The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-07-25
SAVED FROM A MOB.
Arrest of a johnson County
Boy on the Charge
OF Rape.
He Coolly Tells How He Attempt
ed to Outrage Mrs.
Littlejohn.

On Saturday last, at Warrensburg, James
Fitzpatrick, a sixteen -year-Old boy, was ar
rested, charged with an attempt at rape
and of the case the Kansas City Star ot
last evening has the following to say:
Saturday night Sheriff Shaw, OF John
son county, arrived i'm this city, having in
custody q prisoner named James Fitzpat-
rick. whom he consigned to the Second
street Jail for safe keeping. The matter,
for reasons not vet made known, was KEEP,
quiet, and even some of the Jail officials
did not know why the man was held, OF
where he came from. Ii seems, however
that young Fitzpatrick had been guilty ol
AN ATTEMPTED OUTRAGE
upon the person of Mrs. Amanda Little
John, the wife Of his employers promi-
nent resident of Hazel Hill township
Johnson county.
An Evening Star reporter this morning
visited the prisoner at his cell. He frank
lv admitted that he WAS In his present
dilemma because he attempted to rape a
young married woman. He very readily
began the conversation, but in few min
utes became reticent, and finally walked to
the far end of the cell and refused to an
swer any more questions. Briefly his story
is as follows: He and a younger brother
have been working for Littlejohn for sew
eral years, and about two years ago they
bound themselves out to him on the follow.
ing conditions: Littlejohn was to clothe
and board them, give them a district
school education, and when they became
of age he was to present each with $50
i'm money, bible, and horse, saddle and
bride, the value of the last three 10 be
not less than $50. Fitzpatrick says the
arrangement was satisfactory and would
have been carried out but for the episode
of last Saturday. When asked to tell
about the assault, he said:
al would not have committed the deed If
another boy had net put ME up TO it; ne
told me there was no danger and would
not get into trouble over il. Last Friday
night Mr.. Littlejohn was away from home
with his threshing machine, and the boy
said il now was my time. j went la bed,
and about three o'clock i'm the morning
went to Mrs. Littlejohn's room. put my
hand over her face and
she SCREAMED
and called me by name. got part way
into bed and then got frightened and ran
out of the room. She got my thumb in
her mouth while / was struggling with her
and bit il little
In proof thereof the prisoner displayed
a thumb wrapped up in rag that had
evidently been saturated with arnica.
Continuing his story, Fitzpatrick said !:
"Mrs. Littlejohn said she would not tell
ON me but the next morning she went to a
neigh boris and told all about it. was
not afraid OF getting into trouble over it
until a man told me had better 60 to
Warrensburg and give myself up"
At this point the prisoner refused to
talk, but quietly seated himself on char
and grinned at the reporter.
Fitzpatrick is only sixteen years old, is
remarkably verdsnt, and is rather sickly
in appearance. He will be kept here I'M
til the
EXCITEMENT AT wARRENsBURG
dies down, when he will be taken back to
await trial. He was given preliminary
examination before taken out of the coun-
ty, and was committed to Jail in default Of
1000 bail.