Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1901-06-22
SAFE BEHIND THE BARS.
WILLIAM MILLS, THE ASSAILANT
OF MISS WATSON,
Lodged In The County Jail-Brought Here
By Chief of Police Birch TOday-The
Victim Identifies Her Assailant-
The Prisoner Asserts His In
nooenoe- History Of The
Attempted Crime
At Curtis Bay

nocenos- History Of The
Attempted Crime
At Curtis Bay.
Chief OF Police George Birch, of Curti:
Bay, arrived here this morning on the
10 o'clock train with his prisoner, vii.
liam Mills. the young negro man who is
The supposed sssailant of Miss Fannie b.
Watson, the eighteen-year old daughter
OF George w. Watson, prominent farm
er, living = miles south of Curtis Bay.
The young lady has identified the man
and he has been held without bail for the
action OF the grand jury. although he
asserts his innocence. Mills was lodged
in Jail and is now safely locked behind
the bars in the Anne Arundel county Jail
on Calvert street. A brief account of
the attempted assault was given in yes
terday's CAPITAL.
Justice William l.. Hawkins, of Brook.
lyn, OF Anne Arundel county, yesterday
afternoon gave the accused man hear
ing, at which the full story of the attempt
ed assault was told. The first witness
was Miss Watson. The young lady is
IS years old and of slender build, with
light brown hair. blue eyes and a sweet,
attractive face. She was exceedingly
nervous. and gave her testimony in a
rapid and excited manner.
She said that she was walking along
Pennington avenue about o'clock yes
terday morning on her way to take the
Curtis Bay car to Baltimore, where she
intended to return book to the Pratt
Library. AS she was crossing the Curtis
Greek bridge she passed the colored man
Mills. who was walking in the opposite
direction. A short distance beyond the
bridge there is iootpath running through
a thicket TO the foot OF Curtis avenue,
where the tracks of the United Railway S
and Electric Company are located. Miss
Watson took this path, and had just
reached small bridge on the railroad
tracks when she was surprised TO see
Mills approaching her from the opposite
side OF the thicket.
Instantly the negro clutched her by
the arm and throat, and, when she be-
gan screaming, choked her until she be.
came partially insensible. Her assailant
did not speak to her, Miss Watson stated,
while he held her in his grasp, but mere
ly eaEed long and steadily at her. Just
tuGn d Cdl OdubC khS NaSNS mum AnC
Curtis Bay terminus, and the man re-
leased his hold OF the girl and ran off in
the direction of Pennington avenue
Mills, who is short, heavily built negro,
OF light chocolate color, weighing about
I65 pounds. said in MS own behalf that
he had never seen Miss Watson except to
pass her upon the bridge. and denied
positively that he assaulted the young
lady. He said his home is in Edenton,
N. c. and that he has been in the habit
Of working on truck farms in Anne Arun-
del county at various times during the
past six years, and that he was in search
of work yesterday when arrested,
A singular feature of the case was that
the negro was arrested at Mr.. Watson S
home, where he had applied for work,
having no idea that Mr.. Watson was the
father of the young lady who had been
left almost helpless in the woods. Miss
Watson is a pretty blonde. AS she is
naturally delicate, the shock has greatly
upset her nerves. Her throat was severe
ly bruised by the grip of her assailant.
Her pocketbook and library card were
found in the ravine, where they had
fallen when she was attacked.