Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-02-17

MISS ALDRIDGE TELLS HOW 1T FEELS To BE
BLINpFoLpED. CHoKED WITH MUD AND A
CoRN-CoB AND HANGED To A TREE
special TO the New York World from Wind
SCR, ILL.,, February 15, says: Miss Georgia Aid
ridge, the victim of an atrocious assault at the
hands of an unknown ruffian who attempted 10
take her life by twice hanging her, is consider
ably worse to-day and fears are now enter
tanned that she will not recover. 1t is thought
she was assaulted by some enemy OF her father
DIR. Aldridge. Her statement OF the outrage
obtained last evening as soon as she had recoy,
ered sufhcientiy tn tell ii, is as follows:
Il had been sitting alone reading and sewing
In my room all the evening up To about $50
O'Clock, when heard an unusual noise In the
Kitchen. was frightened, but tried to calm
myself with the thought that il was the cat In
a lew minutes the noise ceased, but there SEEM
ed 10 be disturbance in the barn. Thinking
that the cow had got into the corn crib / sum
moned courage enough TO start out to the barn
to put matters right. l had only reached the
door when a man stepped up behind me, threw
a shawl over my head and threw me TO the
ground. l cried for help, but he thrust mud
INTO my mourn. Not being able to stifie my
my throat aud bound it to its place with INV
veil, which had thrown over my head. Occi-
sionufly he would speak to me in language L
dare not repeat, but ali the time ne spoke In a
whisper, SO that could not possibly recognize
his voice
II did not see his face. and only have an idea
OF bis size. He was a big man. He then
bound my hands and tied the heavy bricks To
lneHn Up 10 lulS tlfne was CONSCIOUS, but un-
able TO make an alarm because of the gag. and
so badly scared as TO be unable to successfully
resist the fiends powerful arms. He had been
drinking, Tor / could smell whisky ON his
breath / seem to remem Der that while / was
hanging To the tree he was in the house doing
something's don't know what The string
broke, and fell to the ground on the pile of
bricks beneath the tree. He came back and
hung me up for the second time. How long
was suspended don't know. can remem Ger
my brother coming whistling along by the tree
and his cutting me down. L think that the
man must nave run away when lac heard the
whistIins. could not speak. 1t seems all
like horrible dream to me now. Thank God
the worst is all over now, and that the villain
failed in his purposes"
The young lady Still. suffers great bodily pain.
There seems to have been "A blow upon the head
and when she fell she received some ugIy
bruises. She also has pain in her chest. There
have been no arrests made as yet. The letter
which the brute wrote aud left on the room
floor may prove an important clue. Ii is now
in the hands OF experts who believe they can
identify the writer. The town and county
authorities will tomorrow offer a suitable
reward. The governor will also be requested to
otter a reward.
A spgularly unfortunate incident follows the
outrage. The wife of a near neghbor heard
Miss Aldridge's cry of distress Friday night
She was frightened SO badly that she swooned
away and has been out of her mind most of the
time since. Her condition is considered critical.