The St. Louis Republic., 1900-06-10


OF several things Among them petition
To the Governor. an indignant public senti-
ment against such mob demonstrations and
the sen,iing To the Reform School of three
young Bohemian girls who confessed to
taking part in the assault upon the un-
fortunate domestic. If the efforts OF 4. n
Reach Of No. e3Ii Hickory street. who has
represented himself to Miss Hesser To he
an attorney Of many years experience. are
successful. there will be another develop
ment TO the assault upon that young wnm-
an. That will be- damage suit against
the city Of St. Louis for a large amount Of
money.
yesterday. Mr.. Reach introduced himself to
Miss Hesser. advised her that he had al
ready conferred with her two sisters in ST.
Louis and that they had agreed with him
that IL would be proper for her to bring sur
against the city for damages. actual ana
exemplary on account OF the assault made
upon her by the mob of hundreds Of men.
women and youths Of both sexes
Reach told Miss Hesser TO meet him on
Sunday. June Il, al the hCme of ffr Sis
ter. Mrs William Kramer. No 3l@ Iowa
avenue. at which time and place arrange
ments for bringing the suit are TO be per-
fected. He advised her that he was Will
ing To back his attorneys Judgment IN
the suit to the extent of $1,000. and told her
to keep perfectly quiet about the matter
until he advised her further. The self
styled attorney then departed. without
knowing that while talking to Miss Hesser
he was at the same time talking to a news
paper reporter. who stood by her side dur
ing the entire interview, Miss Hesser and
the reporter being within the hall at the
residence at No. jOs2 Cabanne avenue. the
attorney standing on the front porch while
the conversation was going on.
Later Reach admitted to the reporter
that he has been working up cases against
the city based on the incidents where
women have been assaulted by mobs and
partially or entirely deruded, and said that
he had two cases fixed already. third
case he is working on is rather difficult to
handle. inasmuch as the victim of the as
sault gave an assumed name-Miss Christine
Thierre-and her identity has not yet been
discovered unless by the police. and they
are keeping their information secret II
they have any. Reach admitted that he
has posed as a private detective. as friend
of Miss There's and Miss Hessers, and as
a verder OF carpet tacks in his vigilant
efforts to secure Information as to'the as
sault cases. and to learn the real name and
address of Miss Christine There. the VIC
tim of the assault at Ninth and Allen ave-
nue.. He declares that the portion of the city
in which the assaults took place is the
toughest anywhere. and that he has been
compelled to defend his life more than
once while making his Investigations.
Whether or not he will succeed In indnc-
Ing Miss Hesser to bring suit against the
City remains to be seen. The young wom-
an was taken very much by surprise yes
terday when he made his proposition to put
up money for the suit and depend for his
remuneration upon his success in recov-
ering damages from the city. She stated to
The Republic that she would confer with
her relatives and friends before taking any
action. but that she did not care for any
more nctoriety. and would be glad to drop
the whole matter II she did not feel 1t her
duty to assist in every manner in her
power In the, capture and conviction of the
men and women who assaulted her.
For the first time since the disgracefui
affair Of Memorial Day. Miss Hesser told
for publication the full story of the assault
made upon her, the feelings she endured
at the time. the taunts and oaths and vile
names that were flung at her, the blows
that were given her. the manner In which
she was Invested Of a part of her clothing
by the vile hands OF masculine and femi-
nine persons unworthy TO be called men
and women. Not without some persuasion
did Miss Hesser tell her story. for she has
a woman's natural modesty. and shuns the
notorety which has come to her as the
victim of one of the most vicious and out
rageous assaults which have made the
decent people of st. Louis wild with in
dignation.
Miss Hesser Is tall and intelligent look
ing young woman Of . years. She has been
for some time in the employ of her present
mistress. who lives at No. 5eS2 Cabanne
avenue. and who treats Miss Hesser as
member OF the family. The young won-
ans parents are both dead. and the only
relatives she has In ST. Louis. where she
has lived many years. are two married
sisters and an uncle. Since Memorial Day.
when she met with the most exciting. the
most humiliatirg and the most hazardous
experience u: her life Miss Hesser has
been laboring under severe nervous Illness
which Is the natural result OF her frightful
experience. Her story Of the affair. as told
to The Republic. was given in these words:
Miss Hesser's story.
81 had not been on a transit car since
the strike. but the lady who employs me
rode ON them frequently without fear or
molestation. l took the Tower Grove ave-
nue. car downtown. and rode to my SIS
ter's home without any unusual experience.
About Z O'Clock I started home. At
Twelfth and Calhoun. as the Tower Grove
car in which j was riding crossed Calhoun
street I saw a great crowd of men and
women and children running toward the
car. II frightened me. and l got of the
car. Up to this time l had not thought
anything about the strike. but as I got
of II occurred to me that the crowd was
going to attack the car. / started to walk
across the street to the sidewalk when all
the men and women I'm the crowd rushed
at me as II they were going to kill me-
was panic-stricken, and did not have any
idea why they were after me. | turned
around to the crowd, and. seeing a woman
In the front said to her, For Gods sake
what Is the matter?
Matter enough. you - she said. call
ing me a vile name. You are a scab, riding
for money.
Then the whole crowd took up tine cry
.Scab, Scabi Paid scab, Soak her! XIII her.
Well teach her to ride on scab carsr These
me-. My legs trembed beneath me- / was
frightened almost to death. I felt that L
would faint But. fearing that they would
kill me. I steadied myself and tried to
speak.
..'I am no scab.' l said If you speak of
riding for pay. do not understand you. I
paid my fare and am simply riding to my
home. /
But the oaths and jeers of the men and
the vile epithets of the women stopped me.
1 could not be heard. Several I'm the crowd
rushed toward me. and again / thought my
time had come. In a second my whole life
passed before me. and gave myself up for
lost l remember / had one regret that /
must die on the street ] suppose every one
likes to die at home. surrounded b. their
friends and relatives. Well, I thought INV
death was about to come. and wished that
the crowd would let me go home to die. I
can talk about 1t now very composedly,