The evening times., 1895-10-29

The staid old city of alexandria and
the surrounding country has not been so
worked up and excited for a long time as
it is to-day over the attempted assault of
little Sadie Sherrier by Albert Hawkins,
q buriy negro boy about eighteen years
old, four miles from the city on the Falls
Church road, last night. as stated in The
Morning Times.
Small groups of Indignant citizens to-day y
thronged the corridors and halls of the old
county court building and discussed the
| occurrence. Whenever anoutsider ventures
within hearing distance all conversation
| ceases, and a look OF Indignation is given
| the intruder for breaking up the discussion.
Many of the people OF Alexandria knew
| nothing of the occurrence until they read II
| In The Morning Times. This started the
people, aud pretty nearly every man. wo-
| man and child is talking of the dastardly
| attempt.
The consensus of opinion is that the negro
should be lynched.
1t is almost certain that some attempt
will be made Tonight to deal out summary
justice to the ravtsher.
LYNCHING TALK STRONG.
No one will say that the negro will be
Iynched, OF that it has even been considered,
but if Indications count for anything there
will be an attempt made To get at him to-
night.
The turnkcys of the Jail believe that to
be true, and have bean drilled in sound
ing the alarm for the militia.
Ii the inha bitants hear twcnty-one taps
on tue town bell they may know that the
citizens of the county have decided to
avcnge the attempted assault OF the dau2h-
ter OF a fellow citizen.
The most conservative men in the town
are highly incensed and there is much in
cendiIry talk.
Languishing in the 'murderer's cell OF
the old white washed brick structure that
is designated as the county Jail is the
object of the wrath of the citizens, Albert
Hawkins. At every sound he starts and
cricSout In fear He is completely overc IAe
by the position, yet he does not seem TO real
ize the Nervousness OF his offense.
Whenever the door of the corridor leading
to his cell Is opened he cries out:
hurt the girl much"
He seems to think that If he can be kept
'Don't let them hang me. I didn't
out of the mob's hands for u time be
will not be punished.
He was visited in his cell to-day by
Times reporter, who had with him a
camera. At the sight of the box the negro
tremb!ed with fright He did not know what
IL WIS anu WAS dlTilu Dt NpuNl ne
in some way
The boy is a repuIsive-Ionking fellow.
He claims lie is only fifteen years old, but
he looks to be fully twenty. He is about
five feet TX inches tail and wore the most
ragged OF clothes. AS he was born and
raised in Washington he has much OF the
cunning of the street, but otherwise his
Intelligence appears TO be OF very low
order
T,,r r.;e
eral times, and while telling IL kept his
eyes riyeied on the floor.
HIS STORY OF THE CRIME.
When asked about tue occurrence he
said:
Il was born at No. 2O1O H street north
west, in Washington. and only left there
about three months ago. i was living at
Hollis Hill with my mother and uncle.
My father has been dead about four
months"
How did he die?" was asked.
He was shot in Bristol, Tenn, while
running away out of Jail. / went down
TO Mr.. Charles Miners to help him cut
" ood. / went there about q o'clock and
never left until about 8 O'Clock. / was
saving wood all the time and Mr.. Miller
was with me until left. ! don't know
anything about the assault case"
He also said that the children did not
use Inc Tpau ON WHICH tHe dSSdult 10 dl-
legged 10 have taken place.
Ihis is denied by the people who live
In the neighborhoo who claim that
the children use it all the time.
When he was asked why he ran away
when the children came up he denied that
he ran. saying that he did not do anything
to run for.
The negro admits having been arrested
two or three times in Washington, but says
haf ale fnr
standing in crowds. He says Policemen
Russell and Lee. of the Third precinct. know
him well. and that they know he never
did anything very wrong.
People who were at the trial yester-
day evening say that the report that armed
bands of negroes were trying To prevent
the IyDching of the boy is slightly cxag-
gerated. They say that the negroes were
all against the boy and denounced him
roundiy.
The fact that the boy was not lynched
Is due to the strategy displayed by r. L.
Massey, the special officer, who, when
he saw that the crowd meant to hang his
prisoner, slipped out the back door of the .
house and spirited the boy to the Alex
aDdria Jail.
WHERE IT OCCURRED.
The assault took place yesterday afternoon
about O'Clock on the road from Cearn's
school house, near Halls Hill and about
four miles from this city.
Little Sadie herrier was returning from
school when the boy, who had CONCEALED,
himself in a small clump of scrub pines.
sprang out, and asked her what she had
in her basket.
She told him nothing, and he then became
enraged and attempted to assault her. He
threw her to the ground and tore her cloth
ing and badly bruised her.
She screamed and the two Russell chill
dren came up. This frightened the negro
and he then ran away. They helped Sadie
to the house. and John Commelly, a reIa-
tive of the child's, started out to hunt the
villain down.
About o'clock the miscreant was found
and taken to the house of the Sherriers
AT the sight of the negro the child threw
up her tiny little hands and screamed:
Don't let him get me. He's the man that
did 1t. Oh, don't let him come in."
He was then taken to the home of Justice
of the Peace Payne. There he was tried on
two charges. assault, and assault with GRIM
inal intent, and he was remanded to Jail
for the action of the grand jury.
The grand jury will take up the case to-
morning. 1t would have been con-
sidered to-day but for the fact that they
wanted to finish up the justice of the peace
cases then in hand. The following wit
nesses have been summoned to appear:
Charles Miller, the two Russell children,
Sadie Sherrier and William H Payne.
Clerks Must Stand the Whistle
Complaint was recently made to the |