Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-12-02
AFTER
THE POLICE SEARCHING FOR MISS
HIGGINys AssAILANTs.
8 SUSPECTS ARRESTED YESTERDAY.
They All Give Accounts Of Them
selves, md II Is Not Thought That
Young Lndy Getting Along Nicely.

The police were diligently at work yes
terday and last night in an effort to APP
prchcnd the bastard or dastards who
attacked Miss Marie Higgins in her
fathers home, No. 219 Governor street.
Tuesday night. They made three ar
rests-two negroes and a white man
but they are by no means confident that
they have the right men, and are still
prosecuting their search.
The negroes arrested are well known
characters. bearing the names of Phil
Rusk and John Johnson. They were ar
rested early yesterday morning by Ser
geant Matthew's and were taken into
the Police Court, where they were closely
examined, separately, by Common
wealth's-Attprney Richardson. Both told
the same story, declaring that they had
been drinking in a bar-room near Jail
alley during the early part of the night,
and later spent their time at the corner
of Sixth and Bread streets.
The white man who was taken into Gus
tody Is an old, broken-down actor. whom
the police believe to be a most inoffen-
sive character. His name Is Harry Tighe
and he halls from New Haven. Conn.
He was at Mr.. Higginss residence early
Tuesday afternoon having applied there
for some work to do in vanishing furni-
ture. etc, and as turpentine-the liquid
applied TO the bandages that were around
Miss Higgins's WRISTS an ingredient
used in making varnish. the sleuths con-
Guided that Tighe might be the guilty
man.
THE SEARCH WAS SUCCESSFUL.
They accordingly began search for
him, and as a result he was captured i'm
the afternoon and carried to the First
Police Station. He was just recovering
from drunk when taken into custody
and after he had slept away the traces
OF his spree he was seen in his cell by
Dispatch man. to whom he talked
freely. He frankly admitted that he had
been at a Governor-street residence, but
did not know the name of the resident
there. He said. however. that he would
never have been guilty Of any such
crime as was committed there, and his
manner bore him out in this statement.
why, / am nothing but a poor old
actor, whose worst offence against the
community is drunkenness. / never did
any one any harm. unless it be myself.
and instead Of harming a young lady, 1
have chivalry enough left in me to make
me prefer to go to her rescue"
POOR. OLD COMEDIAN.
This statement, as Tighe made it, was
accompanied with frequent dramatic ges-
lures, and his smiling. open countenance
and quaint. though correct language,
stamped him as a comedian OF the old
school. Being asked for his history, he
at once stated that he had been reared
at New Haven, and had when quite a
young man, adopted the stage as a pro-
fession. Comedy lines were always his,
and he had supported several stars,
among them Oliver Byron. His last en-
gagement was at Tony Pastors. about a
year ago, after which he retired from
the stage and took TO drink. He began |
furniture as a means of live |
lihood and tramped from town to town. |
He walked here from Fredericksburg and |
says he spent Tuesday night at Sixth |
and Broad streets, and at n lodging |
house on lower Main street. He will be
-aken to the Police Court this morning,
md will probably be released there.
Miss Higgins is still suffering from the
burns on her hands. but her greatest
pain, she says, is the result of the wrench
Ter arms received in her struggles with
her assailants. She was seen at her
ather's home last night by a Dispatch
nan, to whom she again told her story,
which was substantially published in yes
erday's issue of this paper. She says
he is confident that she was attacked
~ two men, and she believes they were
White She could not identify them, and
ays she would not attempt to do so, for
ear that she might accuse an innocent
nan.