The Evening critic., 1883-05-30
ALLEoEp FELoNlous AssAuLr.
Serious Charges Against n Commits.
sioner OF Charles County. Mary

Serious Charges Against Commits
sioner of Charles County, Mary
land.
Charles County, Nd, is a good deal
worked up over the suit Of the State
against George w. Carpenter, jr., charged
with committing an assault on Miss Ellen
b. Scott on May 18, at her home, in Nam
jemoy, No. 3 District, of that county. The
prisoner was two years ago elected a County
Commissioner on the Republican ticket,
and his term expires this fall. He lives at
Nanjemoy, is about 30 years old and mar
ried, but has no children. By occupation
he is a farmer weighs about 200 pounds
and is of powerful build. He is said to be
of genial and lively disposition and is
pIepossessing in appearance He is an in
telligent man, of good business capacity.
Miss Scott is an orphan, about 1s years of
age. OF very delicate appearance. She
resides with Mr.. Thomas A. Groves on a
farm about two and a-half miles distant
from the farm of Mr.. Carpenter. She has
been an inmate Of Mr.. Groves family since
her mother died, about fourteen years ago.
Mrs. Scott, on her death-bed, left the child
to Mr.. Groves care, and since that time she
has been uninterruptedly member of his
household. Mr.. Groves speaks in the high
est terms of her in all respects, though it
has always been apparent that her mind is
not Of the strongest Mr.. Groves states
that her conduct has always been unexcep-
tionable in every particular, and that she
has never been absent from home save to
attend the P. E. Sunday school, in the i'm
mediate neighborhood, and then always in
the company of others.
1t is stated that Carpenter on Friday
morning, May 1S, about o'clock, met Mr..
and Mrs. Groves at Smiths Point on the
Potomac River, as they were taking the
boat Tor Washington. 1t is charged that,
knowing that Miss Scott, who lived with
them at their farm, about four miles from
the landing, must be left alone at the house,
he Immediately walked there on the de-
parture of the boat. 1t is alleged that he
was seen in the vicinity of the house about
II o'clock, and walking rapidly away
from the premises about noon. When
Mr.. and Mrs. Groves went to Wash
ington they got Mrs. Mary Mudd to
stay at their house with Miss Scott during
their absence. Mr.. Groves says that when
Mr.. Carpenter arrived at Mr. Groves house,
after having bid Mr.. Groves and his wife
good-by at the boat, Mrs. Mudd had gone to
take dinner with Mr.. Bradshaw's family,
about quarter of a mile off, and he found
Miss Scott in the house alone The prose-
cution charge that Mr.. Carpenter sought
VI
assault, knowing he would find no one near
to help the girl. The defense, it is under
stood, will admit the act, but contend that
no violence was used.
Mr.. Thomas A. Groves testimony will be
in substance as follows CON May IS, nv
wife and went to Smiths Point aud took
the boat for Washington about o'clock in
the morning. When I got to the boat Mr.
George w. Carpenter was there. He
spoke to us, calling us by name, and we
went on to Washington. The following
about o'clock in the evening. Soon after
getting home walked out, and Ellen B.
Scott approached me and told me that Mr..
Carpenter came to the house on Friday, May
1S. / asked her what of that? She replied
that he had treated her very badly. asked
in what manner; did he interfere with
her person? She said yes. asked in what
way. She said he had served her as bad as
he could serve her. l said couldn't you
run? She said no, the front door was the
only door that was open, and when she
heard something she went to that door to
see what it was, and Mr.. Carpenter walked
into the door at that time. He caught hold
of her with one hand, shut and locked the
door with the other. l asked if any money
was offered to her. She said there was. /
asked what she said to him then. She
replied, she said, that she did not
want his money; please to let her
alone. He would not listen to her en-.
treaties, and accomplished his purpose by
force. She made all the outcry possible
Immediately afterward Carpenter left, and
as he went away she told him that she
would tell Mr.. Groves as soon as he came
home. He replied: You must not do that,
for he will raise FUSS This was all he
said, and he went off, walking very fast.
asked did she Immediately go to my neigh.
Dor, Mr.. Bradshaw, and she said no.
asked did she tell Mrs. Mudd, an old lady
whom got to stay with her while we were
away. She said no. / then asked why
she did not tell Mrs. Mudd, and she said be-
cause she did not know whether would
like her to or not. 1 asked why she came
to me. She answered that she had never
known any protector but me-"