found that Ellis had a depressed fracture juslt to the right of the vertex of the skull, in the middle of tiie parietal bone. Both tables were fractured, and a small button of bone was removed in the trephining process. This relieved the pressure on the brain, and brought the patient out of immediate danger. What looked like a broken wrest turned out to be only a sever© contusion, caused evidently by an endeavour to prdbect hlimiself with his arms from some blow descending upon him. Although much Mood was -washed away from his neck, there was no bullet-hole.

In searching the clothes of the wounded man a detective came across a large sum in the coat and trcuser-pookets. In the inside coat-pocket was a roll of three 1000 dollar bills, while in either eide pocket of the trousers1 were 100 dollars in twenties, two 5-dollar gold pieces, and 35 cents in change. Ellis says a packet of ten £100 Australian notes was abstracted from his backpocket—.all useless in this country. They would now provoke instant question if presented in these parts. Why foreign 'money was taken and American coin left is only one of the mysteries which tfbe detectives have to solve.

The house thiis aftennoon presented a disorderly spectacle. It had all the appearance of a place recently occupied, and one which was to be used only temporarily. The centre >of interest was the dining-room, where the assault took place. One of the first .things noticeable about the condition of the rooan was the iaJbsence of lighlt, two windowshades being puttied down. The. table 'had been dragged up itto the wall close to the window, aond a lighib repast was spread. The chairs were drawn up to •the table, but not a morsel bad been touched. On the floor lay a bloodstained hatchet and a blacksmith's hammer. There was no sign of a scuffle. A hat and coat Ellis bad taken off and placed on a sewing^miaohine were still there. The only Mood-specks that could be found were tibose on the posts of the front door, .where the wounded mam had brushed by an bis desperate effort to escape. In the bedroom was utter confusion. The bed had not been made, but it had been plentifully stocked wifah things which are not generally laid away under sheets. In the bed, under the pillow nearest the door, was •a glittering hunting-knife, whetted to <a razor-edge. There was a formidable carving-knife and fork. There was also a pair of scissors. Underneath the other pillow were two pains of gloves, of, the kind one can see in any hospital operating-room. It was not a pleasant eight lying there 'among beautiful dresses and costly coats, stylish.travel-ling-bags and and other goods ■which should properly go with respectable travelling people. The late inhabitants had fled. It was evident thiat departure had been hasty. While no money or papers were left, tlhefe was a whole room full of trunks and clothes, and these had been glossed about in the greatest confusion, as if a hasty selection had been made iby their owners in a few minutes. The police of all Alaoned^a county responded to the alarm, and hunt is 'being made with ail diligence for a couple answering to the description olbtained partially

from Ellis and p&rlbly from neighbours. The man is descyribed as being 6ft lin in height, with light complexion, sandy moustache, and Vandyke beard, with a very noticeable scair on the side of his face. He wore a blue suit. The woman is described as being short and dark, dressed plainly, but iwell, in a brown costume, without ooait. She is goodlooking, and between twenty-five and thirty years of age.