Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1883-08-11
Dns,ardIyOu,raee.-Great ex-


element was caused in Washington coun-
ty. Md, last Friday by the intelligence
that a dastardly outrage had been commit
ted on little nine-year-old girl, named
Gertrude VIrtz, daughter of Mr.. Corne-
Illus Virtz, prominent and widely-known
citizen of the Sandy Hook District of that
county. The circumstances OF the villain
GUS act are about rs follows: The little
| girl Gertrude started from her home near
| Sandy Rook to accompany part oil the
way to that place her elder sister, Miss
Pearl Virtz. After the two had separated,
and Gertrude was returning home, she
was met on the road by a tramp, who
seized her and dragged her into an adjoin-
ing corn-feld, where he violated her per-
! son, inflicting quite serious injuries upon
| her. She attempted to make an outcry
but the wretch prevented her from so do
| ing by biting herlips, which show the marks
of his brutality. She was but short dis
lance from hands working in the field of
Mr.. Jacob A. Miller, who, had sho been
able to make an cutlery, could have heard
her and come to her assistance. 1t was
also within about two hundred yards of
the residence Of Justice Preston Z.
Miller.
After the occurrence, the child made
her way towards Sandy Hook, where she
was met by colored woman and taken to
the house of Mr.. John r. Smith, where
she was seized with commissions, and was
for time unable to give any statement of
the cause of her condition. DR.. Ransom,
of Harper's Ferry, was speedily summon
ed, and then, the particulars becoming
| known, an intense excitement was created
in the surrounding country, and men on
| horseback and on foot turned out in search
of the perpetrator of the outrage, and no
| nook or corner was left unexplOred.
The perpetratOr of the outrage, after ac-
complishing his hellish purpose, passed
through a culvert under the canal, near
the scene of his crime, anu waded the PO-
| tomac to the Virginia shore, and from
thence made his way to Harper's Ferry.
| The news of the crime had reached that
place, and while drinking in saloon he
was arrested by Mr.. George Bancroft, and
with the aid Of other citizens, and without
waiting for authority Of law, hurried
| across the river and taken before Justice
Preston f. Miller, who upon the evidence
before him committed him to Jail for the
Grand jury. The prisoner. who appeared
to be man Of % or 30 years of age, gave
his name as James Carr, but beyond this
he refused to give any further account OF
himself.
At Sandy Hook and i'm the surrounding
country the excitement was intense and
the fact of his being before the justice was
the signal for the congregation of large
and excited crowd of citizens. The JUS
tice fearing that violence would be offered
the prisoner if taken from his Office in
front, secured the services of Rev. j. G.
Butler, Of Washington, who was visiting
at his house, to attract the attention of the
excited crowd outside, while he sent the
prisoner off from the rear, in charge Of
Messrs. f. BOteler, VIM. Lakins and
Henry Scott, deputized officers. These
officers conveyed Carr to CARROTS station,
and rs the train came along it was signal
led and the prisoner placed aboard, and
permitted to go Into the ladies' car by
himself, the officers remaining upon the
rear platform parleying with number Of
masked men who were there for the pur-
pose Of lynching the wretch. While this
was going on, and while the train was in
motion, Carr jumped through window
and escaped to the mountains. When this
fact became known intense excitement
was created in the vicinity of the occur
renee, and expressions not very cOmpli-
mentary to the officers who had Carr in
charge were freely INDUCED in.
Sunday night Carr was recaptured at
Knoxville and taken to Hagerstown and
placed in Jail, where he now is. Threats
are made of lynching him.