Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-24
IMPORTANT CAPTURE
Continued from First Page3

L
out to the scene of the assault and looked
| over the ground
| While the prisoner had previously main
| tanned his innocence. last night he made
| a confession in which he admitted every
| thing. He stated that he not only COM
mitted the crime but that he was without
| revolver, using an old bright, silver
matchbox, which the woman mistook for
revolver
The negro answers the description very
well. He has a full crop of scraggy whis-
kers on the chin and cheeks and a pair OF
small. piercing eyes. He has way OF
grinning he speaks which leads to the
belief that he is supplemented.
Where the Assault Occurred.
The assault on Mrs. Ada Hardy occurred
about O'Clock in the morning of May d
| the scene being the small home of the wo-
man in. the county back of University Park
about mile from the Loughborough road
and half a mile from the Ridge road. The
news spread soon afterward, and though
| the locality was thoroughly searched by
police and citizens. armed with guns and
revolvers there was no trace of the raw
Usher found.
Mrs. Hardy, who is twenty-five years Of
age and her two children were the only oc-
cupants of the house at the time of the as
sault. She had just returned to her home
from a nearby spring, carrying two buck
cts of water. when she found her front door
open. She spied the form of a colored man
of burly frame sitting in the room, but was
so frightened that she could not make an
cutlery. She placed her buckets of water on
! the ground and. entering the house, picked
up q scythe blade and in strong voice
she could muster demanded to know
why the negro was in her house.
AS she advanced toward the man with
the blade of the scythe upifted he drew a
revolver and threatened to shoot her If she
did not drop the weapon. She was fright
ened and dropped the blade. and then her
visitor asked for something to eat. The
woman went to her kitchen on the second
floor of the house and secured several pieces
Of bread, which she covered with strip.
There absolutely way for her es-
cape from the second floor, and there was
no person within half a mile of the house
who could have heard any cutlery she might
have made.
Demands Money.
When she came down stairs she gave the
bread to the negro, who took few mouth
fuls. and then laid the balance on the man.
tel. He asked for money, and the fright
ened woman replied that she did not have
any in the house. He seemed to know bet
ter and inquired If some money had not
been given the wife by the husband the
Sunday preceding. This led the police to
believe that the ravisher was acquainted
with the husband.
The brute was apparently angered at not
promptly receiving the money. He seized
the small and defenseess woman and per-
petrated the foul crime. After accomplish
ing his purpose, he searched the drawers
of a bureau for money, and while engaged
in the task the woman slipped ,out, walked
in roundabout way to the nearest neigh
boris house, fully half a mile away in
straight line, and there gave the alarm.
The home of the neighbOr was that of Mrs.
Polly, and one of the women of that house
hold walked across the country to the resi-
dence of Mr.. Glover, where telephone COM
munications with the city exist, and the
f1pprgatoWO station pntitip1
In the meantime the news spread in the
neighborhood, and men left their work,
armed themselves with guns, and started
to search for the perpetrator of the out
rage. The brute had plenty of time in
which to make his escape. it being fully
half an hour before the first man appeared
on the scene after the preparation of the
outrage. The mounted police on duty at
the time-then only limited number, the
others being in the parade-were FASTENED
to the scene, reinforced by some patrolmen
from Georgetown. me search was con-
tinued for several hours, but no trace of
the negro was found. 1t was perhaps for
tunate for him that he was not apprehend-
ed at the time. The neighborhood was SO
aroused over the occurrence that summary
measure would have been taken as warn
ing to others. -.-- .-s-
Description of the Assailant.
The ravisher was described as being about
thirty years of age, of dark color, and
about five feet ten inches in height. When
he committed the crime he wore black or
dark coat and pantaloons, large checkered
shirt and a blue cap. He was particularly
well built, and had peculiar eyes, the sight
of which so impressed the victim that she
declared at the time she would be able to
recognize him again among thousand per-
sons. 1t is said the negro at the George
town station answers the description to
letter, though, of course, his clothing is
different.