Ottumwa Tri Weekly Courier

woman is bound, GAGGED, ROBBED. (Continued from page one).

valuables. They got $150 in money, her watch and two rings, making their escape about 3 o'clock.

Mrs. Curry's Graphic Story.

When seen this morning Mrs. Curry gave this graphic story of the robbery;

Between 2 and 3 a. m., I awoke feeling nervous and apprehensive of everything not being quite as it should be. I tried to shake it off but the feeling grew on me and looking toward the door of the bedroom leading from the living room I was startled to see a man standing in the doorway with a revolver in his hand which he pointed at me telling me to lay down and keep quiet if I valued my life.

"I asked him what he wanted, and he replied that he wanted me to keep quiet and said that he wanted my money.

"I arose in the bed only to be thrown back on the pillows by a man who stood at the head of the bed and whom I had not seen before then. He told me they wanted my money and said, 'Lady we will not hurt you but want your money.'

Fought the Men.

"I told them I had no money, but they insisted that I had and I then got up and fought the man at the head of the bed getting to my feet when he dealt me a severe blow on the right side of my face (showing the reporter the large swollen bruise on the right cheek bone) which knocked me over and falling on the bed they again told me to keep quiet, saying with a curse, 'you keep still or we'll kill you.' They then took my hose and belt and a tape line and tied my hands and wrists so tightly that they almost cut the flesh and then fastened them to the head of the bed crowding them to the head of the brass work of the bed in order to bind them tighter. Then one of my back combs was thrust into my mouth over my tongue stretching the sides of my mouth and pressing my cheeks against the ends of the comb until they pained considerably. Over this they folded a towel and tied it tightly over my mouth and behind my head.

"I pleaded with them to not gag me for I thought they would kill me and promised that I would keep still, but they would not heed my appeal."

"They then took the sheet of the bed and wrapped it around my limbs once above my knees and below them, binding them very tight so that I could not move and finally tied the ends of the sheet to the foot of the bed.

"Having me bound secure they then ransacked the dressing case bureau, and searched beneath the mattress looking everywhere in the bed room that they thought it possible to find anything of value. Then took the lamp from the bed room and went out into the other part of the house where they renewed their search. They stayed there for a long time sitting down and holding a conversation for sometime, finding some private papers of my late husband, I heard them say while reading them, "He was an engineer eh, well she has some money some place," and finally found the money and took it all, amounting to $150, also my two rings and my watch, leaving the house about 3 o'clock.

Freed One Arm.

"I laid there and twisted using all my strength in the effort to free myself from my bonds. I finally after about two hours' struggle got one of my hands free and reaching out of the bed toward the window found the curtain pole which in the tussle with one of the burglars, was knocked down, seizing it I tapped on the window for what seemed an eternity in hope that I might attract the attention of some passerby. I think I must have swooned while knocking at the window for I remember coming again to my senses and renewed the tapping on the window. I saw Mr. Cremer go by and thought perhaps he would hear me. (Mr. Cremer heard the tapping but thought some one was fastening a curtain and paid no attention to the sound).

"I thought that I should surely die before anyone would release me, and seeing Mr. Beasley, who lives in the Stevens' house next door, start from the house on his way to work, I rapped as loudly as my strength would permit and he heard me and came to the window. He saw my plight and immediately sought more aid and accompanied by W. H. Stevens, Brown McCarroll and Arthur Hazzard entered the house and released me."

Woman Is Bruised.

Mrs. Curry's neck has several bruises and scratches caused by the gag and the conflict with the burglars. Her arms show signs of having been bound very tight. there is deep grooves in the flesh where the bonds pressed deeply into the wrists. She was nearly strangled by the gag and her mouth is very sore from the comb being placed in it and is bruised on the inside of the cheeks from the ends of the comb being pressed against them by the gag. Her right cheek bone is swollen in a manner that would indicate that she was struck a hard blow by the burglar.

"I would know one of the burglars at least," said Mrs. Curry, "if I should see him in New York. One of them was rather heavy set and wore dark clothes and dark slouch hat, the other wore grey clothes and had an odd looking grey hat. He was of a more muscular type than the other and somewhat taller. Both wore masks that completely covered their face and heads."

Chief of Police Gallagher is busily working on the case but no arrests have yet been made.