Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-05-24
sALACIOUs SMITH.
A Rfver Ksh's Attempt 10 Dscsy Three
Little Girls t1kO an Old Stable
ON Poplar street..

Between g and o'clock Tuesday evening,
PATROL an William Conway was approached
by two little girls, who informed him that =
n an, whom they pointed out, had nkde use
Of vulgar language to them, and had been
guilty Of other Obscene and outrageous con-
duct. The eldest, Della Hsddock, = little
barefoot child not more than nine years of
sgs, complai1ed that he had attempted to
entic. her into al old stable on Poplar street,
near Fourth, and had offered her = dollar to
accompany him. The little girl wspt
piteously when telling her story to the officer,
and before be succeeded in catching
HER FULL MEANING
the scoundrel was nearly 4 block away. Con-
way gave chase at once, and the fugitive
ran at breakneck speed down Poplar TO the
market, turned toward the bayou out of
sight OF the officer, and succeeded in hiding
himself somewhere about the bridge. Con-
way was fnslly obliged to give up the chase,
but gave the locality good deal Of atten-
tion yesterday morning. Shortly after II
O'Clock another complaint was made by
TWO OTHER CHILDREN,
substantially the same as that of the day
before, though it perhaps showed greater
degree OF degradation, il possible. The
scoundrel had great deal TO say about their
appearance, conelimenling one of them, in
his snaky way, o. the beauty and grace Of
her form. One of these giris, Mamie Day,
is perhaps fourteen years old, out perfect
child in manner and appearance. The other,
whose name is Maggie Watson, cannot be
more than eight or ten years Of sge. Con-
way saw q man whom he recognized as the
same he had chased the day previous, stand
ing near the Bethel building, corner ef
Adams street and Char lesten avenue, about
half an hour after this was related and
WATCHED HIN
enter Mrs. Skipvith's house, near by. De-
termined not 10 loee him this time, he sta
toned friend where he could watch The
front door, anu entered the house from the
rear. He captured his man with very little
trouble, and took him to the ststion-
house. President Hadden Was sum noned at
ones to try the case, as two OF the children
were about to leave on boat. All of them
wer. summoned as witnesses, and gave their
stateuaeuts ia q plsir, straightforward way
| that left nc doubt as TO the identity of the
prisoner. They Wers all unusually bright
| little girls, though poor and lily clad. They
we're serious, too,
DURING THE TRIAL,
except the smallest who Uttered once during
the statement Of little Della Digg, who al
you laughing about2" The prisoner wss
finally called upon 10 make his atstement
| He gave bis name ~ Lyman Smith, and said
he was employed by the steward of The Ids
Dsrrsgh; that he was married msn, and
| lived in Cincinnati. He lived in Memphis
in 1873, when he had yellOw.fevsr, but he
has not Waited the city since until five weeks
ago.
| BE DENIED THE CHARaE,
to use his own language, with an open hear
and frank face" but WAS interrupted by
one of the little girls at this point with the
emphatic remark, "You are the very man.
Smith went on TO say he vas we'll known il
| Memphis and could prove his character. IA
did not offer to prove, however, that he hsC
not been on Poplrr street at the hour
named, though he stated as much. judge
Haddeu asked him if he didn't think HI
could fiad Z more congsnial atmosphere III
about Cincinnati than on thsse bluffs, and h'
answered he believed he could. The usda
penalty in snch cases was held up until BIT
could leave, Judge MADDEN deciding tina
the atmosphere of Memphis prisons Wal
| pollutsd enough already.