The herald., 1897-02-21
SHE FOUGHT THE P0OTPADS
Plucky Young Woman Who Saved Her
Pocketbook In a Lively Encounter

Miss Evelyn NJ. Staat, 20 years old
and teacher of the Washil Non school.
made a plucky fight and repulsed two
footpads who attempted to hold her up
Wednesday night.
After putting the robbers to flight the
young woman went to her home uHas-
sisted.
She was badly bruised about the face
ard head, but when seen at her home
ter the encounter she was
positive she had almost bitten the
index finger off of one of the footpads,
and she was proud of the fact that she
had saved her pocketbook
Miss Staat did not scream until one
of the footpads struck her in the face
with his fist and knocked her down.
Her cries We're heard by Detectives
Thorpe and Newman and TIL Z pur-
sued the hghwaymen several blocks,
but did not succeed in capturing them.
Several shots were fired during the
chase, and Detective Thorpe is positive
he wounded one of the fugitiVes De
tective Newman came in contact with
a wire cothesline while running across
yard He was knocked down and sus-
tanned a severe cut under the right eye.
Miss Staat sustained a severe bruise
under her right eye and several cuts
on her head.
The nervy young woman left her home
and went to drug store for the pur-
pose of teieNhoning to a friend.
When Miss Staat passed under the
elevated ROAD structure at the corner
about o'clock she says she noticed two
rough-appearng men standing under the
stairway. She paid but little attention
10 them and passed on into the store.
She remained there perhaps five min
utes, and then started for her home.
The two men were still there when she
passed on her way home, and before
Miss Staat had gone half a block she
noticed that they were following her
She quckered her steps. attempting
if possible to reach Washington boule-
ward before they We're able to oVertake
her. The men, noticing the young wo-
mans actions. also walked faster and
came up behind Miss Staat.
She did not look behind, but sudden
ly one of the men seized her about the
waist with his risNt arm and at the
same time placed his left hand over the
from screaming. Miss Staat had her
pocketbook, containing Sc, in her hand,
and without being perceived by the foot
pads quickly threw it into the street
The highwayman who had seized Miss
Staat pushed her violently against a
fence, and at the same time his compan-
ion attempted TO search her pockets.
L lie III iIN d lllttll MANU- was ~ CS>rN
so firmly against Miss stats mouth
that she was unable to scream, but she
fought desperately.
Her attempts to scream enraged the
man and he attempted to hold her ton
que with his fingers. Miss Staat closed
her teeth tightly on the mans fingers
and she says she bit so hard that she
drew blood. The man was finally forced
to release his finger, a the pain
caused by the bite greatly argered him.
He struck Miss Staat a blow in the
face with his fist an6 Knocked her down.
Then as he was about to kick the young
woman she screamed.
Detectives Thorpe and Newman heard
Miss Stats screams and arrived in
time to see the highwaymen run. They
followed and, fired several shots at the
fugtives. without effect.
The fugitives ran between two build
ings and scaled fence into a rear yard
As the footpads scaled the fence Detec-
tive Thorpe fired three shots and he
says one of the men fell from the fierce,
but soon regaincd his feet and Glsap-
peared with his companion into the al
ley.
Miss Staat recovered her pccketbook
and walked to her home.-Chicago
Tribune