The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-30
STATE NEWS AND GOSSIP.
Infamous Treatment of a Schoolmis-
tress by Designing Scoundrels
Murderous Assault by Masked Men - The
Case of Nathan Morris - Fighting
Saloon License.


INDIANA.
OUTRAGEOUS Treatment of Miss Purviance, of
Athca, by Unknown Scoundrels.
Special to the indianapolis journal.
ATTICA, Nov 29.-All accounts Of the alb
ducton of Miss Lizzie Purviance, so far pub
lished, are grossly at fault. Your CORE
spondent has visited the scene, talked with
the family, the people, the girl herself, and
bases his account on facts gained from them
and his own observation Miss Purviance
has been teaching school in the Huff school
house, and has made her home with David
Huff7s family, four miles east OF this city.
On Tuesday evening the family were in the
sitting-room, chatting and reading, and at a
quarter after O'Clock Miss Purviance got
up. She passed through the dining-room
into the kitchen, and out on the porch.
Nothing strange was thought of this,
hut when she failed to return in five
minutes Mrs Huff went out and called her.
Mr.. Huff and his son were also out in the
yard not more than ten minutes after the
missing girl stepped from the porch. They
made diligent search in the yard, in all the
out-houses and in the barn, but could find
and the search was kept up by the aid of
lanterns until a late hour. Yesterday morn
ing the search was resumed, and at 10 o'clock
Mr.. Thomas Harvey, discovered a foot
protruding from a straw-stack a hundred
yards northwest of Elijah Harris house, and
four hundred yards from Huffs, He dug
out the straw and found Miss Purviance in
baf
she could not stand She was taken to the
house where physicians made an examina-
ton and reported that the would-be ravish-
ers had not accomplished their purpose.
Stimulents were administered and in the af-
ternoon she was able to give partial account
ofherself Later your correspondent had
conversation with her and gained connect
ed report Her account is that when she
stepped around the corner of the
house. two men grabbed her, one chok
ing her to keep her from screaming,
and lifted her over the front fence; then tell
ing her if she screamed they would kill her,
they started toward the -school-house walk
ing through pond of water over the girls
shoes, but before reaching the house, they
turned to the right, went through Huffs
woods, then through Earl's corn-field, and
here she became unconscious, probably from
the drugs that were given her. One man
walked on each side of her and they were
both very rough in their treatment and
language, cursing at almost every step. They
asked a number of questions, among which
were these: whats your name?' the an
swer being given. Where does your brother
keep his money!" to which an unsatisfactory
answer was given; then, well, have you
got any money!" Take all have, but let
me alone" replied the poor girl. She de-
scribes the men and believes that she could
recognize them. One is short and heavy-set,
with sandy mustache, and is probably
thrty-fiye years old; the other is tall and
slender, with smooth face and is twenty
five or thirty years old. Both were we'll
dressed in dark clothes, with overcoats and
black hats, and both had their pants stuffed
in their boot-tops. After the girls story was
told, an examination was made of the
ground in the direction in which she
travelled, and her shoes fitted into the
tracks on the outside of the fence, through
the pond and toward the school
house The men were also tracked on either
side Of hers, and these showed that one of
them wore boot from which the iron heel
TAP had been removed. The only marks
upon the girl are those on her neck. where
she was choked She presented sorry spec
taele however-her eyes blood-shot her hair
dishe7eled and filled with burs and her ap-
pearance gave to those who saw her a slight
idea of tthe terrible ordeal through which
she had passed The evident intention of
the villains was to outrage her, and they
started for the school-house with the girl
with this purpose but Mr.. Huff and his
family got out too soon, and they
were forced to abandon that place
Running across the corn-feld, they heard
the bell ringing, warning to the neighbors
that help was needed, and, fearing detection
they administered drugs to the girl hustled
her over the fence and carried her to the
straw-stack, where they found a hole, eaten
out by the cattle, and into this they threw
her, taking care to cover her up. To-day
Miss Puryianee was sitting up, and on next
Monday she expects to resume her school
duties. She is twenty-four years old. ex-
tremely modest, and a general favorite with
her pupils and the neighbors. Every effort
is being made to capture the villains, and
should they be caught, they will 60 out at
the end of q rope.