Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-11-08
MASKED AVENGERS.
Attempted Assault on a Young Lady
In COnnectIcut-The PerpeGratOr
TarFed and Feathered by Disguise
ed Men.

Nea0 London, Conn, special to ~ 7. Herald, Sd.
Miss Wilhelmina SHREDDER is a good look
ing young lady Of eighteen, and lives with
her parents in the neat little cottage pro-
vided for the keeper of Riverside Cemetery,
about one mile distant from the village of
Mystic Bridge, a suburb of New London.
She works for dressmaker in the village.
On Tuesday evening she started for home
little after six O'Clock. When ahead of
Mallory's shipyard, which is about quarter
OF mile from the place where she works,
she was met by George Stinson, who asked
II he might escort her home. She replied in
the negative and proceeded on her way,
somewhat alarmed, but little expecting that
which ensued. Stinson followed her a short
distance, and, oVertaking her, threw her
violently to the ground, and with his rough
hand closed tight on her throat to prevent
an outcry, attempted to criminally assault
her.
The struggle was a very severe one, the
brave girl making a desperate resistance.
Her cries for help brought to her assistance
Mr.. l.. ID. Stone, merchant of the village,
who was fortunately in the vicinity. On
Mr.. Stones approach, Stinson left his vic
tim and ran with all possible speed to his
home, short distance away, and within
sight of the place where the assault was
committed Stone, with the assistance of
Mr.. W. F. E Landers, helped the trembling
girl to his house and gave her such stimu-
lants as he had at hand. Landers went to
the cemetery for her father, who eXcitedly
hurried to Mr.. stones house and took the
girl home in a carriage. Stinson remained
at home on the night of the assault, and
early next morning took to the woods and
made his way to his brothers. In Westerly.
The authorities were not notified OF the
assault until late hour, otherwise Stinson
would have been captured before he could
have fed.
Sheriff John Hoxie was not an all uneasy
about his arrest, knowing that he would
seek refuge in one of two or three places,
included In which number was his brothers.
house. Hoxie drove to Westerly, ar
riv!ng there at two p. m. yester-
day. He found Stinson working on
the road with his brother and
addressing him by his nickname, "Ordsey,"
said, "Come, I've been looking for you all
day" Stinson replied, 81 guess they'll fix
me this time for good" and advancing to
the vehicle he got in. At five o'clock last
night he was behind the bars in the Mystic
Bridge Lookup. Sheriff Hoxie left him
sleeping soundly there at midnight, but his
sleep was rudely disturbed little later
At half-past seven o'clock this morning,
Hoxe visited the lookup. He found Stin-
son lashed to the door of his cell with a
stout piece of marlin and shaking with fear,
believing that his life was in danger. Hoxie
cut the cord that bound him, and learned
that shortly after midnight a number of
masked men entered the lookup by the rear
window, and, advancing to the cell IN which
Stinson was confined, asked him If he want
ed to get out. He came close to the grated
door and replied, mo" They uplifted
their hands and before he could retreat filled
his eyes with coal tar, then by using heavy
wedges and large sledge they forced open
the door of the cell and led the frightened
wretch out
In the corridor they stripped him of all
his clothing, covered his naked body with
asbestos roofing tar, and sprinkled 1t with
spontaneous growth common to this locality
and an excellent substitute for feathers. The
work was done quickly and arttstically, and
Stinson was tied to the door more dead than
alive from fright. The masked men, after
fastening the lookup as securely as they
could under the circumstances, took their
departure, leaving behind them, however
one wedge and the pillow case from which
they obtained the feathery material. Their
masks consisted simply of pieces of cloth.
but they served to fully conceal the mems
identity, and there is not the least suspicion
as to who they were. Two hours were con-
sumed in removing Stinson's tight fitting
salt.
Stinson is twenty years of age and has al
ways lived in Mystic. He is a rough-look-
ing fellow, lazy and deficient in intellect
His father is hard working ship carpen-
ter and often finds employment in the yards
az New London. The assault on Miss
SHREDDER is not the first of Sinson's offs
fences. Two years ago he assaulted a girl
OF twelve on REYNOLDS Hill, for which he
served term Of imprisonment in New
London jail. A year previous to this he
assaulted another, but was so terribly
thrashed by her father that the authorities
took no notice of the affair. Stinson had
just finished the seasons coasting and was
turned loose in the village for the winter.