The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-02-27
YOUNG GIRL ASSAULTED.
DISTRESSING OCCURRENCE ~ THE
UEST-EyD or THE CITY.
Pretty Bessie Pulling. Eleven Years Old. the
PitiabIe yictim-A Man the Criminsl-.De-
tails of the Sad Event The Police
Aroused,

Pitiable NiCtim-A Man the trlmlnai--be-
tails of the Sad Event The Police
Aroused.
Little Bessie the eleven year old daughter o.
Mr.. G. 4. ruling, OF No. 5 soith Morris street,
was the innocent victim Wednesday evening oil
ayillainous assault made by man within
stones throw OF her house.
The child was sent by her mother abou, $50
0 clock 20 carry her fathers supper as sne hsd
often done before, 10 the corner OF Laurel and
Main streets. whore ,he LETT il with the tran fer
man. who wss 10 send II by car 10 An'onts
store. ON seventh and Broad streets, where M.
Pulling is staying.
Bessie started for home ~ soon - she nad
delivered her basket. She WAS walking on
the south side OF NonIs street snd almost
opposite her home when man overlook hei'
seized her around lac waist with Que hanu'hI4S
with tho Other he closed h-r mouth.
The iittlc girl vainy struggled 20 free herself
Snd when Size attempted 20 cry iui as ist1h'e
the monster .cized her by the throat and threat
cued 60 hilIhcr II She did not keep quiet
DRAGGED AND CHoKED.
IN the meantime he had dragged her mo
Morton old flower garden. When ne thrtN Hfl
violently t. the ground and choked hcF uIl't
she VA partially in-enslbie. a.,
After Accomplishing lis d4stsrd.y act inc
fiend Wal he'd aWay-aud tire child soon feco t'l go
ufhci0uuv 20 gO home. distance OF about
stseUtF vc Yards.
Ma Pulling when notified Of the occurrence
a. once alarmed ,he neIgnnorhood ana sifeln-
oils efforts were made 10 cap'dfe the scouh"i go
but b. had IN the meantime succeeded III hl"A-
br George Ben Johnson. the family phys.-
cian. was sent for. but lie being absent trum
home Ir. Franklin was called ~. he ave-
found the little glri terribly nutlateN am Iti
nervous system greatly excited Ai'ef 'hp ac-
n.iulstratiOn of an Opiaie the chlid IeL hsIetp'
hut hai Ia sh fever al that night.
PRETTY And IsTELLIGESr
The girl was resting easy yesterday, but her
nc was somewhat srOll"0. caused by the cnof-
Ius from the hands OF her assaiiait Shs n
if-ft' child with long blonde. curly hair ana
!. ieye.. While she j. unusually bright Au1
intelligent for her age. she could not give yery
distinct description Of nor sssAilaHt.
She says that he has smooth lace, was aboH
FIVE feet six or seven inches high and wore
cloth cap. and she thinks he was negro. ohe
she V % be able 10 identify HIM when she sees
hiIn sgaiu.
The lot where the crime was committed is On
The east side Of Morris street. between Nam ami
Gay streets. and was formerly part OF Nor
HE locality is rather thickly populated and
about $50 feet from the Msin-sircct electric line
end the same distance from the line running out
Reservoir street. The attack Was bold one ana
exceeds ANYTHING o. the kind ever pefpetfatedlh
this community.
Mayor Elly son has taken deep interest in the
unfortunate affair, and has offered reward ~
500 for the capture of the assailsnt lie has d.
rected Captain Hulcc. Of the Third police sta
ton. 20 spare neither money nor efiort 10 luh
down the scoundrcl
THE PRowLER.
For some weeks past man has been lurking
around in the West-End and committing yariou,
indecent acts in the streets. The Times called
attention 10 him about month ago.
Ii Is more than probable that he Is the man
who committed the rape yesterday. Bessie Fnl-
ling Is not sure whether her assallant was white
or colored, but she thinks he was colored'
When the assault was committed II astoo dark
for her to tell actually what was his color.
POLICE SHOULD DE- yIGmAST.
The police should use every means available
tOcapturc the man. In Baltimore or New lorh,
or some other Northern city OF the SIZE the
whole force. as soon as an occurrence OF TINS
kind or even lesser importance happened Would
be notified and every man on duty throughout
the city put on the alert.
This does not seem 10 have been done in this
case. 4 lines reporter was IN the Ihlrd STA
tiOn-hOuse Wednesday night about 10 o'clock,
and nothing had been reported there about the
case then.
Between and o'clock The TINES received
an linking that the rape had been committed,
and the Third station-hOuse was again called
but no Information about the anar had been
CAPTAIN Hulce said Yesterday that two Of his
men we're working on the case the evening the
assault occurred. but that they did not report
10 headquarters until yesterday morning.
TALK WITH THE DOCTOR.
Dr. George Ben Johnson. who is attending the
little girl was seen last night by TIMES re-
porter He said that the child was very badly
injured; that she had been treated IN way
that would cause her 20 be confined 10 her bed
for some little time, but that ho thought she
would recover.
When representative Of The TINES called at
the residence Of Mr. Pulling late last night, lit
tie Bessie was resting easy and the physi-
clans had pronounced her, to be ont
of danger according TO the statement
Of her father. Mr. Pulling added
that there were no new developments in the case
for the present While there were several clews
II had been considered advisable not to do any
thing further until his little daughter had re-
gained her strength 10 some extent.
At the Third pohce-statlOn nothing now could
be learned last night; the sergeant at the desk
stated that three officers besides the captain
were endeayoring to work up the case.
but they were yet az a loss where 20
look for the rascal. He thought IT rather
difficult matter TO hunt him down.
because the little girl would hardly be able 10
recognize him. Three men had SO far been ar
rested under suspicion. They had been taken 70
No. south Morris street, but little Bessie failed
10 identify them, and consequently they had to