Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1898-05-23

Attempt TO Commit an Outrage on
the Person Of Minnie Straysr, ar
imbsoiis Girl of Centsrvi Is-Thwari.
cd b1 the Arrival of Help for the
OefenssIsss Gffi-A STORY More Re-
pulsIss Than That OF Jellison' 8
Cass.
With the example of Frank Jellison' &
alleged attempt at outrage still fresh
In their memories, and with the full
knowledge of the horl or such attempt
had aroused, three young men
from this city either attempted thing
even worse, or acted In such manner
that they will have the greatest diff
Guilty in establishing their innocence.
Their intended victlm. according to Aff
appearances, was Miss Minnie Strayer,
an imbeciie girl of Centerville, and she
escaped probable violence only through
the timely arrival of friends.
On last Saturday afternoon, as L.
X. Hill was plowing his field just this
side of the village of Centerville, he
saw three young men driving toward
CentreviIle from Richmond. The time
was between 3 and o'clock, and the
young men were driving rather rap
idly. There were three of them In the
pnaeton. Just opposite where Mr..
Hill was plowing the young men met a
girl. Mr.. Hill knew the girl by ght,
as does every one else in or about
The girl was Minnie
Strayer, less than half -witted girl, IAN
imbecile, in fact, VINO wanders harm
lessly about the town and the sur
country. 1t is her custom
to speak in friendly manner with
anyone who will address her civilly,
and to become familiar if given
an opportunity. The girls character,
however, had always been un-
The young men began
TO talk to the girl, and she at once
grinned and went up to the phaeto7.
They began pulling at her, and she
was soon seated in the rig with them.
Mr.. Hill looked with some uneasiness
upon the performance, and thought it
was not proper, to say the least. How
ever, he thought they would drive On
INTO the town with her and that no
harm could come to the girl. When
hey turned about and drove in the OF
oosite direction, therefore, Mr.. Hill
vas still more solieitous for the i'm |
oecile girls welfare, and when he saw
\ man driving toward town he hailed |
lim and sent word into the village
hat the girl was in danger.
When the man arrived in town with |
Walter Commons ran down to |
lis stable and hitched up his horse and
buggy, drove back up to the Main |
ross street and took Peter Cutler with |
lim. Surmisina that the young men
lad turned north with the girl, and |
lad perhaps gone west on tina Com
lrove rapidly north across the rail- |
.oad, to the road mentioned. Turn
ng east on that road, they found after
driving some distance that Mr.. Com
mons had been correct in his surmise,
and they found the quartet. The
phaeton was hitched about one hum
lired yards from the spot where the
four persons were sitting in close
huddle on the ground in the high
grass. An empty beer bottle or so lay
on the ground near them. Selling
this as he leaped out of the buggy, Mr..
Commons approached the group. DE
ttp1 III kCt }CI rGtoeC pCIo4 AK SCaAN
find the girl, 8a& when snss saw her tirCs
young men discovered him. He ex-
What are you trying to do to that
girll
The young men made no answer.
but turned and ran as hard as their
feet could carry them toward the
phaeton, hitched some distance west
of the spot. Mr.. Commons at once
turned his attention to the girl and
found her completely exhausted and
in great terror. As Mr.. Commons led
her toward his buggy she exclaimed:
20 Mr.. Commons, I'm much obliged
to you for this"
What did they do to your
80, they done awful TO me!"
With those two sentences, the most
rational things she was ever known to
says, the girl ceased to be intelligible
and talking inconerently. She soor
became deathly sick, with the motion
of the buggy. aud with the beer with
which the fellows dosed her, ano
vomited. When she reached home
she was in drunken stupor and very
sick. A physician was called. who
made an examination and found thai
the young men had not accomplished
any violence on the girl.
INDIGNATION.
The people of Centerville were very
much worked up over the matter, ant
when Mr.. Commons arrived In toxI
with the news of the outrage, tn,
young mems lives would have been il
danger had they appeared there. MI
Commons telephoned TO this city YER,
| promptly to the police to hold the fei
lows when they arrived. He had fol
/ lowed them as rapidly as he could q
| far west as the road that turn
south Just north of Centerville. an
there he had taken the girl TO he
home while the young mer had turne
north toward Williamsburg. The
were whipping the already tired an
lover driven and over loaded horse. AN
Ievidently intended to get TO Rlchmon
by a roundabout way.
THE BOYS ARRESTED.
II The young men were arrested {
PstroIman Westenberg on Saturds
night as they drove into the city fro
, the north. Their names are: Edwal
, Otte. Frank Cook and William Youn
: They are well known young ma
about town. Young IS better know
. as Pete Young. tai young m,
whose occupation is loating. most
: the time. They were arraigned ii
!. morning and each waived examlnati,
: and was bound over to circuit court
-
!, the action of the grand jury
I, The girl who was evidently the /
: tended victim of the young men IS
!. daughter of Jeaiel Strayer, and 5
: ter of Jack Strayer. well known hel