Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-04-20
WOMAN'S HONOR.
Serious Charge Against a Disciple Of
Faust.
He is Arrested and Identified by the
Fair AecuSer.
Fierce Vengeance Attempted by Her
Husband and Brothers.

A thrilling Melee az the WOrk-hOuse
Desperate struggle OF the AssaiI.
ants TO Walk Over n Officers.
While City Marshal Pittman and Street
OveIseer Haslam were on North Cherry
street, near the bridge over Lick branch,
between eleven and twelve o'clock yester-
day morning, they were approached by
James Hawkins, who pointed out to the
Marshal a certainman and said he desired to
have him put under arrest. He stated that
this individual had offered great insult to
his si~ster-in-law Mrs. Richard Jones. The
man being some distance off, Marshal Pitt
mai came on after him and overlook him
in the Louisville depot, where be was put
under arrest and taken TO the police
station.
Soon after the arrest of the party desig-
mated, Hawkins cam up and said be IN
swered the description that his sister-in-
law had given him. In this connection he
stated that while he was at work Mrs.
Jones came to him and told what had oc-
CURED. She said to him that when in the
/ vicinity Of the Cotton Factory between
ten and eleven o'clock she was accosted
by a man who used very offensive language,
and made improper proposals to her. She
said nothing to him, but hurried along as
fast as she could. He followed her, she
said, for nearly a hundred yards, and told
her if it were not for her delicate condition
he would force her.
The prisoner was held at the WOrkhOuse
while Hawkins went for Mrs. Jones to
come and identify him, if he were indeed
the person TO whom she had alluded. She
at length arrived in a baToUche, accUmpa-
MED by her sister, Mrs. Gus Warner and
Mr.. Jones, her husband. Meanwhile sew
eral Of her brothers had come to the police
station. Her brother-iD-law, Mr.. Hawkins,
had also returned by this time. All of
them seemed more or less excited, but said
they were willing for the law to take its
course.
L When the carriages containing the ladies
came up, Capt. Yater requested all present
TO be seated around the room in order that
the prisoner might have as fair a showing
as possible. Mrs. Jones came in, looking
very pale and trembling considerably. She
appeared as though it required great effort
for her to move at all. There were, per
hapS, a dozen or more Of men in the room,
and after scanning the asSemblage, she
pointed TO the prisoner, Frank Ladd, and
said she could identify him as the man.
With this she dropped into a chair and a
painful silence ensued. All eyes were
turned towards the accused who appeared
perfectly self-pOsSessed, and did not change
his position or contract a muscle. Several
Of the lady's relatives had retired TO the
other end Of the room and were holding a
consultation with Capt. 1ater and City
Marshal Pittman. But Bennett Beasley,
Il A.. ---.-- L--4La- rF n T,no5 m-a=
| standing near the stove, abOUtthe cenler Of
the room, several feet from where Ladd
was sitting, and rather close to the ladies.
He glanced at Ladd for amOment and then
seemed to lose all control Of himself. He
turned very pale and tembled from head
to foot. Instantly STOPPING down and
| Selling an iron poker, he rushed at Laid.
Then followed a scene That beggars de-
| scriptiOn. Street Overseer Haslam spTdng
| from bis seat and caught young Beasley
before he could reach the prisoner, and at
tempted 20 take the poker from him. The
attention Of the rest was now drawn to the
struggle. and Felix Beasley drew a pistol
and rushed into the melee. Sergeant Nc
Allister grabbed him, and attempted to get
the pistol out Of his hands, which, with the
assistance Of Mr.. Haslam, he accomplished.
z. II. Pyles made an effort 10 Get the poker
from Bennett Beasley, but failed to nc
coed. Mrs. Jones husband aud Mr.. HaW-
kins now took a hand in the affair, and a
desperate effort was made to reach the pris-
oner. Capt. Yater and City Marshal Pitt
man, to whom they had been talking,
rushed after them, and as they all joined in
the struggle it grew intense.
From the beginning Of the ARRAY James
Beasley more calm than the others, and
William Warner did their utmost to keep
down the difficulty, and had it not been
for assistance rendered by them, the matter
might have ended very differently. While
the sCUfiie was going on Marshal Pittman
tried TO get Ladd in the enclosure behind
the bars where prisoners are confined, as a
means of protection. For this purpose he
caught hold Of him and hurTiedly pushed
him along in that direction. He managed
to get him behind the bars, but before he
could lock the door, Hawkins and Jones
had cot on the inside followed by
Capt. Yater, James BeaSly, William
Warner and MIS-. Gus Warner, who were
endeavOring TO keep them back. The lady
displayed on this occasion a bravery and
selfpOssessiOn truly wonderful. She
evinced an utter disregard for peril. She
was in the thickeSt of the struggle, making
every efUTt to restore quiet. The door Of
the iron grating was closed in time to keep
Felix and Bennett Beasley from getting in,
but Jones and Hawkins were struggling
desperately to get to Ladd. The latter was
standing rather TO one side in the
extreme end of the room, and when
Bennett Beasley found himself IN
able to get behind the bars, he drew
a Smith * Wesson f~ve-shOOter and took
deliberate aim at him. He pulled the trig-
ger and the hammer went down. but the
pistol failed fire. He cooked it again and
took aim the second time, but before he
could fire Capt. Yater had got 10 his side
and caught the weapon. The hammer
came down on the feshy part Of the Cap
tain's hand, between the thumb and first
finger, and inflicted a slight cash. Ladd
ran into the water closet, and Jones and
Hawkins made a plunge after him. But
Marshal Pittman shut the door, took stand
at it, and with leveled revolver threatened
to shoot the first man that attempted to
force an entrance. James Bedsley and
William Warner now succeeded IN getting
Jones and Hawkins on the outside of the
railing and quiet was at length restored.
The ladies were then driven home in the
barouche, and Mr.. Jones went before JUS
tees Cassetty and Creighton and swOre out
a warrant against Ladd charging him with
an attempt TO commit rape. The prisoner
was locked mp for safe keeping and the trial
set for > Z. NJ. to-day.
Ladd is from Canada, and apparently
about thirty years OF age. He IS a printer
by trade and worked at the Methodist Pub
fishing House. He IS married, has one
child, and is a member Of the Tulip Street
Church. lie stOutly protests his limo
cence, and insists that the only thing he
said TO the lady was, ~ beautifUl morning,
madam He was out Of employment for
the morning, but intended going 10 work
at noon
Two Good Races for One Day.
The trolting race lor horses that never
beat $50, to come of at the Nashville
Driving Park on Thursday, 22d inst, closed
with the following entries: 5. I. Nidener
names Country Boy, J. +. Caldwell names
NT,,n1TFva w, II n,v-aa n1r-ac NNun IT /