Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1875-06-11
Outrage in Anne Arundel County.

A fiendish outrage was perpetra ted in the
fourth election district of Anne Arundel coun-
ty, Md, near 0denton station, on the Balti-
more and Potomac railroad last Saturday, by
negro man named John Sims, upon the per-
son of Miss Addie Jackson daughter of JohE
Jackson, an old citizen Of that section, which
created great excitement and Indignation in
the neighborhood, and much sympathy for the
victim and her family. The locality of The
outrage is well known to all who have visited
Jackson's woods camp-meetng grounds, hav-
ing occurred near one of the springs of that
place.
On Saturday last at halfpast nine in the
morning, Sims called and inquired for old Mr.
jackson, and learned that lac was from home
All the family except the mother, Addie and
Mrs. Jones, were in the field replanting corn
AT eleven o'clock Addie went to the spring to
get water TO prepare dinner for those Of the
family in the field, and while STOPPING down
to dip up the water, the negro Sims suddenly
appeared without hat, coat or shoes, and
menacingly asked for a drink, which she
handed him. He seized her by The throat, and
choking her 10 the ground. accomplished his
purpose. With his hands tightly cnsping
her throat she was unable to resist him or
to make herself heard until too late, though
she is a strong, healthy girl
An alarm was communicated to her broth
CIR. Mr.. h. G. Jackson, who, with Others
started in pursuit of the negro, who had fed
toward Baltimore. Parties assembled and
commenced hunt for The negro, but no clue
to his whereabouts was obtained until yester-
day morning, when Caleb Phelps, living at
Stony Run, seven miles off toward Baltimore
discovered that some one had broken into his
hen house
Thomas Cole and Columbus Gaylor, who
were in search Of the perpelrator of the out
rage upon Miss jackson, came to the resi-
dence of Mr.. Phelps just at this time and rec
ognized the tracks of the negro by an iron
plate on the heel of his shoe, and following
this clue into a swamp near by, discovered
Sims eating his breakfast beside fire he had
kindled, ana bad cooked provisions which he
had stolen from Mr. Durham and Mr. Ray,
living in the neighborhood The smoke of
the fire also directed the searchers to their
man. Mcssrs. Cole and Gayor were both
armed with shot guns. Sims saw Mr. GAY
Tor first approaching him, and Selling gun
that he had stolen from Mr. Jackson's house
before the outrage, and which at he time was
lying near hy announced that one man could
not take him. On that Mr. Cole appeared in
sight with his gun also, and the fellow i'm
mediately surrendered.
The prisoner was taken before Justice Elijah
G. Jackson, half-brother of the'victim, who
was also summoned and recognized Sims as
her assaiant. She testified TO the fact of the
outrage and the personal violence she had sus-
tanned. The prisoner did not deny any of the
accusations. lie seemed rather to give an i'm
piled assent. The gun found in Sims posses
sion was proved TO be the one he had stolen
from the young lady's father on the morning
Of the outrage. Miss jackson exhibited the
marks of the negro's fingers on both sides Of
her throat, where he had choked her breath
less during the struggle. She did not know
he had the gun, and when she recovered
went back to the house and told her sister
what bad occurred. The sister ran immedi-
ately for her fathers gun, which had been re-
moved. This was the weapon found with the
prisoner and identified. The girl was agita-
ted during the investigation, and the magis-
trate, her hali-brother was also greatly en-
barrassed, but he would not allow any vio-
lence against the prisoner
The magistrate then gave the accused in
charge of three armed men, and warned them
not to allow any violation, OF the law to take
place upon the prisoner. The guard and
prisoner proceeded to 0dentou, arriving there
about o clock, just as The morning train had
left for Annapolis. On this train were a num-
Der of officials of the State among them Gov
Groome, Treasurer Compton, and Hon. A. p.
German, also John p. Poe, and Benjamin
Fawcett, Esqs. The train had gone about one
hundred yards from the station hen Hon.
Barnes Compton,, seeing the guards and their
prisoner, announced in emphatic language
TO Governor Groome that ''ihey had the brute
now"
Governor Groome knowing that there
would be an immediate case of lynching if he
was left at 0denton, ordered the brakeman to
stop the train. The brakeman said he did not
like to do it without the consent of Captain
Brown. The Governor told him to go for
ward and see the conductor the Governor
following, when both came uD TO Mr. Brown
ana the Governor desired him to stop the
train, explaining the reason. Mr.. Brown de-
INJURED, but the Governor insisted that there
would be a mob and lynchiug If the man was
not taken on the train, and he 1.-THE Governor)
would stand between the conductor and the
company, and, as executive of the State, he
ordered the train to go back CAPITA. n Brown
replied if he took that stand he would obey
The train backed up TO the station, but the
excited crowd, some fifteen in number, were
not disposed to let Sims go. They attack
ed the guards, and were about to take the man
from them, Notwithstanding the orders of the
Governor, and Captain Brown himself had to
rush in and drag the prisoner from the people,
and he was thus pulled in the train under the
charge of Messrs. Thomas NJ. Cole and Colum-
bus Gaylor. While the struggle between the
train hands and the rescuing party was going
on, another crowd of eighteen men was or
gauiZing short distance of to take possession
of the prisoner, but the train got off before
they could act.
The train arrived at Annapolis about nine
O'Clock, and the prisoner taken 10 Jail.
His arrival was the first notice that Warden
Allen White had that he was to have such
desperate prisoner in his hands, or that such
a crime had been committed. Warden White
demanded his name. s'John Sims was the
reply. The warden then proceeded TO search
him, the prisoner declaring he had nothing.
The warden answered that he did not ask him
any questions as to what he had. The search
discovered no weapon.