Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1897-01-27
A BOLD OUTRAGE
ATTEMPTED BY A NEGRO.
Mrs. Isaac Ris1ey "He1d up"
and ASSAULTED near Home.
SHE Makes 4 BRAVE AND HEROIC STRUGGLE
DESPERATE ATTACK UPON HER BY A
BLACK eCOUNDREL WHILE She WAS ON
HER WAY HOME FROM THE RAILWAY
sTATlON.-THE VILLAIN NoTYET KNOWN.

Pleasantville was startled to hear last
Friday morning, that the wife of one o1
its best known and most reputable citi-
zens-Mrs. Isaac Risley-had been "held
up" on the highway near her residence
by negro the evening before, and an
outrageous attempt made to assault
her. Such attempts are reported almost
daily from the South, and other parts Of
the country, but to have such thing
happen right at home in quiet, orderly
and respectable old Pleasantville, was a
rude awakening from a fancied immu-
nifty from attacks of that character.
Mrs. Risley had been to Philadelphia dur
ing the day and came back on the train
that arrives here at S25 p. m. over the
Reading railroad. She started for home
Immediately after leaving the train car
ryiDg grip and some small packages.
She came down the Shore road, a few
minutes later, and turned up the new
road leading westward from the Shore
road, just north of the Steam Laundry
building. Her residence is only about
two hundred feet or SO from the Shore
road, and she did not dream of danger
wheu so near home. She had gone only
very short distance, however, when
she was roughly attacked by a man who
si zed her by the throat and tried to
choke her, while at the same time at
tempting to trip her up and throw her to
thegrOund. Almost as soon as he siezed
her she discovered her assailant to be a
negro, and this discovery gave her re-
newed strength to resist the assault
She struggled desperately to free herself
from his grasp, and loosened his grip
upon her throat sufficiently to cry "mur-
der" and scream for help. Her husband,
Mr.. Isaac Risley, who was in the house
with their two younger children await
ing her return, heard her scream indis-
tinctly at first, and thought it was some
boys who were shouting to each other
down on the main road. Hearing an
other scream q moment later, he ran to
the door and opened it only to hear his
wife cry out Get your pistol, Isaac,
quick A negro is trying to kill mel"
Mr.. Risley grasped his revolver from
convenient place and rushed out to find
his wife frightened nearly to death aud d
man running in a Southerly direction
toward the Shore road. He tried to
shoot, but the revolver was rusty from
long disuse and it would not go off. The
night was extremely dark, and the man
was soon lost to view. Mrs. Risley did
not lose her presence of mind, but COM
pretended her peril from the start and
fought SO desperately in defense of her
honor that she held her assailant at bay
until her husband came to her rescue.
The only clue to identity is that the as
sailant was short and rather thick set.
and wore q cap closely turned down all
around the head. This much Mrs. Risley
learned in her struggle with him, and
also the further fact that the man had
the short crisp wool of the negro instead
of the straight hair of the white race. A
resOlu' woman, a fortunate location,
and quick response to cell for help, is
probably a combination circumstances
that only prevented a horrifying tragedy
or an outrage too terrible to contem-
plate. Just before her husband arrived
at the scene of the assault, Mrs. Risley
was able to hold the rascal who had at
tackled her, but he had one hand free,
and she thought he was trying to get a
razor or a revolver and she let go of him.
Beyond the fright and nervous shock
caused by such an affair. Mrs. Risley is
not seriously injured.