The times., 1899-05-24
A Boatman's Wife Assaulted
Near University Park.
The Perpetrator of the Crime I'm
known and Unapprehended.
Several Men Arrested on Suspicion,
hut subsequently Released A
Description of the CuIprit.


sacked the house and then made good his
escape Mrs Hardy recovered sufficient
ly to walk TO the home of Mrs. Polly, who
lives half mile distant. From this point
the alarm was sent out and every effort
was made by the police and the people in
the vicinity to apprehend the criminal. but
at a late hour last night he was still at
large.
Policeman Trussel. of the Seventh pre-
cinct, arrested Frank Fains on suspicion,
as ne answered the description given by
Mrs. Hardy of her assailant, but when
seen at the station house Mrs. Hardy fail
ed to identify him. and he was released.
Mrs. Hardy was alone with her two
children when the assault was committed.
Her husband is compelled. because of his
occupation, to be away from the family for
weeks at time. During the absence of
the husband there is no protector for
the woman except her brother, and he. too,
is frequently away from home. Mrs.
Hardy arose at O'Clock yesterday morn
ing, and after preparing breakfast went
about her household duties. These includ-
ed a trip to a neighboring spring for water.
The woman was returning from the spring
when she saw the form of colored man
standing in the doorway of the house. As
she drew near the man went into the fIont
room and sat down.
first thought was for her children and she
entered tae house with as much courage
as she could muster up AS soon as she
entered the negro confronted her with
revolver and threatened that il she made
any outcry he would kill her. He boasted
that he had killed one man and would think
nothing OF committing another murder.
Mrs. Hardy was so overcome with fright
that she could make no outcry, and even
we're she able to do so it would have
availed nothing, as the scene OF the as
saut is isolated, and the nearest neighbor
lives fully half a mile away. This is the
Polly home and thither the unfortunate
went after her terrible experience. She
carried an infant child in her arms and
took the older child by the hand. One OF
the women of the household saw the dis
tressed woman approach but did not recog-
nize her, SO changed was Mrs. Hardy's ap-
pearance. Mrs. Hardy, in hystericai way,
managed to relate the circumstance of the
crime with the result that one Of the Pols
ly household walked the distance OF
mile to the country home of c. C. Glover,
where the story was repeated to num-
Der OF men employed about the place. They
Immediately began a search for the negro
and sent a telephone message 10 DR.. Beck
er at Tenleytown requesting him TO notify
the county police.
Considerable difficulty was experienced
in locating the mounted policemen, as
nearly all were in the city acting as an es-
cort to the Peace Jubilee parade. Finally
Policemen Smith, Preston. and Archam
bault were located and sent to the place
designated. A communication was sent to
No. Z station in Georgetown and subse
quently transmitted 10 Police Headquarters,
with the result that Policemen Trussel,
Bergman. Connors, and Furr were detailed
to search for the culprit. An additional
squad of mounted policemen were sent
out by Major Sylvester as soon as the
news was conveyed TO him. These men
were in full dress, and were to act
as an escort to the parade, but
when the intelligence of the assault reach
ed headquarters Major Sylvester rescindei
all previous orders and directed the men
to lose no time in getting to the scene
OF the crime. Detective Horne was detailed
to assist in the search.
a good description of the negro had
been obtained, and a thorough search OF
the surrounding country was made, but
the culprt had lost no time in getting
away from the vicinity and no trace of
him could be found. The negro is de-
| scrbed as being about thirty years old.
dark in color and about five feet ten
inches in height. He is well built, has
/ bulging eyes, and wears small side whs-
| kers. At the time of the assault he wore
dark coat and trousers, checked shirt
and blue cap.
| Mrs Hardy is a comeIy young woman,
| twenty-five years old. She was seen yes
terday afternoon, and stated that when
| she returned from the spring with the
water her attention was attracted to the
form of a negro in the doorway of her
house. The man went inside and taking
| scythe blade in her hand, she entered
the house to defend her children, whom
she thought might be in danger. She re-
| lated the circumstance of the drawing Of
the revolver and the threats of the ne
gro She remembers little or nothing af-
ter that until she left the house and
! started for the Polly home. She said that
after being assaulted she thought only of
an escape, and asked that she be permit
! ted to feed her chickens. The negro was
then ransacking the bureau drawers, and,
turning toward the woman for an instant,
said that she could do as she requested.
Mrs. Hardy then caught up her children
and made her escape.
The police think that the man who as
saulted Mrs. Hardy was familiar with the
| home life of the woman and the neigh
borhood Tnis opinion was reached be-
cause the man told Mrs. Hardy that it
| would be useless for her to resist him. as
| she was helpless, and he remarked that
|
| too far away from any place of habita-
ton. He further informed her that he
knew her husband would not be home
until Friday.
| Later in the evening Sergeant Harry and
| Policeman Giles. of the mounted squad, ar
rested Ignatius Rustin and locked him up
| at No. station on suspicion OF being the
man wanted for the assault. He answered
! the description furnished by Mrs. Hardy
| in a general way He was closely ques-
| toned and confronted by the victim OF
the assault. but she failed to identify him.
Several other colored men were arrested,
| but with a like result.
| During last night several sensational re-
ports reached the police of the Seventh
precinct that suspected colored men were
| being held in stables and other places in
the vicinity of Tenleytown by enraged cit
| liens and that lynchings were imminent.
| The receipt of the reports was in each in
stance the signal for response by the
| police, but in every case the rumors were
| found to be absolutely without founda
| tiOn.
One man reported at the station that
| colored man, unquestionably the perpe
| traitor of the assault on Mrs. Hardy was
Gagged in a barn and was fighting for his
| life. The informant related that the
man had revolver and was holding
large crowd of would-be lynchers at bay.
| When the police investigated the matter
| they found an old colored man about sixty
| five years of age in a small hut. He was
more frightened than anything else as he
| did not know of what ne was suspected of
| doing. There was no great crowd about
| the man, but instead a few ambitious psr-
sons who were inclined toward sensa-
| tionallsm. The man was not molested by