The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-07-16
FIFE is BEHIND THE BARS.
Charged With Attempting Two Assaults
on Ladies in One Day,
THE SECOND ASSAULT 4 DARING ONE.
The Wretch Entered Residence o' wv
Rear Entrance and Seized tue 'o'"s
Laav-A Special Grand Jury sums
moned for This Morning.

f.,hso, and Wren. charged with assault
INC Miss Nina Russell. the young i""s
from Norfolk who is visiting hei "u"''
Mrs. ID. A. Sundcriin on chestnut mn
The sccount of whose attempted assault
was printed in the Times yesterday. anu
oIso for attempting 10 assault Mrs. w. B.
Marl,s at the residence of her father,
MIR. !. II. Griffith. No. 5O1 east Franklin
street.
For months past complaints have been
received at Police Headquarters concern
inc many attempts at assault upon un-
protected females. VINO nave occ"Sio" ~
40 upon the streets at night. Al,
The shrcWdest officers on the spivhuiu
police force OF Richmond nave oSeiii or or
JAILED TO ferret out the sc0uhuIei vi
scOundrcls, and "a number Of aiitS's nav
been made. some OF them pointing suohs
la 10 the suspect and several OF thoHi
given terms In jail ,,-,e,.,
THE FIRST ARREST.
The most important OF these arrests
was that of young negro named slIhhs,
who was taken into custody py oinCeis
sutton and When and who was paItl"I-
Ia identified by two young ladies' llNinB
on south Fourth street, as having at
TEMPTED to assault them, and III was De
lieVed that Simms was also ehsdetu III
the crime of frightening young laules
who Were engaged In the recent Bazaar
at the ArmOrN. M
The testimony offered against Simms
was not entirely conclusive however. ana
he was required 10 furnish BOND IN lhe
sum of 81 go for his good bfhaNior LOT
Twelve months After remaining IN jail
some weeks the negro gave the bonds anu
was taken to his home in Gooochia
county. lie protested his innocence al
ways.
Since that arrest the attempts at as
eauit have appeared to be less frequent,
or, at least they have not been reported
TO the police as often. -,
Those who figured In the assaults al
WAYS described their assailant as rath-
cr tall negro. who wore light cap. rms
description with other circumstances. lea
10 the arrest OF Simms, and II VIII proba-
ply 20 toward connecting flfe with the
same assaults and attempts at assault.
THE OTHER ASSAULT.
The attempted assault upon Miss RUS
sell Wednesday afternoon fun ACCOUNT
of which appeared in the Time OF yes
terday was preceded by another that
morning which. however. was kept quiet
by the police and the Times until after
the arrest OF the scoundrel
Mr.. J. II. Griffith. who Is In business az
12l4 east Cary street, has his city resi-
dence at No. 507 east Franklin street. lie
also has country home in Powhatan
and where he was soon TO have his en-
tire family. including his widowed daugh
ter. Mrs. W. Il. Marks, who lives with
him.
owing 10 the country residence not be-
ing quite ready for the entire family,
Mrs Marks was left in charge of the city
home for "a few days. She had as com
pany several lady friends and gentle
man friend of Mr.. Griffith.
She was alone. in the house "Wednesday
morning between and 10 o'clock. and
about that time was expecting a basket
OF fruit which her father had promised
To send.
A little while after . o'clock she heard
a banging on what she supposed the back
gate, and thinking IL was the messenger
with the fruit she hurried down and
opened the door AS she did so a young
negro man quickly stepped inside and
erasped her by the throat in an attempt
To choke her.
KEPT HIM AT BAY.
Mrs Marks made a frantic resistance.
and fought desperately with her assail-
ant She Is quite a young lady and her
strength told. for she succeeded in keep
ing him al bay. She screamed and that
with the noise occasioned by some chill
dren playing i'm the next yard, evidently
frightened the negro, for he loosened his
hold and. jumping over the fence made
his escape.
The young lady ran across to a neigh
hcrs and telephOncd the facts TO her
father. who Immediately repaired 10 his
residence and secured a description of the
assailant. lie then went to Chief How
ards office and told him of the assault,
giving the description of the man.
Chief Howard summoned his Captains
suited in each officer on the force being
placed on the case. Only q few of the
officers knew the charge against the man.
The others were simply given his descrip-
tion ana told that he was wanted. and
wanted badly.
The detectives were. however. taken
into confidence. and Detectives Gibson,
Hal and Wren set 10 work at once 10
work up the case The Times knew of
the assault early Wednesday night but
at the request Of the police withheld the
publication until after the arrest of the
negro which occurred too late FOR its is
sue Yesterday.
While this case was being worked up.
the other complaint came In and from
the similarity OF the descriptions the de
fectiVes at once reached the conclusion
lhat lhe same man was guilty of both
crimes.
ARREST AND IDENTIFIED.
Suspicion cfcpt into the mind Of De-
tectiYe Wren, for ne had held the negro
now under arrest under surveillance, be-
hcving him TO have been connected with
the former attempted assault cases.
The three detectives, Han. Wren and
Gibson, accordingly proceeded 10 the
house Of Fife at Third and Preston streets
but he was not there. They waited for
several hours and he did not appear. so
they left ana went elsewhere 10 seek him,
without success.
Again. yesterday morning about
o'clock. having reason 10 believe that he
had returned home. they went TO his
house and found him He was taken TO
the Second station and held there until
about noon, when he was carried TO the
thlets headquarters and Miss Russell
and Mrs Sundcrlin sent for.
they soon responded and went into
mayor Taylor's Office. Fife was taken in
mere and was Immediately identified by
the ladies'. The prisoner was then carried
10 Mr.. Griffiths residence and he was
iaentiied by Mrs. Marks as her assailant.
Neither of the ladies' had any hesitation
In stating that the man was the one
wanted
Fife was then placed in a cell at the
Second Police Station, where later he was
seen 10y Times reporter
lie acknowledged that he was on the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad in the
vicinity Of the laundry "Wednesday after
noon, but said he was with another boy.
ana they were after blackberrles. lie
stated that he saw tho ladies' but did not
assault or attempt TO assault them. He
went home. he said. at half-past six
o'clock and did not leave the house again
until he was arrested yesterday.
In reference TO the assault upon Mrs
Marks. the negro said he did not go
near her home Wednesday and the last
time he was there was on Monday when
he went 10 get dinner-tray on which
ne had carried meals 10 Mrs Marks. lie
couldn't open the gate at that time. he
said and Mrs. Marks told him TO climb
the fence.
GOOD WORK