The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-08-16
TWO LITTLE GIRLS N PERIL
Enticed Into a Vacant Lot by q
Burly Negro.
HIS INDECENT PROPOSALS
The Children Rescued in the NICK
of Time by Neighbor, VINO Mo-
ticed the Mans Actions-The Eel.
low Remained in the Vicinity for
Some Time, But Finally Escaped.

daring attempt by colored man TO
commit an infamous crime on two little
| white girls was frustrated yesterday by
the timely approach of Mrs Tille Bry-
ant, No 3 Florida avenue northeast
The little girls who had such narrow
escape were Lillian ana May Emerson, aged
eleven and nine years, respectively. who
reside with their widowed mother nj No.
20 Florida avenue northeast. Mrs Enier-
son is employed in one of the departments,
and yesterday Afternoon about 4:3o CLOCK
Mrs Emerson sent her two little girls on
an etrann about two squares from their
home
They had done their mothers bidding,
and We're returning home, when they were
accosted by a colored man, whom they
did not know. He spok to them pleasantly
and told theti that ne wanted them 10 come
with him up the aleyway The meeting
was at the corner Of p and North Capitol
streets There are two houses near the
corner, ard the entire block with these
exceptions is d vacant lot, overgrown with
weeds and bushes
The oolored man enticed the girls up to
the alley in the rear of the houses and there
inGcccntly exhibited himself to them. They.
ignorant of his Infamous purpose, started
20 90 into the vacant lot, where the man
told them Ia follow him. Mrs. Bryant, who
WAS stan,line at the back door of her home,
had seen the man, and started ON run
To save the girls. She screamed al she
ran, and when she succeeded In reaching
the SPOT gave the scoundrel roundofabuse
Not in tn e ast aha sired, he followed Mrs
Bryant and the children back to her home.
The good woman saw the girls safe in the
house aud then started for an officer, but
failed TO find one for some time. The
colored man in the meantime stood on the
opposite side of the street. He soon
strolled up the street and into CoblentZ's
drug store, aud calmly drank a glass OF
soda. several boys who had heanl Of the
affair then began TO look around for a po
ilceman. and tile fellow started on run
for the open lot above Florida avenue. He
secIeted himself in the weeds and began TO
crawl away.
Policeman Pierson Lad been summoned
by this hme, and the search for the man
commenced. The firemen OF No. 2 en-
gine, which is nearby, helped TO hunt In
the grass. Policeman Yoe and two mount
ed officers joined the party. but the fel-
low had made good his escape.
Because OF the many recent outrages in
The vicinity OF Washington, the affair Gre
ated a great amount OF excitene MT in the
vicinity Although 1t occurred about
4:30 O'Clock, the people In the neigh
borhood state that 1t was near before
the order could lie sent TO the police head
quarters and the various precincts warned
TO keep a lockout for the man The po-
lice patrol box was out OF order, and the
firemen state that Policeman Pierson tried
in vain 20 use the engine house phone:
Finally by a city wire the intelligence was
communicated To the central office
II was found that the colored man had
been in the neighborhood all the afternoon,
aud was seen lounging near the Emerson
home full hour before the thing occurred
His attention was probably attracted 10 the
little girls playing on the doorstep, and he
waited an opportunity To get them away
from home. He evidently followed them
when they went on the errand. and then the
chance " hich he had waited for presented
itself
While watching the girls he took one
glass of soda at nr. Coblentz's drug store
and then another after his attempt To en-
tice the children To the lot. He is described
as tall, yellow man, rather shabbily
dressed and evidently belonging TO the
Tramp class. The mothers in the neigh
horhood have concluded TO keep their
little girls at home in the future and viii
not allow them to go any distance from
home unless accompanied by some grown
person.