Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-02-27
ASSAULT ON A CHILD.
YOUNG BESSIE DOROTHY PULLING
THE VICTIM or A HElNOUS CRIME.
Approached onahe street and Dragged TO
Vacant LOt-IIer Assailsut un-
Enovn-Her Condition Critical.

Bessie Dorothy Pulling. aged eleven
years, lies seriously i'll at the home OF her
father. Mr.. G. A. Pulling. No. south Nor
rs street, the victim Of fendish deea
committed Wednesday evening by some
unknown person.
The little girl, who is unusually bright
and intelligent, left the house about 6:5o
o'clock to take her fathers supper to the
corner Of Reservoir and Main Streets
where she left il with the transfer-nan to
be sent on an electric car TO Anton
BrOad-street store, where MIR. Pulllng is
employed.
III was when returning home and nearly
opposite her fathers house that she was
approached by man, who, it IS charged
slapped his hand over her mouth TO pre-
vent her from attracting attention Icy cry
ing out, seized her around the waist, ana
dragged her into MortOn's old hoWer-gar-
den.
According TO the little girls statement
her assailant appeared TO be negro ana
wore a cap and light coat. He told he1
that if she attempted TO cry out ne WouIu
kill her and grabbed her by the throat
Bessie, although greatly terrified, made
strenuous efforts to escape, but IN Nu'n,
for the superior strength of the man INTO
whose cruel hands she had fallen made ner
attempts utterly unAyaIling, and she was
thrown violently to the ground ana
choked almost into insensibillty.
FRIGHTENED ALMOST TO DEATH.
After the man had committed the das;;
tardly deed he walked leisurely on, ana
the terrified child ran to her home, Whlch
was only q few wards distant, and told her
pitiful story. She was frightened almost
TO death, and her eyes protruded from
their sockets. while her face was Dauiy
bruised and scratched from the villain
clutches.
When the little girl reached home and
narrated the occurrence there were no
men in the house, and Mrs. Pulling ana
the other ladies living there were greatly
horrifed. The neighbOrhOod was soon
alarmed and efforts made 20 catch the man.
but he had disappeared. -,
DR.. George Ben. johnson, the family
physician. was sent for, but not being AT
home DR. Franklin was summoned. nc
little one was found TO be suffering greatly
from nervous prostTatiOn and trght, but
after an opiate was administered she soon
fell asleep. Throughout the night, now
ever, ahe had a high fever.
sTEIous But NOT CRITICAL,
Yesterday morning the child was some
what improved, but later III the day she
grew worse, and in the evening was suher-
ING greatly and her condition was con-
sidered serious though not critical.
Bessie is very pretty chlld with curly
blonde hair and hazel eyes. She expresses
the belief that her assallant is negro ana
Fays that he appeared TO be about five feet
seven inches high and has q smooth lace.
Although she had never seen HIM before
she believes that she could identity HIM IL
brought before her.
The place where the assault was COM
mitted is ON the east side Of Morris street
i'm vacant lot which was formerly q por-
tion Of Morton's flower garden, and the To-
caIitv Is ve-y thickly settled. There IS an
electric-light on the corner OF Main ana
Morris streets. which makes the audacity
of the tiend all the more remarkable.
Burwell Smith and Robert Freeman, two
negro shoem4kers who live IN the neigh
borhood a few PAGES from the Ghild 5
home, saw the man and the child, but
from the casual glances which they first
gave the couple did not suspect that Il
horrible crime was about 10 be perpe-
trated.
WHAT EYB-wITNEssES SAY.
To q D;sp1tch reporter yesterday they
said that thev were sitting in their shop
and heard the voice of man and that OF
a woman-or what they supposed was, a
woman. The child's voice seemed TO be
smothered, as if mans hand was placed
over her mouth, and they could not dis
tinguish her words.
smith thinks he also heard the man say
he would kill her If she said anything
He, however, did not even then suspect
anything wrong. and thought probably
some children were playing and that this
remark was made in jest.
60
wards he saw the man and girl on the OppC-
site side of the street, but heard no outcry
ON the part Of the girl. The entered the
lot, and several persons afterwards passed
by them or within short distance OF
them.
Neither Of the colored men who wit
messed this scene could tell how the girls
assailant looked or whether he was white or
colored, although Smith said TO the report
or that from the mans voice he inferred
he was white. The man upon leaving the
lot walked leis1lrey OFF as If he had been
coming from work.
THE POLICE AT WORK.
On the night the assault was made the
police were notified, but it was then too
late TO follow up the clues with any sue
cess. although they hunted carefully Tor
the man.
Early Yesterday morning Captain Hulce
visited the little girl and questioned her IN
regard to her assailant. Later in the day
he also saw her again, but she was then
too nervous TO give any definite informa-
tiOn. Her descriptions Of the man were
not sufficiently accurate 10 furnish much
groundwork for basis of investigation,
but the officers are now actively at work,
using all possible cndeayOrs TO ind the
perpetratOr of the crime.
THREE ARRESTS MADE.
A constant lookout has been kept for the
man, and three negroes were arrested on
suspicion Yesterday. On being taken be-
fore the girl, however, she failed 10 identi-
fy them and they were discharged.
1t is probable that more arrests will be
made shortly, and at a late hour last night
the police were of the opinion that they
had a clue which would probably lead TO
the arrest of the guilty man.
BoBED IN MYSTERY.
Captain Hulce said last night that he
considered the case a very mysterious one,
as ne could not imagine how any one
would have had the boldness to commit
such deed at the hour and place where
the crime occurred. He, however, eX-
pressed his determination to leave no stone
unturned to find the guilty person, al
though he feared that he might have left
the city.
The assault was the subject of much talk
yesterday, and great indignation prevails.
Mayor Ellyson offers a reward of $500 tor
any information that will lead to the arrest
and conviction of the perpetrator of the
crime, and MIR. w. II. Beveridge suggests
that subscription be raised as reward
for the capture and conviction of the
scoundrel. He says he will cheerfully head
the list with SO.