Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-03-01
THE CAPITOL HILL OUTRAGE.
A Most Horrible Crime.
Capture of the Alleged Pe,petrator
Threats of Lynch Law.

Capture of the Alleged Pe,.petrNtOr
Threats of Lynch Law.
THE STAR Of Saturday first published an ac
count of the outrageous case of rape by negro
on respectable white girl on Capitol HILL on
Friday evening last. This f1endSh act was COM
mitted in the same section of the city where
similar outrages occurred about two years ago.
A F1ENDIsH CRIME.
In this last case the unfortunate victim was
street, between 18th and 18th streets, nearly op-
posite the LoveJoy school AS stated in THE
STAR OF Saturday, she left home few minutes
service in st. Joseph's Church on the corner Of
I'd and G streets northeast. While passing
along D street, between 7th and sth Streets
she was Vas seahy BY strap
earth by single blow on the head, which left
her In senseless state. This blow, it is be-
oy Or 1 who to ner
which the assailant held in his hand. Her ear
was cut nearly in two and hung by a piece OF
skin. The black devil then picked her up bodily
and carried her, hanging over his shoulder,
across the street into vacant lot, dragging her
into secluded corner, where he was with her.
it Is supposed, for nearly an hour and half.
When Miss LeinS recovered consciousness she
found herself lying on the ground her shoes off
and this black fiend beside her. She asked him
where. she was when he replied ''in bad
place" and offered to help her to put on her
CATERS. She resented the proffered aid and
screamed, which had the effect of frightening
him OH. After an effort,
regained her feet ard sore and bleeding man
aged 10 reach her home, her clothing covered
with blood, and her face so distigured as to be
scarcely recognizable She was put to bed and
Dr. Bayhe at once summoned, but she was so
weak and PROSTATE that it was some time be-
fore she could give an ineligible account of her
wrongs. Last night she had considerably re-
V1Ved. and 1t Is now thought that she may
recover. All she could say OF her aSSatlant was
that he was tall black man. The affair was
Kept secret by her friends with the hope that
IL might pass over, and her name be thus spared
from the public. Nothing was known by the
police until about 12 O'Clock Saturday when
prompt measures was taken to find the villain.
The detectives were sent out to the house where
she lives, and with the aid of DR.. Bayne pretty
fair account was obtained from the suffering
gill.
A WOMAN WHO SAW THE VILLAIN.
The officers aScertained that an old woman
named OfenStein, who lives near the scene OF the
outrage, had seen this tall black man going on to
this vacant lot with something across his shoul-
wards heard some one groaning on the lot.
which so frightened her that she locked herself
in her house for the rest OF the night. A fur
ther investigation developed the fact that this
same man was seen in that neighborhood several
times recently, and several people were found
who could describe him.. Saturday night the
uctcCllNtS. uuUtT Llcul. ECklOH, met at DOllCc
headquarters at a late hour, for the purpose Of
going through certain negro houses which this
man was said to frequent. While waiting for
the hour they were joined by detachment of
police In citizens clothing from Lieut.. AuStin'S
precinct. committee Of young men from
A MEETING HELD ON CAPITOL HILL
Saturday night came to headquarters and
Eckion that they had the m man nj located in a a
negro shanty, and offered to conduct the police
to the spot, where they were sure he could be
arrested. Lieut.. Ecklof advised them to go
home and keep quiet; that the police knew
more about the affair than they did, and pre-.
ferred to carry out their own plans. On COM
pairing notes as to the knowledge these young
men possessed, 1t was found that they were on
the same track as the police.
TIE HUNT FOR THE sCOUNDREI
AT the hour agreed upon the detectives start
ed out and proceeded by back streets to the cor
east, where they were Joined by the squad OF
men from a4teutenant Austin'S precinct. Here
the Capitol Hill vigilance committee made their
appearance and were cautioned by Lieutenant
Eckloff not to interfere with the police work;
Notwithstanding this warning, however, they
hovered around in squads, and from the express
sions which they were heard to utter it was
very apparent that they meant business.
LYNCHERs ON HAND.
Several ropes were carried in the crowd, and
1t is pretty safe to say that had the right party
been been discovered that night all expenses OF a
After accommodating house standing on high
bank on 18th street, south of Maryland avenue,
and hnd1ng all quiet the police surrounded it.
DISGUSTING SCENE IN NEGRO sHANTY
1t Is small wooden shanty, with two small
rooms on the first floor and one up stairs. This
was the house this negro had been seen to enter
several times recently. 1t was but the work Of
a few moments to ascertain the internal state
OF things. No one was allowed to escape and
1t was found that there were no less than
twenty negroes in this house all told. Not a
bed was in the house, and all were lying about
the floor in filth and rags. Besides these there
were some children slowed away in closet
and and covered as1ss wi with rags rags The man they
not there, and finally one Of the men said he
knew where he could be found-on Delaware
avenue, between and streets northeast. He
was taken along as a guide, and an officer left
in charge OF this house, to allow none to escape
to notify Hamilton before the police arrived.
on their way to Hamllton's house the police
stopped at an old brick structure at the corner
of 9th street and Maryland avenue, tenanted by
colored people, which it was stated was resort
OF this man. Here the house was searched from
cellar to attic, but the man wanted was not
there. A direct march was taken up to Della
ware avenue, and the house of Hamilton's father
searched.
THE WRONG MAN ARRESTED.
Charles Hamilton was here found in bed and
taken out, and a thorough search made for any
evidences about the house. His clothing was
examined, and one suspicious circumstance
Eny ssha aouhe PAR 81 pants belonging to Charles
rail. He was arrested and taken to the seventh
police precinct and kept until yesterday morn
ing, when Mrs. Ofenstein was brought to the
station, but at once said he was not the man as
ne was too short, and said the man she saw
carrying the sack into the vacant lot was at
least six feet high. Hamilton was then set at
liberty.
AFTER THE RIGHT MAN-TOM SMOTHERs AR
RESTED.
The description of the man seen by Mrs Of
1ensteln tailed SO near that OF a colored man
named Tom SmOthers, who was suspected of
being the guilty one in the similar cases of out
rage two years ago that Lieut.. Eckloff and De-
tectives McDevitt and McElfresh came to the
conclusion, from the description that Smothers
was the man wanted, and the police of that pre-
c1nct were Instructed to arrest him. Yesterday
morning OFFICER Prather, with the assistance OF
several citizens, among them MI. Louis Borgin,
who haG become satisfied with the description,
went to the house of Smothers, on 18th street
northeast, between and G, and took him into
custody. He was hastily carried to the seventh
precinct station, where he was locked up. He
is rather repulSive-lo looking man, 6 feet inches
high, and he gave his age as Sc, but apparently
Is not 55 1t remains to be seen what his object
was in so stating his age.
AS TO THE EVIDENCE AGAINST HIM,
Mrs. OfenStein and her daughter, who had
nolned OF the arrest of this man before his ar
side the door they both said they were certain
cence, stating that he was at home with his wife
on that night, but did not know exactly what
time he reached home. Examination of his
clOt hing norfioo nj which had boon ohor,.oSS