The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-07-15
BOLD, DESPERATE VILLAIN,
A Negro Tries 10 ASSAULT a Lady in
Broad Daylight.
FRIGHTENED AWAY AND ESCAPED.
Miss Russell. of Norfolk. Has n Narrow
Escape from Death rs Well. for an Ex-
press Train Como Dashing by
Soon Afterwards,

q
/ young lady occurred IN the broad day.
| light yesterday, near Chestnut IIil, one
| OF Richmonds most delightful suburbs.
! 10 this attempted atrocious crime Of
felonious assault might have been added
murder, for the scene OF the outrage was
the track of the. Chesapeake and Ohio
Railway, and the time. that OF the pass
! ing OF an express train. the would-be
victim narrowly escaping destruction by
! being upon the track.
This is the story OF bold and despe-
rate villains effort to commit the crime
for which so many Of his race have paid
the instant penalty Of violent death.
without tho forms Of law.
Miss Nina Russell and her sister, Mss
/ Priscilla Russell, are two young ladies' OF
J norfolk, who are nieces Of Mrs.-D. a.
| Sanderlin. living in Henrico county. about
| two miles from Richmond near the line
Of the Chesapeake and Ohio railway.
These young ladies came to Richmond
| yesterday morning 10 visit their aunt,
aud took the opportunity for coming af-
| forded them by the excursion from Nor
folk. run over the Norfolk and Western
railway by the Freemason Street Baptist
| church OF Norfolk.
TO VISIT THE LAUNDRY.
Mr.. T. sanderlin. their cousin. met
them at the Byrd-Strcet Station in Rich
mond with his sister. Miss Clara Sander
| lin, at noon yesterday. and drove them
| IN his family carriage 10 his mothers
home
There they were heartily greeted and
made ready for dinner, which Mrs. San
derlin had prepared in abundance. and
when Mr.. d. A. Sanderln came in. the
happy party sat down and enjoyed them
selves.
Dinner was over and Mr.. D. A. San
/ derlin excused himself and went back 10
| his business, he being proprietor OF a
large steam laundry situated between
/ his house and Chestnut Hill.
Mrs. Sanderln asked her visiting nieces
| IL they would not Ike 10 see a laundry
in operation, and they answered that
! they would, so Mrs. Sanderlin and the
/ Misses Russell started towards Mr.. San
/ derlin laundry.
Miss Sanderiin had volunteered 10 re-
main behind and look after the house.
and the other three ladies took q short
! cut towards the laundry. They went
across a field from the Sanderlin house
!
! Ohio railway. and then walked along the
track towards the laundry. which is be-
! tween these tracks and the village OF
! Chestnut HILL
This point is about two miles from the
| Broad-Street Station Of the Chesapeake
and Ohio and one mile from the Rich
| mOnd Locomotive and Machine Works.
The story is best taken up now in the
words Of the attempted victim. Miss
In. .l...t.. rft.4aa r.4,
/ called last evening at the residence Of
/ Mr.. Sanderln.
Mr.. Sanderln was first seen at his
! laundry, and directed the reporter 10 his
home. and Mr.. William $ Huxter, one of
the special police OF HenricO county,
kindly drove the writer TO Mr.. Sanderlin's
! house.
MISS RUSSELLS STORY.
Miss Russell, who was seen with her
cousins, Miss Clara Sanderln and Mr..
u. j. Sanderlin, told her story briefly, and
! impressively. and in a modest manner.
After telling OF the coming Of herself
| and sister from Norfolk. where they live
| in Ghont, suburb OF that city, NJ the
! corner of Duke street and Franklin ave-
nue.. 10 visit their aunt Miss Sanderin,
! here, Miss Russell said:
1T was a terrible experience and hope
| ! shall never have such a shock again.
/ NV aunt, Mrs. Sanderin. my sister Pris-
| ella, and myself were walking from the
| house to my uncle's laundry and we took
| the railroad track, to save walking
around the road.
Just before we reached a point on the
| track opposite the laundry We noticed a
negro man sitting on the ties Of the
track.
"My sister was walking behind my
! aunt and my self. and after we passed
by him, 1 remarked 10 my aunt that he
had very bad and yicious-looklng face.
"she agreed with me. and we were
walking along slowly when suddenly /
felt myself seized rudely from behind
and looked to find this negro had me in
a BRAVE RESISTANCE
II turned around and struck him with
all my force with both hands in his face
and struggled 10 pull myself loose from
him.
ways, tripping on one Of the rails OF
the track over the embankment. My
hands fell on the rail, 10 which I clung
tightly, and the negro. who had stumbled
also, rolled down the side OF the embanK-
ment
n jumped 10 my feet at once and saw
the negro running down the track The
screams of my aunt and my sister had
brought out Mr.. William West the fre-
man. from the laundry.
HE pursued him down 20 the coal
yard OF Fourqurean q Ruhin, thence 10
the Fifth street bridge and on towards
the First street bridge. and here he lost
him.
"My left arm Is bruised and sore from
my falling upon IL in the struggle, but
otherwise / have no injuries.
Miss Russell told her story in the pres
ence of Miss Sanderlin, who corroborated
her in all It's details, adding the fact that
Miss Russell had jumped up from the
track just as the train due in Richmond
at 2:l5 had come tearing along.
Had she tainted or lain on the track a
moment or two longer she must have
been killed, for by reason OF a curve
near the spot the train could not have
been stopped in time 10 avoid running
over her as the engineer could not have
seen her.
PURSUING THE VILLAIN.
Mr. #. J. Sanderlin. her cousin. prompt
ly mounted his horse and went in pur-
suit of the negro. while officer Huxter
notified the Third police station and the
officers there sent out a general alarm
for the fugitive.
also told Of the attempted assault ana
Sergeants Hall. Gibson and TOmlinson
were put upon the case.
They are working energetically with the
meagre clues they have towards the
CAPTURE Of the negro and no pains viii
be spared 20 catch him
Miss Russell, when asked to describe
him, said that he seemed TO be about
five feet tall stout. and strongly built.
OF ginger bread color. with very nat
nose and wide open eyes and an ugly,
bad face.
As she remembered him. he was dressed
Jo~lx olofbec with ouffup shirt .,I