The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-15
FATHERS
Refuses to Prosecute the Man Who Grim
lnally Assaulted His Daughter.
A Retired Banker, of Rossville, ILL.,, Who Is
Being Denounced on All Hands as q Mon
ster-Resolutions Adopted by Women.

DANvILLE, ILL.,, Dec. 14.-The little town
of RossvIlle is in commissions over an ex-
tra%ordinary affair. George Ruth. q roust-
about In the employ of w. }. Henderson. q
wealthy citlzen of Rossville. committed q
most brutal assault upon Nellie, the beau
tiful eighteen-year-oId daughter of Hen
derson. The girl nearly died from fright
and injury and Immediately gave the
alarm. For some unexplained reason the
father tried to dissuade Nellie from telling
the facts. and Ruth was not arrested until
forty-eight hours after the commission of
the crime. The trial of Ruth. to the sur
prise of every one, resulted IN acquittal.
Public indignation has grown and q mass
meeting of the citizens of Rossville was
held last night, in which strong resolutions
were adopted. Henderson 10 dencunced as an
unnatural father. q monster who refused
to prosecute the ravisher of his daughter.
Ii Is told of him in these resolutions that
on one occasion he drove his daughters
home from q party with q horsewhip. The
resolutions declare Nellie to have been q
modest, pure girl, and view with alarm the
return of Ruth to the community.
The unfortunate girl sits at the home of
her sister in Rossville weeping. and refuses
TO go home. 1t is believed that Ruth has
some hold on Henderson. which prevents
him from prosecuting. Ruth remarked
that If he went TO the penitentiary Hender-
son would go also. Nellie testified at the
trial that Ruth said: "Your father gave
me permission to do this" The whole
community Is angered and violence is
feared.
This afternoon sixty-fve of the leading
women of Rossville held q meeting. with
closed doors, at the Presbyterian Church.
They unanimously adopted a long series Of
resolutions. expressing entire In
Miss Nellie Henderson and denOunclng her
father, w. j. Henderson. In the strongest
terms that words will express. The ladies
charged that the father of Miss Hender-
son stated to the defendant in the presence
of witnesses thathe would go on defendants
uail bond. This. we believe, he was de-
tered from doing by fear of public senti-
ment. We believe that the father, by his
conduct in this case and In his previous
treatment of his children. has shown him.
eelf to be devoid of all those feelings of
parental interest in and solicitnde for his
offspring which are characteristic not only
of human beings, but of brutes." The res
olutlons then say:
Resolved, That for q monster who will refuse
TO prosecute the man whom his daughter charges
as her ravisher We have the utmost ~loathing and
adherence.
Resolved, That of the innocence and purity of
the victim of his outrageous crime we have not
the shadow of doubt. and We extend to her the
assurance of our undimlnlshed respect for her
and our appreciation of her honest character.
Mr.. w. j. Henderson Is o retired banker.
and one of the wealthiest men in Vermll-
lion county. About q year ago Ruth saved
his life by extricating him from under
his horse, which he was riding. and which
had fallen down on top of him.. He Is q
very peculiar man. of few words. and walks
through the streets of Rossvllle. attending
to his customary business. paying no atten-
ton to the averted and hostile faces of his
nelghbors. The bombardment of resolu.
tions apparently has had no effect what
ever on him.. A lifelong acquaintance says
that Henderson would not give a dollar If
the resolutions had never been passed. Since
the trial Miss Nellie has been staying at
the house OF q married sister. To-day her
father demanded that she return home.
treatment.
A Burly Negroes Crime.
BOWLING GREEN. KY. Dec. 14.-This
morning, about II O'Clock. while nobody
was at home but Mrs. Anderson and her
seventeen-year-old daughter Kate. q burly
negro entered the house. and finding Miss
Anderson alone in her room, seized
her with the intention of as
saulting her. The girl screamed
and the brute drew ont q knife and at
tempted to Ont her throat, making Q cash
several inches long. Mrs. Anderson, who
was In 0nOtner rOOfn, nearu the screaming
AVID ran to her daughters assistance. but
the negro knocked her down with q large
stick he carried. jumped out of the room
and escaped. Tho alarm was soon gwen
and in a short time two hundred mon
on horseback and on foot were securing
the city and adjacent country. Four
negroes have been arrested and there is n
growing suspicion among the popnlace that
one of the four negroes in custody is the
guilty one, and that the police know it. but
1ili NOT aov m Thera vii, he no fynehfnO
tonight because the citizens do not know
whom tn hang.