The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-07-14
EXCITEMENT AT MT. PLEAS
ANT.
Attempted Outrage Upon the Person of
q Fourteen Y ear. Old Girl.

Theresa Enger, a fourteen-year-old daugh-
ter of q well known citizen of Mt Pleasant,
willie on her way to the residence Of Mrs.
Noble, the home of her sister, Sunday af-
ternoon, was attacked by man, who
rushed out of a vacant house by the road
side, and with knife in his hand threat
cred her life if she made any resistance
The poor girl was half dead with frightand
tried TO scream, but could not. He lost no
time, but began preparing to do his lend
ish purpose, when the sound Of an ap-
preaching buggy compelled him TO beat a
retreat, but not until he had drawn the
edge of the knife over her throat, making
bloody cash. The buggy contained Mrs.
Diet ich, friend of the girl, who immedi-
ately conveyed her home.
The rage of the father upon hearing the
news can not be described. and il was not
long before large company armed with
knives and revolvers were in pursuit of the
villain. They soon we're on his trail, and
before long Frank Harbeson and William
Walker were upon him, and with cooked
revolvers, compelled him to surrender. lie
was conveyed back to the village, aud in the
presence Of an excited crowd, who were
threatening to lynch the prisoner and hang
him on the spot, he was bound over to the
Grand Jury by Squire Smith in the sum OF
81, 600. 1t was after midnight when the
trial was over and it was with difficulty
even at that hour that Constable John l..
Bayleave succeeded in conveying him to
the County Jail
The man gave the name of Joseph lie
Roi. lie told the officers he had no home,
that he came from France and sold pictures
for living.
LeRoi was put into cell No. 81, and this
morning was interviewed by STAR repor-
ter. He is small. emaCiated man, his face
and arms are strongly sanburned, he has
| black clear eyes and black hair. His face
was covered with black hair of about two
or three days growth. He had on low
straw hat, with black trimmings, an old,
torn white undershirt and black clothing
which was pretty shabby. LeRoi gave the
| following story TO the pencil shower:
81 left town last Saturday evening to sell
pictures; ! staid over at Mt. Washington
until Sunday morning about half past 6
o'clock. In the afternoon ! got to Mt.
| Pleasant and stopped in a saloon on the
right side of the road, where / drank three
or four glasses Of beer. | sat there for a
time and started for the town about two
miles back of Mt. Pleasant; when | got
| half way | sat down under a tree, took off
my coat and laid it and my satchel on the
grass; then got up and put them in the
woods and started for the next town to get
some lunch; ! remained an hour and half
| and came back for my coat and satchel. |
met man and asked him for the road
| to Hamilton. He showed me the road and
| / had to go through the woods, and when
arrived at farm house ! got some ripe
apples and drink OF water. To the farm
er's daughter who gave me this, | handed
picture in return. The farmer showed
me the road to Hamilton, which road vas
three miles off, back of a woods. got into
| a berry patch after | left the farm house
and was picking some of the berries, when
noticed two men in a buggy coming along
the road. There was row of willows be-
tween me and the road. kept on eating
when the men Jumped over the willows and
presented their revolvers before me
They said they wanted me for com
mitting rape on little girl; told then
knew nothing about a rape and that | was
willing to go along; they put me in The
buggy and we rode part of the way back Ia
Mt. Pleasant; we then got out and walked
when man and girl in buggy drove W
and the girl said, that's the man. the
man then commenced firing at me; go
behind the buggy and he fired in the
grourd; the men then made me jumI
over the fence and we started to run
when we got into the court room the little
girl was there but she had no mark of a cut
on her neck; my pocket knife is an Ole
pruning knife; didn't run when the mer
found me near the willows; | still insis
that am innocent and had nothing to dc
with the girl"
lie Hoi was quite composed and gave hi
story in "a fluent and rapid style. Wher
Jailor Birnbaum asked him if they SHOULD
hang him he smiled as if it were quite {