Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-05
Mr.. Hardesty Defended His Daugh-
ter and Secured the Man.
HIS RIFF lie N MISSE D FIRE
The Intruder a Burglar or Some.
thing Worse.
HELD FOR THE GRAND JURY

family has not had deterrent effect on all
the brutes in this section of the country,
for this morning about o'clock a negro
entered the house of Mr.. Thomas N Har-
desty, on the Bunker Hill road, about one
mile from Brookland, and had he not been
detected SO early he would, in all proba
bility, have repeated the horrible crime for
which Irving Ford is TO pay the ex-
treme penalty. Frederick Davis is the
name given by the colored man who is
under arrest for the offense, and his iden-
ufcation is complete although he makes
strong denial of the charge. Mr.. Hardesty's
home is on the road mentioned, near the
place where the little Fisher children We're
He keeps cigar store there, in addition to
conducting lunch stand in the Eastern
Market. Mrs. Hardesty and her daughter,
Miss Mary, have charge of the market bust
ness, while the husband, who has but one
arm, cares for the store.
Twelve years ago his place was entered
by colored man, whom he captured and
this man was given a long term in the
penitentiary. This particular Colored man
lived only short time after his release
from prison. On that occasion the one
armed man was commended for his bravery.
but his conduct this morning was even
more daring than on the former occasion,
ana the fact that there was not a police
man within hearing of the distress call
blown was not sufficient reason for the es-
cape OF the alleged tiend.
Defended His Daughter.
Mr.. Hardesty and his wife were occupy
ing a room the lower floor, where their
young son also slept, while Miss Hardesty
was sleeping alone the second floor. 1t
was about o'clock this morning when the
exciting incident started, and the first chap
ter of the affair lasted only few minutes.
r1.I
Miss Hardesty, in tone loud enough to
arouse her parents. The man, whom she
saw, was colored, and as she awoke he eX-
tnguiSked the light in the room He had
in all probability just entered and had not
had time to commit another crime more
serious than entering the home of the Har-
destys before the father ascended the steps
ana rushed into the room to protect his
daughter from an assault on the part of the
intruder.
Mr.. Hardesty also saw the man and recog-
niZed him, and, doing all he could with one
hand, he grabbed big lamp from the table
and smashed it over the co!ored man. His
blow was directed toward his head but
missed Its mark and landed against his
Ddck, ana the lamp Was demolished. Then
he grabbed the colored man, and a lively
light ensued, but no particular damage was
done, and both Mr.. Hardesty and his pris-
Cner went through the window to the porch
where the fight was continued for some
minutes Finally the colored man managed
to get away, but not before he had made use
of some vile language and threats
He Escaped.
Fastening into the house the storekeeper
got his Springfield rife and reached the
window with it before the fugitive got out
of sight. Aiming the weapon directly to-
ward him Mr.. Hardesty pulled the tris-
ger. He is a good shot, and had not the
weapon missed fire the colored man would
no doubt have fallen dead in his tracks.
q q ha
and made toward the WOODS.
An investigation of the house was then
made, al 1T was seen that ne had effected
an entrance by tearing away the screens
from tire windows. He had first removed
the screen from the dining room window
but there was a safe in the room, and in
order to get in the house through this
opening it would have been necessary to
remove the safe. This would have in
vClved the chances of noise and detec-
ton, and. rather than take this chance the
colored ma n went around the house to a
rear window, where he succeeded in get
ting in
He Returned.
Both Mr. Hardesty and his daughter had
seen the man well enough TO identify him,
and they remembered having seen him be-
fore. He was barefooted and had on no
hat, the same as the man who went to the
Buxton house, who was barefooted when
~
outside.
The morning was dark and when the
fugitive had sought safety in the woods
Mr.. Hardestv thought he was gone for
good; out such did not prove to be the
case, for about two hours later he re-
turned and repeated the threat, You
- I'm going to kill you," and threw
several large stones at the house Again
Mr.. Hardesty got his Springfield rife and
again it missed fire
Save these rocks Mr. Hardesty said
to his wife I'm going to catch that -
niRger and We'll want them for evidence"
He felt certain that the colored man
would not go far away, but would remain
wnere neps ne would e be caught. and so he re-
mained up until the dawn of day The
criminals conduct indicated that he might
possibly return and make another effort,
and for this reason Mr.. Hardesty thought
keep watch.
Soon after daybreak Mr.. Hardesty put
his wife and daughter in the wagon and
sent them to the city to attend to the mar
ket business, and as they were leaving he
remarked: '.Tll get the scoundrel before
sunrise
The Capture.
1t was then about o'clock, and armed
with the same rifle the storekeeper started
out with his little son, Albert, to appre-
hend the fugitive, if possible. He had gone
only few hundred yards from his house
when he crossed the fence at the public
school house and went In the direction of
a clump Of bushes. Beneath these bushes
he saw a colored man, whom he readily
recognized as the one with whom he had
the struggle earlier in the morning
Don't move or I'll kill you," he said to
the man in the bushes, pointing his rifle
at him.
I'm not the man who broke into your
house." blated out the colored man. do
YOU think I'm CraZy2'
This man was barefooted and barehead-
ed, and was inclined to show fight, but
looking up at the muzzle Of the rifle fright
ened him to the extent that he said, "I'll
go, boss; / amt going to rum
He then walked from beneath the bushes,
and was about to make effort to escape
when the one-armed man promptly knocked
him down and sat on him. Holding on; to
his prisoner, he waited awhile, hoping a
policeman would answer his distress call,
but there was no policeman about John
Lord, jr, and q Mr.. Baker<lid appear and
with their assistance the prisoners arms
| were tied, and, with a long thick rope Sc
| ourely fastened about his leg. Davis was
led mile away to University station. Po-
liceman West appeared after long time.