ATTEMPTED MURDER.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5734, 1 November 1905, Page 5

ATTEMPTED MURDER.

A SENSATIONAL. OCCURRENCE, ADVENTURE OF AN AUSTRALIAN IN AMERICA. ROBBED OF A LARGE SUM. (Per Sonoma at Auckland.) SAN FRANCISCO, October 12. A weird affair, involving three persons who arrived recently from Australia, was enacted yesterday at- Berkeley, a beautiful college town opposite San Francisco, on the Bay shore. William Charles Ellis, an Australian horseman, alleges that ho was decoyed into a cottage in Ellsworth street and savagely assaulted and robbed of a thousand pounds. Ellis, with a gaping wound in the back of his head, escaped from tlio house, and is being cared for in the hospital, where an operation has been successfully performed on him. Following is the statement of the wounded man :—“I an, William Charles Ellis, thirty-four yea re of age, late of Sydney, Australia, where I have at present a wife, Elizabeth Ellis, and throe children, living at 235, Crown street. lam a horseman by profession, and came to this country to try my fortune on the turf. I met in Sydney a man named William Curtis, and in conversation with him I learned that lie was interested in horse-racing, and needed a man to look after a string of horses ho owned in America. Wo decided to oomo together on the steamer Sierra. Curtis and his wife sailed together, but they registered as Mr and Mrs Brush, and wore known by those names during the entire voyage. They dressed well, and apparently had plenty of money. When we arrived in San Francisco a week ago I wont to Oakland and registered on October 4th at the Hotel Touraine. Curtis and his wife (the name Brush had been given up after getting off the ship) rented a cottage at 2214, Ellsworth street, Berkeley. They did not plan to stay there long, as thqy were anxious to go on East. In fact they had made their plans to go to Now York this evening. They told mo 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 tho Hotel Touraine, and invited me to take lunch with them this afternoon. At tho same time Curtis took o’ccasion to borrow £SO of nio. They knew how much money I had, and knew I could spare it.

''l called tills afternoon, lato for lunch, but found both glad to see me. They had spread a light lunch and moved the tables over to the window. Everything was pleasant, and 1 felt so much at homo that I took off my coat and sat down nearest to the porch winnow. Before I had time to take a mouthful Curtis came up behind me and attacked me with a hammer and dagger, following up his attack with a hatchet. Blows on the skull knocked me off my seat and left mo all but senseless. I have a fuddled recollection that they went through my pockets, for I remember dimly that they fumbled at my trousers pockets, and I bad a realisation that they were robbing mo of all my money. Next thing that I remember was that I was trying to get out of the door, and they were fighting with me. I was absolutely defenceless, not having so much as a penknife. They were armed with all sorts of horrible weapons. They attacked me in the front yard until I escaped from them, and ran down the street towards town. Then I found myself being takeii care of by a party of stablemen, several blocks from where y I was assaulted.”

That the young Australian is possessed of great stamina is demonstrated by the Tact that he managed to totter for three blocks along Ellsworth street and down Allston Way to Maples and Merritt’s stables. Just before reaching their barn he attracted tho attention of a blacksmith in the adjoining place. This man says Ellis made wild gestures towards him. and called 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 Reinhart. The injury was not as bad as the mass, of blood first seemed to indicate. - It was found that Ellis had a depres&ed fracture just to tho right of the vertex of tho skull, in tho middle of the parietal bone. Both tables wore fractured, and a small- button of bone was removed in the trephining process. This relieved the pressure on tho brain, and brought the patient out of immediate danger. What looked like a broken wrist turned out to bo only a severe contusion, caused evidently by an endeavour to protect himself with his arms from some blow descending upon him. Although much blood was washed away from his neck, there was no bul-let-hole.

In searching the clothes of the bounded man a detective cam© across a large sum in the coat and trouser-pockets. In the inside ooat-pocket was a roll of three 1000 dollar bills, while in either side pocket of the trousere were 100 dollars in twenties, two 5 dollars gold pieces, and 35 cents in change- Mbs says a packet of ten £IOO 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 tiro detectives have to solve. The house this afternoon 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 t*ho dining-room, Tvlicr© t3i© aseault took place. One of the first things noticeable about the condition of the room was the absence of light, two windowshades being pulled down. Tiro table bad been dragged up to the wall close to the window, and a light repast was spread. The chairs were drawn up to the table, but not a morsel had been touched. On the floor lay a bloodstained hatchet and a blacksmiths hamtner. Thore vras no sign of a scurrlo. \ bat and coat Ellis had taken off and placed on a sewing-machine were still there. The only blood-specks that could bo found were those on the posts of the front door, where the wounded man had brushed by in his desperate effort to escape. In the bedroom wa-j utter confusion. The bed had not been made, but it had been plentifully stocked with 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 pairs oi gloves, of tho kind one can soo in any hospital operating-room. It was not a pleasant sight, lying there among beautiful dresses and costly coats, stylish travel-ling-bags and trunks, and other 'goods which should properly go with respectable travelling people. The late inhabitants bad fled. It was evident that departure had been hasty. While no money or papers were left, there was a whole room full oi trunks and clothes, and these bad been tossed about in tho greatest confusion, as if a hasty selection had been made by their owners in a few minutes. The police of all Alameda county responded to tho alarm, and hunt is being made with all diligence for a couple answering to the description obtained partially from Ellis and partly from neighbours. Tho man is described as being lilt lin in height, with light complexion, .sandy moustache, and Vandyke beard, with, a very noticeable soar on tho side of his face. He wore a blue suit. The woman is described as being short- and dark, dressed plainly, but well, in a brown costume, without coat. “be m good-looking, and between twenty-five and thirty years of age.