Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-16
.cno WAITER CHARGED WITH
TWO ATTEMPTS AT ASSAULT.
Dgc0CKIZED BY BOTH LADIES.
MARKS AND MISS RUSSELL
IDENTIFY HIM.
gEClsL GRAND JURY FOR TO-DAY.
49,. witt Orders One, and the
Trial wni Proceed at once--''e"r-
a., roth Courts TO Re Private
h The Extreme Penalty.

80, assault upon Miss Nina Russell
rsestnut Hin Wednesday afternoon,
~ prisoner In the Richmond Jail.
.v.iercd against him is the charge
.rHar attempt upon Mrs. Walter
,--ks. whom ne handled much more
.,,, than he did the young lady from
norfolk.
.vro offences were committed within
,, hours Of each other. both in the
~ urht OF day. and bolder attempts
t.n5us crime were never made in
,-..r,. That the guilty party has been
.-.st there is no reasonable doubt
C-y circumstance pointed to Fife, the
.. promptly and positively identified
.,s ,be offender. and he has made ad-
LESSONS mat practically amount TO a
Confession.
rs,re will be no delay in melting out
....,,e 10 Fife. His case will be the first
c.uel fin the Police Court this morn
'- Julce Witt has ordered special
--,,s Jury for II o'clock. in order that
irsictment may be returned at once,
,,s tbe trial will proceed as soon as a
...,. can be secured In order that the
..r-rs Of the ladies interested may be
,,,-s3 as far as possible. the hearings
d.. ba cases against Fife In both the
police and Hastings courts will be in
,-,ate. and no spectators will be ad-
n.tted.
-,. manner in which these cases have
,.en handled reflects the highest credit
,ro, Richmonds unTivalled police de-
,,r-ment. The identity of the negro
e.,5 was established within a few hours
after the cases were reported, the man
MAS hunted so closely that he was ar
rested soon after reaching his home
about daybreak. and 1t was all done with
such secrecy that the prisoner had been
fuIlv identified and taken 10 Jail before
a hundred people knew that an arrest
had been made or even that most
brutal attempt had been made TO assault
"a lady living in the centre Of the best
residential part Of the city. The people
were naturally very much wrought up
over the bold outrages, and feeling ran
high but the prompt action of the
authorities in providing for speedy trial
and the knowledge that the statutes of
Virginia make death the extreme penalty
FOR the offence committed prevented
r.sh steps being taken.
ROTH LADIES IDENTIFY HIM
while Mrs. Marks had her terrible eX-
t.reuce early in the forenoon OF Weo-
reslay the matter was discreeuy kept
agst until her assailant had been cap
tfsd. The officers were not theh GER
tain that the man who maze the at
,.ct uuon her was also the assailant OF
Miss Russell, though some Of them heiu
=, .bi. theory. but the Identification was
soon made complete.
Fife WAS placed under arrest at o;So
O'Clock Yesterday morning at the home
Of his father. George W. Fife, No. 3n
Preston street. by officers Han, Gibson,
ana Wrsnn. who had remained up until
after man.-ht working on the case, and
gotten matters i'm such shape as to be
practically certain of the capture with
The dawn of day. The prisoner was
kent al the Second statiOn-hOuse until
o. o'clock when be was carried TO the
City Hail. where in the Mayors recep-
iion-ro0m he was TO have been con-
fronted hy Miss Russell. As he passed
through The main corridor, however, Miss
Russell, accompanied by Mrs. San
ssr.in and the latter's son, entered
tSe north door 10 the hail. and the
moment she laid eyes on him she said,
That's the man. Mrs. Sanderlin also
recognized him.
Fife was taken directly from the city
Hal 10 Ar. Grimth's residence, and
aken 1 room where Mrs. Marks
awaited his coming and Immediately
ur0n his entering the apartment the lady
positively Identified him as the man who
lal so bmtaliy assailed her on the pre-
,elug day.
Fife was guarded by the Chief Of
Police and several subordinate officers.
all in each case when confronted by
hs victims maintained a sullen ap-
ltarnce seeming 10 take no interest
N the proceedings. From the Griffith
residence the black fend was taken TO
tle siator-house. and mutterings of
Fnchng being heard on the streets, the
Thief ~ Police requested Justice Crutch-
field 70 make out "a mittimus on which
re negro was committed 10 jail. Judge
wit who was confined TO his bed by
Sickness was at once communicated
with. and be- gave orders that a special
grand jury De summoned. to convene at
o'clock This morning 10 indict Fife, as
s,F-ag 10 as his purpose to try the case
forthwith When waited upon later in
Ue Day ly a committee Of gentlemen. he
s-o' j Uil try that case tomorrow, IL
have % bee taken to the courtroom in
an ambulance"
a MOST BRUTAL ASSAULT.
lhe attack made upon Miss Russell
Wednesday afternoon. when she, in com
rU H...r etr
aunt Mrs. sanderlin. were going from
ne sln-er.n home in the county. to the
lun1y at Chestnut Hill. was bold
enough. but that made upon Mrs Marks |
vas much more aggravated This lady
ihe widowed daughter Of Mr.. j. ii. |
e1ih. and FOR several weeks has been
t-e at her fathers city residence, 507 |
' Franklin street. except that two !
4.hes would spend every night there. |
taf been having her meals sent from |
-tser's restaurant on Sixth street |
--s th.s time. and the negro Fife had |
bringing the tray thereby becoming |
cqG -ntcd With the premises.
,N.nesday morning about $40 o'clock |
- Marks who is a modest retiring |
'} was alone I'm her home the young 1
10y Who spent the night with her having !
N .eiL Her father. who Is summer |
t zoo iho country had promised 10 send |
some fruit, and when she heard a |
l'.k ON the back door She went there. |
..H1.ng that it was the messenger bear |
Hg tho fruit
SEIZED HER by THE THROAT.
'Ae moment she opened the door, /
.."eser The negro sprang inside and /
ssbd her. Tie grasped her about the |
Wi"it ana chOkod her almost into in /
ainihiy. but upon her fighting herself |
rom him and screaming loudly for
l' he became frightened and ran of