Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-09-13

The negro who assaulted and near
" ehoked to death Mrs. Minerva Leas-
ure In her home in what is known us
Cork Row, on the hill, just north Of
the Top mill, as stated in yesterdays
Register. was fully identified yesterday
by Mrs. Leasure and others at the
police station.
1t row appears that the name the
negro ave last night was assumed, 1t
having been discovered and aeknowl-
edged by him that he is George
Thomas. a resident of East Liverpool,
O. He is about 40 years of age, and
his face is indicative of his character.
II was brought out il the nearing "
the case by Justice Fitzpatrick yester-
day that Thomas had entered the
Leasure home about 2 o'clock yester-
day morning. Miss Annie Leasure
and Miss Mary Brown, of Sistersville,
who were visiting Mrs. Leasure, were
asleep in a bed and Mrs. Leasure was
asleep on a bed lounge, when the lat
tel was awakened by feeling the touch
of some one on her limbs. She
screamed, w~hereupon the negro seized
her by the throat, choking her so Sc
yerely that she was nearly strangled,
and continued his efforts at criminal
assault. Her screams had awakened
her visitors, and her assailant hearing
them, rushed out. His hat and coat
were found in the hall. Mrs. Leasure
stated to the police that a lamp was
burning low in the room at the time,
a. her husband got off his turn at the
mill about one o'clock, sc she and her
visitors were able to see her assail-
ants face.
The husband and others had noticed
the negro loafing about without any
apparent object, and being suspicious
Of his intentions, had asked Eugene
st. Meyers. y%ardmaster, to keep an eye
on the fellow. Going home from the
mill after his turn, about 1870, Mr..
Ieasure met a colored man coming
down from the group of houses and
noticed hat he tried to avoid being
seen close at hand. He hurried home,
found the doors open, and asked his
wife what she meant by leaving the
house open at that time of night. She
told him of the attempted assault by
nsg gro, whereupon he at once realized
he had met the fellow and rushed out
after him, calling to his mates for as
~sistance. He met ST. Meyers and told
him what had occurred, and st. Mey-
ers notified the police station.
Lieut.. Frohme at once sent out or
ders to patrolmen to close in Oh that
n~eighborhood and capture the fellow,
He then received notice that st. Meyers
and others had the negro up 1T the
cid pumping station but that no officer
was there to take charge of him.
Lieut.. Frohme al once went up him
self but found the negro had got away
and gone down the Panhandle track.
In a few minutes the lieutenant had
captured him and at once took him
to the police station, notifying the
women by messenger to appear and see
ii they could identify the fellow.
Yesterday morning the women and
others anne to police headquarters
>aud had no hesitancy in saying that
Thomas was the assailant. 1t also
came out that prior to the assault
upon Mrs. Leasure the negro had en-
tered another house in the neighbor-
hood and attempted an assault upon
a Miss Bahama, who was awakened
by feeling his hands upon her person.
Her screams frightened the fellow
away. Similar attempts had also been