Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-07-15

washington, ID. c., July IA great
sensation was caused here yesterday by
the indictment on the charge of felo-
nious assault and house breaking of
Benjamin c. Milliken, of Memphis, who
is private secretary of Senator Harris,
of Tennessee. The story beneath the
indictment is a curious one. 1t is al
legged that he broke into the house of
eX-Solicitor General Samuel F. Phillips,
of North Carolina, and made a brutal
assault upon his daughter, Miss Ger
trude Phillips. Miss Phillips is one of
the many beautiful and accomplished
girls in Washington. She has been a
belle Of no small magnitude, and for the
past seasons one OF the most popular
favorites in Washington society.
Among her
RECENT ADMIRERS
was Milliken. His calls upon Miss Phil
lips, until quite recently, were frequent
The friends of the young lady did not
approve of Milliken, and she was ad-
viSed not to receive further attention
from him. A few weeks ago, however,
it is said, Miss Phillips was alone at
home. Milliken called, and hence the
indictment. The particulars Of the al
legged outrage are known only by Miss
Phillips and the man who now stands
indicted. The indictment has been treat
ed in very curious way. The witnesses
subpoenaed before the grand jury were
all requested to keep the matter quiet,
and very effort has been made to keep
the affair as great a secret as possible
All of the parties involved in the affair
are Of the highest prominence.
Mr.. Phillips originally came from
North Carolina, and his daughters
beauty is striking.
THE ALARM GIVEN.
"The affair occurred on the night Of
July 4th," said Judge Phillips, when
seen this afternoon. Il was passing the
evening with my wife and two daugh-
ters, Nora and Gertrude We sat down
stairs in our library until 1880 o'clock,
when my wife, being fatigued, remarked
that she was going to bed. She went up
- d.
MED her. Gertrude remained down stairs
with me. About a quarter of y o'clock
we both went up stairs together. l un-
dressed and went to bed. | had hardly
fallen asleep when l heard my daugh-
ter, Nora, call out to me. She said:
Father, father, come up here
quickr
In my underclothes | rushed up
stairs. my daughters rooms being on
the floor above My daughter Gertrude
was standing in her sisters closet,
weeping and apparently in great agony.
She said to me in an agonized way:
On, father, there is a man in that
roomr
POLICEMEN ARRIVE.
"The rooms of my daughters Nora
and Gertrude communicate. There was
no light in Gertrudes room. | started
to so in. Both of my daughters pleaded
with me not TO do so, fearing l might be
shot. | tried TO reason them out OF the
idea that there was a man there, but
they would not be reasoned with and
they locked the door. Finally l deter
mined that l would ascertain whether
anybody was in the room or not.
started in fully realizing the danger of
going in a dark room where there might
be an armed assassin Frederick Nc
Kinney ran up stairs with a loaded pis-
tol Two policemen, alarmed at the
cries of murder and police Of my
wife and daughters, arrived on the
scene. The man ran out of a side door
down stairs before any Of us could reach
him. In the dim light as he passed l
recognized the face of Milliken.
MILLIKEN ARRESTED.
"The policemen and Mr.. Mckinney
followed with drawn pistols. He threw
up his hands when he saw their weap-
ons, and he was arrested and taken to
the Second precinct station. After l
had an opportunity to find out about
the matter, | learned that my daughter
Gertrude was suddenly awakened short
ly after she had retired by the smell oe
chloroform or possibly some noise. She
says she opened her eyes suddenly and
saw a man standing over her with a
handkerchief which he was passing
over her face. She dashed his hand
aside and did not know anything more
Milliken is a man about thirty years
old. He has frequently visited our
house and my daughters. I always re-
garded him as a gentleman until this
affair. The man must have been crazy.
I do not know what is meant by felon-
ious assault, which is stated in the in
dictment. It is a curioues charge.
There was no assault, so far as l knoWt
The man had not the opportunity. My
daughter is still in state Of nervous
prostration. She has not recovered
from the shock. In many countries
this man would be lynched.
PARKERSBURG CITY ELECTION.
Special to the Register.
Parkershnrg. w. Va. July LA