The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-04-23
NEGRO ASSAULTS
A YOUNG GIRL
Bold Crime Committed by
Unknown Fiend.
VICTIM OF ASSAULT
MISS DELLA SMITH
Police Searching the City for
Her AssaiIant.


Miss Della smith, aged 1e, who lives
with her mother at % South Fourth
East, was assaulted last evening
by negro, within block and half
| Of the police station. The assault was
! committed at o'clock in the evening.
near the corner of First South and
Second East streets. near an electric
street light, and was one OF the boldest
crimes in the history OF the city. Miss
Smiths screams and the timely arrival
of rescuers prevented the brute from
! accomplishing his purpose.
The holiness of the crime and the ma
ture Of the offense aroused the police
department to the utmost activity and
a thorough search Of the entire city is
being made, but the negro has not been
captured.
Attracted by the terrorized cries of
Miss Smith and her companion. two
young men who were walking along
the street rushed to the scene in time
20 see the negro running up Second
East street past the street car barns.
put IN their excitement, instead of fol-
/ lowing the negro, both ran TO the Pc
lice station to notify the officers. When
the latter arrived on the scene the brute
had disappeared From description
given by the girl of her assailant the
officers later arrested William Thomas.
the cOlOred porter at the Atlas block
When taken before the girl she de-
clared that he was not the man and
he was allowed to go. The negro was
not told for what he had been arrested
until taken before the girl and when
she said he was not the man he eX-
claimed; I hope to God YOU get the
man and lynch him.
After the negro had fed. the young
girl screaming with Terror. ran to the
house OF Charles Num-, next to Joseph
l. Taylors undertaking parlors, and
elinging to him in terror was conduct
ed by him to her home
Miss Smiths Story.
The story told by Miss smith is most
thrilling She said that she and little
12-year-old Edna Jones were on their
way down First South to the bakery
about s o'clock and were walking along
without noticing anything around them
suddenly, as we neare9 the northeast
corner Of First South and Second East
streets, where there is a vacant lot -
said the young lady, a negro stepped
before me and seized me by the jacket
/ was SO. startled that / could not tell
from what direction he came and dill
not realized what was happening until
the negro threw me to the sidewalk
and attempted TO hold me there.
4 m pretty strong, though, said the
young lady whose natural pluck and
courage asserted itself as she told the
story. ard screaming as loud as 4
could 1 wTenched myself from his
grasp and ran towards home, while
Edna, in fright ran the other way
Joseph Siegel and another young man
whose name was not learned. were at
tracted by the cries OF the young girls
and rushed to the scene in time to see
the negro running by the car barn.
Learning from Miss Smith what had
happened they both dashed TO the police
station and told the officers. while the
young lady and her little companion
were hurried to their home by Mr.
Num-.
Officers in Pursuit.
Oheers Chase and Pack hurried to
the scene and followed in the direc-
ton the negro had gone but a thorough
search of the neighborhood failed to
reveal any trace of the fugitive. They
then hurried to the home of Miss Smith
and got q description OF the fend She
described him as being OF medium
height and very black with a long
moustache and wearing a black suit of
clothes and a black hat
The officers returned to the search
and located Thomas, who fits the de-
-scription perfectly He was promptly
arrested, but was not told for what
he was wanted until later
He was marched 10 the home of the
young lady and stood with evident
nervousness while he was being sur
veyed by her, but after looking at him
8liss Smith declared that he was not
the man She was positive that she
would know the right man the moment
she saw him.
The negro. on being told for what he
had been arrested. exclaimed that he
hoped the man could be found and
lynched. I would never sink so low as
that" said Thomas. and L would like
to help find the guilty man
Searching the City.
After being exonerated Thomas was
allowed to go and the officers returned
to a search for the right man. The as
sault. which is the first one known TO
have been made by a negro in this CITY.
caused q. great stir in police circles and
every effort is being made to locate
the guilty party. The officers believe
that they VIII be able to find him if he
has not left the city