The evening times., 1898-11-29
ENRAGED NEGRESS
STABS THREE CHILDREN
THE LITTLE yicTsMs INNOCENT
Angered nf BeinE Made the Target
for snorbaIis. Margaret Merce.
Runs Aniuck

~
New York, Nov 29.-Angered at being
snowballed, Margaret Mercer, colored, at
tackled a crowd of children last evening
in West Forty-ninth Street, stabbed three
OF them severely, and for a time created
terror in the neigfborhood. Before be-
ing arrested she ran through Tenth Ave-
nue. to Fifty-seventh. Street. brandishing
her knife, and sent pedestrians scurryine
for places of safety.
When a policeman started after her she
leaped through a glass door of store,
put the proprietor, 10 flight and hid In
a dark room. where. she made a stubborn
resistance when the policeman found her.
The woman turned into Forty-ninth
Street from Eleventh Avenue at 6 o'c.ock
as a crowd of boys We're having friend
iy fight with snowhalls. Her appearance
was the signal for a cessation of hostili-
ties. and preparations were made to at
tack her. AS the woman approached
Tenth Avenue the boys; with one accord,
made her the target for a combined as
sault.
AT first Mrs. Mercer bore the attack
good naturedly, but when one hard, we'll
directed ball sent her hat flying and an
other struck her in the neck she became
enraged.
Quickly drawing formidable clasp
knife. she turned upon her assailants,
who promptly fed. She chased them q
short distance, but they escaped. John
Fennally nine years old, of No. $40 West
Fomy-ninth Street, was returning to his
home with a loaf of bread, and Roscoe
Conkling. nine years old. who lives at
No. 5G5 was about to start on an errand
Catching her knife tightly, she seized
Fennally. by the collar, threw him to the
pavement and slashed him on the right
side of the face. The boy screamed and
the woman released her hold
Young Conkling was standing near, and
the enraged woman next turned her at
tention To him. Before he could escape
she seized him and aimed a vicious blow
at his throat The boy lodged and the
knife cut a deep cash on the left side
of his head The cries of the boy by
this time had aroused the neighbors, who
ran into the street only to beat hasty
retreat when they saw the woman's knife
Upon releasing Conkling, Mrs. Mercer
ran to Tenth Avenue, where she met Ma
! rv FLYNN, eleven years old. OF No. 50t
/ West Forty-ninth Street. and plunged the
1 knife into the child's back, between the
] shoulders. With eroan the girl sank
to the pavement. and the maddened ne
gress ran screaming up the avenue. flour
| ishing her knife over her head. Men and
women who were in her path sought safe
~ in doorwoys.
a crowd of more than 100 persons fol-
| lowed the woman at respectful distance
AT Fifty-iirst Street she turned and rar
| toward Eleventh Avenue. Policeman
| Cram. of the West Forty-seventh Street
station, Joined the chase here, and he was
| rapidly overtaking the woman when she
darted into the entrance Of Schomberg'
| bake shop. at No. 55S, the door of which
| had been locked upon her approach.
Without a moments hesitation she
| jumped through the glass and fell on the
| floor The baker and his family quickly
1 fed, and Mrs. Mercer secreted herself il
/ a rear room. Policeman Cram followed
| her. and as he entered the room she at
| tackled him with the knife. He disarmeC
! her after a struggle with a blow from
/ his nightstick and took her to the polic'
! station. followed by an immense crowd
She refused 10 give her address and Wa!
| locked up.
The injured children were taken f
Roosevelt Hospital, where their cuts wer
| dressed. after which they were remove
| TO their homes.