Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-03-26
DOvER'S DISORDERLY NEGROES.
Desperate Attempts to Assault
White Women on the Streets.


Special Correspondence Gazette and journal
DOVER, March 23.-The citizens of Dover
are highly excited over three attempts OF
negroes to criminally assault respectable
ladies. Saturday night, between II and IL
o'clock, in different parts of the town,
A festival was being held on State street,
many of the visitors being ladies and chill
dren, who remained until it closed shortly
after II o'clock and then proceeded home.
Among the number was Mrs I. +. Cook,
wife of the superintendent of the water
works, who was accompanied by little
girl. Shortly after leaving the festival she
noticed a negro following but Thought
nothing of ii at the time and continuing
her course out King street. When passing
the residence and grounds of George Y.
Massey the negro got on the grass and pc
gan to run after them. He caught Mrs.
Cook around the waist when within few
wards of her home. She fought him and
struggled all the time screaming at the top
of her voice. She was finally throw to the
ground, when Mr.. Cook, who had been
awakened by the screams, arrived we'll
armed. The negro escaped.
About the same time two young ladies'
on their way home were met on Bradford
street by n burly negro, who caught one
of them by the coat as he passed ana
stopped. The young ladies were suspi-
ciols and crossed the street, when the
negro ran after them and caught one as
She was ascending the porch at the resi-.
dence Of John u. Burton They screamed
murder and fought him with all their
might until several men arrived and scared
| the negro oil.
In two other instances women who were
unaccompanied were followed and act
ually chased. A negro also made an effort
to break into the residence OF an old lady
| on North street. When she opened the
| shutter to see what was the matter he
struck at her.
| A great deal Of excitement exists and
| knots of citizens were seen all along the
streets last evening excitedly discussing the
| ontragcs. Mayor Reedy has ordered the
arrest of every suspicious negro and Will
offer liberal reward this morning for the
arrest Of the guilty persons. The police
arrested two Golorcd men ON suspicion last
night, Moses Rias and Charles Thomas.
| Both answered the description given by
| the ladies attacked. More arrests will be
| made to-day. The streets were entirely
abandoned by the negroes last night.
Moses Ras, one Of the men arrested last
night, was seen around the door at the
room where the festival was held several
times during the evening. He answers the
| description exactly.
About II o'clock Saturday night Officers
Mulbourne and Kinnamun went to the
\ negro school-house where, what the col
/
| mcnt is held on an average OF three nights
| in Il week and every saturday night and
generally winds up with q 'iree-for-all
| fight" The officers arrived when a general
| fight was going on and captured James
Williams and Harry Handy and started
! toward the Jail with their prisoners, At the
| corner of Queen and Lodckcrman streets
they were attacked by u gang Of negroes,
armed with clubs and bricks, but the off.
GERS lcveled their rcvolvers at the gang and
they fled. The citizens will now demand
that these meetings at the school-honse be
broken up by the town authorities. Dover
has a number of dcns where the negroes
meet, play card and fight that should be
broken mp and they probably will be now
DOVER, March 23.-The four negroes,
Nose Rias, Charles Thomas, Asbury
Miller and Edward Roberts, who We're
arrested on suspicion Of being the par
ties who attempted to criminally assault
several ladies Saturday night, were
given hearing before Esquire Jester
this morning. The ladies Who were as
Saulted were unable to recognize any Of
the men arrested and they were there
fore discharged.
The police are still on the looloutand
will endeayor to capture the guilty per
sons.
DOVER March A.--It is the general i'm
preston here now that the police have
succeeded in capturing The black brute who
attempted to criminally assault Mrs. I. +.
Cook and two other young ladies' The
affair has caused considerable comment
and the citizens will demand better protec
ton hereafter -Four negroes, Nose Rias,
Charles Thomas, Ashury Miller and Ed
Burton We're given hearing before squire
Jester Yesterday morning rs soon as Mrs.
Cook saw them she said without hcsitating
that the man was moi there They were
discharged and more definite description
of the assailant given.
About o'clock in the afternoon Officer
Milbolirne captured William Collins and
marched him to the home of Mrs. Cook,
she asked the negro to stand up and walk
across the room which he did. She then
said without Il doubt that he was the man
and had on the same clothes and rubber
shoes that the person who attacked her
saturday night Wore with the exception
Of the cap.
Rcbecca Jones' the young girl who nc.
eompaniel Mrs. Cook on Saturday night
was sent for. She told the officer that he
surely was the man for ii was very light al
the time and she could plainly see him
Collins was taken to Jail and will be given
hearing this morning He claims ht
|
went to his home and asked his wife to get
her husbands hat. She produced q light
colored one and then Il black slouch, and
said her husband was not home at II
O'Clock but she did not remember the
exact time She said he was very bad
man and compared him to a dog
Collins was seen near the boarding house
OF Mrs. NJ l.. Norris about II o'clock and
this is very near the place where the two
Young ladies' were attacked Collins is
known to have acted very sllspicinuslv in
two instances. The full extent Of the pen.
atty for an attempt to feoniousy assault
any female is $500 tine, one hour in the
pillory, 80 lashes and 10 years imprison.
ment.
COLLINS SENT TO JAIL.
Dover, March 2i,-William Collins, the
negro who was arrested on suspicion of at.
tempting to commit Il criminal assault on
Mrs, T. Il. Cook, was positively identified
by Mrs, Cook and Rehccca Jones, and also
answered the description given by the
two young ladies He was held in 81 ,OOt
bail in one case and $500 in the other. In
default he was remanded to jail to await
the coming term OF court.
-----d1-----
Narrow Escape of a MiddIetown Man.
Timothy Herbert of Middletown, had
a narrow escape from instant death neal
the p, w. 4 b. station, in this city
about $50 O'Clock, Saturday evening
Herbert was intoxicated and attempted
to cross the railroad in front of shift
, ing engine. He was struck squarely or
the head, large pieces of flesh being tori
from his lace and head. 1t is feared