Evening star., 1885-07-22
ATTEMPTEDsOUTRA IN VIRGINIA
Assault on q Girl OF Fifteen by a White
Wan Near Nitchell's Stat.On-The Mis-.
creant Narrowly Escapes LynchinS.

Special Correspondence of The EVENING STAR
CULPErER, VA, July %, 1SS5.-The Gull
perer jail last nfsht and this morning presented
the unusual spectacle OF a military guard sur
rounding it. The occasion was the apprehen-
sion that Tucker Harris, imprisoned here yes
terday charge of rape, would be taken from
jail and lynched. The company which com.
poses the guard is the "Cuipeper Minute Men,"
The facts of the case are these: Yesterday
morning the ffteen-year-old daughter of Mr..
Frank Berry, residing one mile west of Mitch
ell s station, went TO the cOwpel, in company
with another young girl, TO milk the cows.
Reaching the place. they were set upon by Har-
apparent. Miss Rerry's companions escaped,
and ran screaming towards the house. Harris
seized Miss Berry and checked her until
the blood ran FROM her mouth and
nose. But before he could fully accom-
plish his purpose the alarm had been given,
and help approaching he became fright
ened and made of. Miss Ferry was badly hurt
about the neck aud head.
Harris, the asSailant. is about thirty years of
ago and IA brutish-lookiLs fellow, aud does not
seem to be possessed of mucn intellect He has
for years been leading q trampish sort of life.
Two years ago he was in Pennsylvania, and got
into prison there. He claims that he was uuder
the influence of whisky when he assaulted the
girl.
in less than three hours after the occurrence
men were securing the country in every direc-
men left this town on horseback before noon.
George Hume, a constable for another town.
ship happened to be lin in the neghborhood Of
for him. About IL O'Clock about a
mile from the station, he met Harris.
Hume had no arms except an old empty re-
volver, SO he engaged Harris in conversation,
and proposed that they should go to the station
and get drink, to which The latter acceded.
After going a short distance they met another
man v no was looking for Harris, and attempted
to find out privately from Hume whether he
had captured the right man. Harris be-
aWas, sS Sap''au pnt Hume en drew his revolver yer
and rpnIng S ater the fugitive brought him to
to MitchelPs, where there were already indica-
tions of the gathering of a lynching party.
his prisoner there until the train for Culpeper
(which passes Mitchells at a quarter to sfx),
boarded the two o'clock mail and went with
point he took the six o'clock return train to
Culpeper. BY the time this train had reached
Mitch Mtchell,s AN angry crowd had assembled
boarded the train and searched every car.
But the latter had taken the pre-
and the crowd failed to discover them. Ar
rived at Culpeper Harrit was safely lodged In
Jail.
AS soon as 1t was discovered that Harris was
in town n plan to lynch him was set on foot.
steps to get ont the Culpeper Minute Men, who
were posted as guard at the jail, as above In
But for Hume's shrewdness the prisoner
would certainly have been lynched at Mitch
ellis. There is yet a great desire to lynch him
and fears OF trouble are still entertained.
HARRIS TAKEN TO ALEXANDRIA.
LATER.-Since the above was written an ef.
fort has been made by the court to impannel
a grand jury today but this was found i'm.
practical, and it was determined to send the
prisoner to Alexandra for safe-keeping. He
was accordingly taken to the depot guarded by
the whole company and carried away on the
Ills train.