Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1901-07-18
Fiendish Assault Oh Lizzie
KreitZer.

About 9:l5 Saturday night while re-
turning from her work in the Hotel
/ Lowry where she was employed ii the
/ hotel kitchen. Lizzie kreitZer, aged %
years, daughter of Anthony KreitZer
who lives beyond the toll gate on the
/ Plank road. was knocked down by a
negro. beaten insensible, thrown over a
! fence and down a six-foot embaDkment
| into Mrs Mary Muntz's garden, where
an unsuccessful attempt was made to
outrage her. Her nose was broken and
a cash in which two fingers could be
| laid was cut in her head above the right
! temple The assault was made within
! fifty yards of the Muntz home and in
/ the bright glare of an arc light located
/ on the old Plttsburg pike just west OF
/ the Hospital. 1t is supposed passer-by
| frightened LiZzie's assailant away be
/ fore he accomplished his hellish work.
| After laying unconscious for about an
| hour and bleeding profusely the girl
partly revived, crawled up the bank and
/ through the fence. staggered hundred
yards toward home and again sank
down unconscious. One man passed
her on her short walk but said he
thought she was only drunk. When
she fell in the roadway, Newton Pol
lock saw her and with Joseph Nanny
and Joseph Lavery got her into the
buggy of a man named Rowan, who was
driving home from Butler and had her
taken home. When found she murmer-
ed the negro cook struck me" and the
name Howard"
DR. Schultis was called and dressed
her wounds, which seemed very likely
to prove fatal, as Lizzie did not become
conscious again until Sunday night. On
Monday she seemed perfectly rational
but could remember nothing of the at
tack on her and could not describe the
man. The affair did not become gener-
ally known in town until Sunday.
A short time before the attack on Liz
lie, Saturday night, a negro stopped
Mrs. Joseph Lavery, who lives on Coal
street, peered intently into her face and
then passed on Mr.. Lavery saw the
same man while walking home a few
minutes later. Andy Root also saw
him and two little daughters of Henry
Leidecker saw him walking on the
Plank road near their home. All de-
scribe him as short and heavy set, with
a slouch hat pulled down over his eyes,
dark clothes and heavy cane or stick
i'll his hand. Neighbors of the Kreitzers
hunted the neighborhood until mid
night.
From LiZZles remark ON being found,
suspicion rested or the Hotel Lowrys
chef, Richardson, and her father and
some neighbors went before Justice
Keck, Saturday night and made intor-
nation against him, but Proprietor
Weisburg. and Clerk Louis Rockenstein
swore Richardson was busy about the
Hotel all evening and would answer for
his appearance when wanted. Three
porters, Thomas Hopper, Robert Powell
and Walter Washington are employed
at the Hotel They were arrested but
nothing could be shown to implicate
them and they were released. Mr..
Weisburg said he would give $50 to
help apprehend the criminal. Mr.
Kreitzer offered the same.
REWARD OF $4OO.
Monday morning the County Commis-
sioner's offered a reward of $400 for the
arrest and conviction of Miss Kreitzer's
assailant 1t was learned that a negro
named Henry had fed from town
on hearing of the arrests Sunday.
Tuesday morning County Detective
McMarlin arrested a negro named j.
NJ Wood while at work at Alameda
Park. Wood boarded with Mrs. Wat
ters on West D st. District Attorney
Painter does not wish to make known
the exact nature of their evidence
against him. but said he had been act
ing suspiciously and they had ample
proof on which to hold him for court.
That evening Detective A. Allen ar
rested two young negroes, one of whom
he feels sure is guilty of the assault.
Their names are Perry Baker, former
porter at the Hotel Lowry. and Abra-
ham Lincoln Miller, whose home is in
Punxsutawney. They boarded with
Mrs. Williams, a colored woman living
on Etna st. Allen was suspicious of
Miller and hired him to work up the
case Miller accused Baker, saying
they were drinking together Saturday
night at the Hotel Butler and that Bak-
er told him he was going to attack Miss
Kreitzer Baker declares himself in
nocent and accuses Miller. The latter
answers closely to the description given
of the negro seen on the road before the
assault and there are other strong points
against him