Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-28
ALEXANDRIA AFFAIRS
Troops to Guard Prisoner on
Way to Montross.
LYNCHING FEARED
CoLoRED BOY CHARGED WITH
ATTEMPTED CRIMINAL ASSAULT.
Mayor Issues Orders for Compliance
With Order Respecting Sewer Con-
Acknowledgement News.
LYNCHING FEARED
Evening Star Bureau,
No. 101 King St,

| Evening star bureau,
| No. 7Ol King St,
| Bell Telephone No. JOG.
| ALEXANDRIA, Va, July Is, 1902.
| Some surprise was created here today by
| the announcement that Company X of the
state militia, of fredericksburg, better
| known as the Washington Guards, had
been ordered to this city to escort John
| Homer, colored, back to Montross, West
| moreland county, for trial on the charge of
| attempted criminal assault. The soldiers
reached Alexandria over the Richmond,
| Fredericksburg and Potomac railroad short
ly after u o'clock. 1t is expected they will
| leave here this afternoon about o'clock
with the prisoner on the steamer Harry
| Randall. They will be accompanied by
| Deputy Sheriff G. A. Sandy of Westmore-
land county. The party will land at a
| point near Montross, to which place the
prisoner will be conveyed in time for his
| case to be investigated by the grand jury
tomorrow The Fredericksburg company is
In command of Captain NJ. B. Rowe, and
| the other officers are First Lieutenant
| Frank H. Revere and Second Lieutenant
| Thomas Martin. The command is acting
under orders from the adjutant general of
| the state 1t was deemed necessary in
| Richmond to take such step in order to
| protect the prisoner from mob violence
| when he is taken back to the scene of the
| alleged crime. In the event Of an indict-
ment it is said, his trial will follow at this
term of court
Homer was brought to Alexandria Mon
day, June 30, to save him from being
lynched in Westmoreland. The officials be-
lleved that he would be safer in the Jail on
fort Myer Heights and after being kept
mere a few days he was carried to that
place, where he remained until Saturday
| when he was brought back to Alexandria
| The crime with which he Is charged is that
or attempting to commit an assault on
| Miss Susie Costenbader, the fifteen-year-old
daughter of Mr.. Robert Costenbader. re-
siding near Potomac Mills. Westmoreland
county The date of the alleged crime was
saturday evening, June %.
The Citizens Enraged.
1t is said Homer would surely have been
lynched had he been caught by the posse
of enraged citizens who started to look for
him IN a very short time after the young
lady reached home and related the story Of
the assault. Later on when the officers
captured Homer it is said she identified
him as her asSailant. The prisoner would
have been taken from the jail Monday
night, the Both instant, by mob which
had gathered for that purpose, but he was
spirited away to this city by the sheriff.
Homer who is a lad about sixteen years of
age, refuses to be interviewed. but he de-
MED guilt to his keepers In the jail. The
militia will guard the prisoner during the
trial and also after the verdict is rendered
If 1t appears that his life will then be in
danger from the mob.
Ordered Observance of Law.
Mayor Simpson this morning directed
Lieut.. Smith to take a squad of men and
notify the residents on King street to COM
ply with the law which went into effect
July providing for the tapping of sewers
by all property owners on that street.
Lieut.. Smith was directed to inform the
residents that they would be fined in the
police court if they did not attend to the
| or hefnra Eri1av No
will be made in the case of tenants who
will be treated as property owners, and
whatever claim they may have against the
landlords in case Of fine will have to be
settled among themselves.
Commenting on the matter Mayor Simp-
son said the need of compliance with the
law was urgent, as the contractors are en-
gagged In working on the street, and are
| being constantly annoyed In their orera-
lions by the flow Of water from residences.
Although the law went into effect nearly a
month ago, and was duly advertised II Is
said very few of those concerned have paid
any attention to it, but the order Of Mayor
Simpson this morning will doubtless prove
speedily effective.
Police Court Docket.
Several cases were disposed of by Mayor
Simpson in the police court this morning.
| Elsie Brown, charged with keeping a dis
| orderly house. fined $40, and on the
same charge Ollie Sykes was required to
|
| James Wade was assessed s., and for the
| same offense Ferdinand Patton got twenty
days on the gang. Charles Cash, colored,
! was before the court on the charge of as
saulting his wife Alice. The evidence
| showed that Charles was guilty of beating
his better half and the mayor imposed a
fine Of $40. A fine of s. was imposed on
Edward Butler for disorderly conduct and
| fighting on the street
Funeral of Mrs. Pollard.
Funeral services over the remains of Mrs
| Marian Pollard, whose death occurred Sat
urday afternoon, will be held this after
noon at o'clock at the residence of her
son, Mr. Frank ]. Pollard, 922 Cameron
street. Rev. J. p. Stump of the NJ. E.
Church South will offciate, and the inter-
ment. which will be private, will be made
in the Methodist Protestant cemetery. Mrs.
Pollard was seventy-three years of age,
and was the widow of Henry Pollard, for
merly leading merchant of this city,
who served with distinction as scout in
the confederate army. She is survived by
two chldren-Mr. F. j. Pollard and Miss
| Bette Pollard.
Bold Dash for Liberty.
| A colored man named Charles Watson,
| who was confined in a cell at the station
house on bread and water diet, yesterday
made vicious attack on Lieut.. Smith in
the endeavor to escape. On some pretense
the man was permitted to enter the cor
| ridor. where he suddenly grabbed up the
| iron ball attached to his leg and sprang at
the lieutenant. Deity avoiding the blow,
| the officer allowed the man to get out on
| the street, where he would lose the advan-
| tage Of close quarters in the corridor
| Here, with the assistance OF Mr.. Walter
Newton. the officer soon reduced the re-
| fractory prisoner to submission
Telegraph Operator Held Up.
]. J. Conley of this city, a telegraph OPP
orator at Waterloo Alexandria county, yes
terday notified the local police that he had
been held up and robbed in his Office Friday
night last by two unknown white men. One
| of the men thrust a revolver in his face
and compelled him to relinquish all the