The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-07-06
AN ITALIAN BRUTE
Henry Sharp Barely SaVed
From Lynchjng at the
Hands Of Enraged
Mob.
He ASSAULTED A LITTLE GIRL
The Crowd Kept Back BY Cooked
Revolver in the Hand Of
Sergeant Duffy.
he ASSAULTED A LITTLE GIRL


| Sergeant Duffy, Of the Gregory street
station, last night prevented the lynehiag
Of an inhu1na,r brute. TO do 1t he wss
forced to level cooked revolver at an
| infuriated mob and declare That he yvolHll
kill the first man who attempted to touss
the prisoner.
The sergeant had in his custody Henry
Sharp, an Italian barber, OF No. 81 York
street He had outraged Mary Meadowsa
| four-yaear-old girl.
No 50 York street is enc OF the crowded
| teneuleats which line rte street at that
part of it. The occupants of the house
are consequently tflrown In constant con-
tact. Sharp has on more than one oeca-
sion been notdced playing with children,
but MS Intentions were never suspected
Last night he seized the Meadow clliia
around the waist and, it is alleged, car
ried her into a shed in the rear OF the
house.
The first intination of what had cc-
CURED was given when the child ran cry
hing to her mother hes clothes torn ana
covered with blood. Her mother judged
from the description the child gave of
the man that it was Sharp. Her brother
armed himself with a revolver and started
m search Of the ehiid's asasilant Meeting
Sergeant Duffy he told him cfftlls occas-
! renee. The sergeant found Sharp stand
ing in his shirt sleeves at Grand and
Green streets. Placing him under arrass
ne took him to the Gregory street station
The parents in the meantime had IN
farmed their neighEoors Of the assault, ard
in short order howiing mob surrounded
the house, demanding ssiarp's life.
DIR. Rector. who attendedsthe child, pro-
rrf1.s
formation was impaired to the police, ard
unaware of the presence Of the mob Ser
geant Duffy took the prisoner 10 the
ohild.s house to be identffied. The crowd
followed him into the hallway and three
times attempted TO tear the prisoner from
him
The sergeant warned the crowd to keep
back, but he, did not realize how excited
the men and women were until he starred
TO return to the station house.
Lynch the brute they cried. Sharp
clung to Sergeant Dufyfs arm, and ap-
peaied to him to protect and save
him
Suddenly a hstless man pushed his way
through the crowd, revolver in hand.
III murder the Italian -,i.' z he shout
ed.
The man was the assaulted child's
uncle
When Sergeant Dufry saw the revolver
pointed at the prisoner, he drew his own
and forced the crowd back "A dozen men
surrounded him, but he kept a firm grip
on Sharp. and stiil covered the man with
the revaiver with mis- own weapon He
made an effort to start up York street
when the crowd rushed upon him and
forced him back to the entrance Of the
house.
The situation became so serious that
the Sergeant blew his whistle for help.
Four policemen responded, and it required
their united efforts to keep the prisoner
from being torn away. Clubs were free
ly Used, and the policemen presented an
unusual sight; holding the mob at bay
with cooked revolvers
The arrival of the patrol wagon was the
signal for another outbreak The fright
ened Italians shirt was torn from his
back when he was being placed In the
wagon. Sergeant Duffy rode on the rear
step of the wagon to the station house,
ali the time keeping the crowd, which
ran behind, covered with his revolver.
When the patrol wagon arrived at the
station house nearly five hundred people
had gathered there. The prisoner was
placed in a cell and for half an hour
policemen had TO use their clubs freely
to drive the crowd away.
This morning the prisoner was ar
raigned before Justice Potts and comnnit-
ted TO await the action of the Grand
Jury without bail. His arraignment was
greeted with Kisses from friends of the
childs parents
The child identified Sharp as her as,
saiiant, Her condition was much inprov-
ed today
Sharp was arrested two years ago for
committing an assSult upon nine-year-
old boy