The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-11-12
fRU|TL[SS CHASE
AFTER BLACK. f|E 4
attempted an Assault Upon Mrs.
Butter Taylor in Hanover.
ARMED POSSES IN SEARCH
A Helpless Woman Saves Herself from
Further Attack by Pistol Wh,cl,
Failed to shoot-lf Caught He
Would Not Live FOR Trial.

fspecial Dispatch to The T.mes,


BEAVER DAM, VA. November IL
The negro. Frank Johnson, who on Mon
day morning attempted a criminal as
saut upon Mrs. Butler Taylor at her
home three miles south of boswell. is
etill at large. and though since the crime
was committed q search. which has led
officers and citizens across Hanover
county and far iEro Louisa, more han
twenty miles from the scene OF the a 4.
there seems Tonight small Chances Oh
running the brute down within the next
few hours
Some time after nightfall the course
of the clue which led Constable heuo,
Thomas Taylor and Frank f1nis from
the ncighborhood OF the Taylor nome on
Into Louisa county, some five miles from
Tyier's Station on the Chesapeake ana
Ohio Railroad, was abandoned. ana Tue
tired wornout party Of determined iheh,
full of disappointment and smouiderihg
vengeance. turned again TOWARDS the!r
homes.
In Louisa to-day more than twenty men
armed with weapons Of every character.
searched the roads and by-paths Tor
long, lean. black negro, who was TO pay
the penalty of his crime With his NE
1t Is known that Johnson came IN ms
direction after committing the assault.
MS along the line a negro answering the
+ description was seen by more than one
person.
,se was seen below boswell crossing
the Chesa peake and Ohio tracks; below
Beaver Dam he was again heard OF, ana
at Beaver Dam a man of his type was
seen near the station about o'clock In
The afternoon by Mr.. Meade. &. carpen-
ter in the employ Of the railroad.
He was next heard OF as crossing Da-
venport's Bridge near Tyler's about .
o'clock the same evening. Here he was
lost, and the clue followed to-day could
carry the posse no further.
The belief in this section is that he is
son of a respectable colored man
named Charles Johnson. residing about
three miles from this place. but at John
sons home to-day Constable Redd made
particular inquiry and was satisfied that
the man hunted was not OF that family.
Johnson's sons were looked over, but
Mi. Fins. who can Identity the negro
wanted. said he was not in the number.
Tonight Redd. Taylor and Finis are
driving back to their homes in Hanover,
emo will on the morrow decide upon their
next course.
The party from Beaver Dam, who joined
in the search, leaving here about clock
this morning drove into thevillage shortly
after 10 O'Clock. tired lot Of men and
faded LOT Of horses. They told of the
hunt through the county, and calmly
state that the negro, II captured and iden-
tilted. cannot live. A lynching would
hardly be the order OF proceeding, as the
negro would be shot full OF bullets before
this Formally could be gone through with.
Every man in the crowd was armed,
most of them carrying a couple of guns.
Some of those who returned to Beaver
Dam tonight were Constable Redd, Tllos.
Taylor, brcther-in-law of Mrs. Butler
Taylor, the negro's victim; Frank FINS,
w. %. Terrell. Jr.. c. B. Moss and others.
Mi. George i1aw. Commonwealth Attor
ney of Hanover county. vas at Beaver
Dam all the afternoon. but as the posse
Lad not returned and no word had come
from them, ne was in the dark as 10 the
situation.
Mr. IIaw came here to prevent il pos
siblc any violence, and assured those cit
liens with whom he talked that should
the negro be captured the laws course
would be speedy The neSro's crime has
lad a dangerous effect upon the citizens
OF the Immediate section in which 1t was
committed, and these men openly swear
the law Will have no part In his punish
tnellt.
There is no wild. boastful spirit Of Ven
Eeance among them. but they are deter
,.ined. and will not be thwarted in their
1u1pose. AS TO the negro s identity, since
Tie Johnson family, near this place, has
l,ecn cleared of SUSPICION there is some
doubt il the name. Frank Johnson, as
gwen Monday night to the Taylor family
by Mr.. Phillips, a contractor of the Ches-
aueake and Ohio Railroad, for whom the
negro had worked several days near Dos
we'll is correct.