Middletown transcript., 1882-03-03
The Odessa Outrage.

A little more than q mile from Gne JOWH
of Odessa, on the road leading to Fields
boro, and at the gate of Mr.. George L.
Townsend, there lives in a small one story
tenement house, Henry Purse, his wife
and two children. The family is poor, and
Purse is much away from home at labor.
The eldest child, Sarah, is bright, intelli-
gent girl, about IA years old, though, be-
ING of slight stature, she does not appear
to an observer to be more than thirteen.
The younger child is about three yearsold.
On Thursday afternoon of last week,
whilst Purse was away at work in the
neighborhood Of Smyrna, and Mrs. Purse
at the house of a neighbor, the two child
ren being alone, James Redden (alias
Loat), worthless negro of notorious
character, entered the house and COM
mitted a felonious outrage upon the oldest
girl. The details of such crimes cannot
be printed in decent newspaper, and de-
cent people have no desire to read them.
The child was left bruised, stunned, and
frightened almost out of her wits. The
condition in which her mother found her
upon returning home attested to the fear
full manner in which she had been NAL
treated by the black-hearted as well as
black-skinned and beastly scoundrel.
Her husband being absent, Mrs. Purse
hardly knew what to do, upon first learn
ing Of the outrage, but finally decided
to go to Fieldsboro and ask the advice of
Henry Willard. He advised her to say
nothing further of the outrage until her
husband returned. Mr.. Purse came home
late Friday evening, but i'll the mean
time rumors of the outrage had reached
Odessa and a search was being made for
the villain. The girl did not know her
assailant, and a clue to his identity was
obtained through Charles Bristor, negro,
who, while coming from Fieldsboro, saw
Redden at a window of Purses house.
This occurred, it is believed, before the
assault was committed. Obtaining this
important information from BTistor, Alex
ander Moody and Alfred Stevens went in
search of Redden, found him in front of
j. G.. Armstrong; store, and secured him.
He was then taken to Purses in carriage
but was not taken in the presence Of Sa-
rah until she had given a detailed descrip-
ton Of her assailant. Redden correspond
ed exactlyt to her description, even to that of
large ring upon one Of his fingers. Being
taken before her she instantly recognised
him as the man who had assaulted her.
II M 4
confined in room in Paullin's Hotel.
There was no movement to lynch him, as
reported by Wilmington reporters who
sat in Wilmington and wrote up the de-
tails of the affair, "hit or miss" The
quiet and order-loving people Of Odessa
seemed to have faith that the william would
get just amount OF hanging by due pro-
cess of law. Deputy Sheriff Ash Pen
nington went to Odessa early Saturday
morning and took charge Of Redden. He
was taken before Esquire Vandyke, who
after hearing the testimony of the victim
of the outrage, and DIR. Woods, and two
colored men-Bristor and Frisby Lloyd
who saw the prisoner at the house of
Purse, held him for court. Ash Penning-
ton brought him to Middletown after the
hearing and took him to New Castle on
the II o'clock train. He is now behind
the bars, and, it is said, has gone to pray
ing loudly for his soul. The reports in the
Wilmington papers that an attempt was
made at Middletown to lynch the william
are utterly without foundation. If Mid
dletown people had undertaken the job
they would have carried it through
.Redden is negro of notorious reputation
A few years ago he nearly killed white
boy without the least provocation, but by
some means escaped punishment.