The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-10-01
THE BRIDGEPoRT TROUBLES.
MIA GouGx.s Statement.

w. II NOAAhE
Andrew Cloudy, Esq, the Bridgeport
merchant who is charged by Caroline
Osborne. of Martins Ferry, with at
tempting to commit rape on her per-
son. and about whom there has been so
much talk OF late of 4 defamatory Eature
and otherwise, because of the girls story,
all of which was published in full in
Tuesdays REGISTER, called on Us yes
terday and made the following statement,
which he requests Us to publish. lis
words bear the impress OF truth and
carry conviction with them:
STATEMENT.
Shortly after ten o'clock on Saturday
night last WAS sitting in my store along
with nv wife, and feeling very tired, |
remarked to her, 1T was time to close up
and we botn walked 10 the door. My
wife passed out, turned the corner of the
building and went up stairs. was then
msking the final preparations, seeing all
was safe, to close. As ! approached the
door n tidy looking, well dressed young
girl appeared nj the entrance. L WAS
amazed to see 50 young thing out AT
such an hour, and said, "what are you
doing out at this unreasonable hour!
Where did you come from, and were you
mo-, afraid She answered, she was
not" She had been over to the city, !
think she said lthcn called her atten-
ton to the fact OF the danger OF so young
Il girl as she being out on the streets and
cited the occurrence ot the woman beng
outraged only short time
ago in tKirkwood She express
cI no alarm; she asserted
she was not rs young as | thought. She
was sixteen years of age, and knew what
she was about, and was able to take care
of herself. | advised her not TO expose
herself any longer to the chances OF being
attacked by rutlians, and told her she
might stay all night with my wife. l
iclt II pity for the girl, and thought she
might be = stranger, or that she did not
know where to go or had no friends, ana
out OF the kindness of my heart offered
her protection till morning. She de-
clined my offer, and SAID she was not
afraid to 20 home, and asked me TO give
her = dime and she would get some
friends to see her above the rolling mill,
and from there she would get home with
out any trouble. | put my hand IN my
vest pocket and gave her II piece OF
>crip-I don't what denomination. |
then turned round, blew out the
light, stepped out and locked
the door. Contrary to my expectation,
the girl instead of going toward
Junkins' corner, she stepped over the
curb and wall. ed diagoually up the street
toward Wookcccks foundry. | then
mstrustcd that something was wrong,
and having been once black-mailed, the
thought flashed through my mind that
this was put up job, and when 1t Is
remembered that two friends were ready
at that hour OF the night to receive her
and take care of her until morning, it
looked as if something was wrong. On
Monday morning Jim McConnaughy,
the marshal, informed me that complaint
had been made against me. | houtcd Mt
the idea ut once, and told him to 90 ahead
with the matter He rc,crrcd to the SuS-
picious circumstance of the door being
locked and the light out. | showed him
the KEY and convinced him that it would
not lock the door from the
inside because it was too short. 1t was
necessary to insert the key from the out
side, in order to lock the door. The
right one having been lost II long while
ago, and this one had been adapted TO
the lock instead. have reputation
and name to preserve and | have in
vitcd this girl and her friends to have
the matter legally Investigated, but they
will not do it. No, they think to black
mail me and have been black mailed
once, and swear to God, shall never be
again. | have hccn doing business in
Bridgeport twelve years, and the people
all know Iur, and am not afraid of the
result.
This girls story, if incorrect, which
now seems likely, may act like I"
"Boomerrang" and rebound upon the
parties with an unexpected force, if Mr.
GouIy sees tit to push the case.