Los Angeles herald., 1891-05-14
HE NEEDS A ROPE.
A WOMAN'S WIT AND BRAVERY
OUTMATCHED A VILLAIN.
Mrs. Eichole of Boyle Heights Assaulted
by Reinault-She Manages to Escape
from the Scoundrel-Resoued by Mrs.
Collins Bravery.

A most dastardly outrage was COM
mitted yesterday afternoon in this city,
and bat for the prompt action OF a
brave woman the vile purpose of a
fiend would have been accomplished,
and in all probability the perpetrator OF
foul crime would have been yet at
large.
Sometime yesterday afternoon Mrs.
Eichole, who lives at the corner OF
Stevenson and Euclid avenues, in the
outskirts of Boyle Heights, was most
brutally assaulted in her own home.
She was busy as usual about her work
when man, Frenchman, named J.
Reinault, came to the house and asked
for a drink of water. When she brought
it for him he seized her by the throat
and threw her on the floor. She
screamed and fought, but he held her
mouth closed, and in the struggle her
face was badly scratched. He had
finally succeeded in overpowering her
and was about to accomplish his pur-
pose, when her woman wit came to the
victims rescue.
Ceasing her struggles and affecting to
have been conquered, the lady asked her
assailant to let her get up so they could
go into another room. He consented,
and she stepped to the door, as ii to see
if anyone was watching them. He held
her by the dress all the time, but all of
a sudden she broke away and made a
dash out through the yard and towards
the house of Mr. M. I. Collins, formerly
police commissioner. Mrs. Collins heard
her screams and saw the man chasing
after her, so she ran upstairs and got her
husbands revolver, reliable Smith &
Wesson SO, and stood by ready to render
such assistance as would be required.
Mrs. Eichole ran right into Mrs. Collins s
yard, and the latter stopped the man by
pointing the revolver at him, and prom
ising to kill him if he resisted,
or attempted to escape. The alarm was
given, but it was fully an hour before
assistance arrived in the person of officer
Gridley, who was notified by telephone
from the central station that there was
trouble of some kind out on Euclid hill
He hired an express wagon and drove
out to the scene, which is nearly in the
country. and when he got there Mrs.
Collins was still guarding her prisoner,
while Mrs. Eichole was trying to per-
suade her to give over the pistol, that
she might kill the miscreant. Gridley
took the fellow in charge and put the
irons on him, and landed him in Jail at
20 p. m. On the way to Jail Reinault
admitted to the officers that this was not
the first time he had been arrested for
attempted rape. Reinault, it will be
remembered, is the same man
who made such a fight against
Sheriff Martin Aguirre and posse,
who were trying to arrest
him on similar charge some two years
ago. During the seige Aguirre was shot
and slightly wounded, and it was only
after the house in which he had taken
refuge had been burnt down that Rein
ault was captured.
The very desperation of the man, as
evidenced by his past deeds, makes Mrs.
Collins heroic action the more COM
mendable.
Mrs. Eichole is very much Frustrated
from the effect OF her struggle, and it is
doubtful if she will be able to appear at
the arraignment of Reinault, which will
take place today in the police court.