The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-03
Advertiser Bureau,
 

| Advertiser Bureau, | Mobile, Feb. 2.
 For several months past Mobile has
 from time to time been aroused over the
 doings of so-called Jack, The Sapper" | who attacked defenseless women and
 young girls asleep in their homes. For l some time these outrages were confined
 to certain portion of the south part l or the city. but now and then reports l of similar doings came from the western l portion of the city. The northern part of ] the city, known as Orange Groce" l seemed fortunate in escaping the scoun- drel. He came. however. to that portion
 of the city at the hour of o'clock yes-
 terday morning and a 16-year-old girl, | Miss Emma Hardin. was his victim | Seen by The Advertiser representative l this morning. Miss Hardin related the | following as her experience with the 'Slapper:''
 T was asleep in bed in my room in the northeast part of our home. at the northeast corner of Adams and Concep- ton Streets. In the bed with me was an aged lady, a friend of my mother, Mrs Emma F. Hardin and my younger sister. I was lying with my head to the foot of the bad and close to the south window of the room. My mother, little brother and another sister. were in
 bed across the room from us. Suddenly
 l was partly awakened by a stunning blow on the side of the head and on the
 left shoulder. I cried out and my mother. | awakening. came to the bed and found that l had large swelling over the left temple and great pain in the shoulder and arm"
 Miss Hardin. who Is Is years of age. is an employe of the Southern Bell Tele- phone and Telegraph Company and comes to her home from work at 6 o'clock in the evening. She stated that for some time previous to Christmas she had noticed | negro following her and fearing that he
 meant no good she had her mother to | report the matter to the police. After that for several evenings and mornings she was followed at some distance by an officer. but the negro had evidently got | ten wind of this and kept away. The night after the policeman ceased his vigil the negro again followed her. but | not so close as on the previous occasions. | Saturday night she saw the negro at the | corner where she resided and told her mother of it.
 When the mother was awakened and | found her daughtevr had been injured she sent for a doctor, who came as speedily as possible and examined the | girl. He found that she had been struck.
 
 | ment on the left side of the head, six teenth of an inch above the temple, and also on the left arm, as described. Had | the allow fallen fraction lower on the side of the head said the doctor the girl | would unquestionably have been killed. As it was, he said, the fact that the scoundrel only had a small space in
 which to swing his weapon, saved the girls life.
 Investigation of the premises showed that the miscreant had gone into the rear | yard and secured an axe and brick. He then came around the house. on the | sidewalk and went into the small yard, | facing on Adams Street, went inside and, with the axe. prized the window open, raised the sash and placed the brick un- der it. When the girl moved he evident | ly became frightened and then dealt the blow or blows. The attending doctor | said it might be possible the blow on the shoulder and arm may have been the i glance of the weapon used to infict the | injury on the side of the forehead. Miss Hardin described the man who | had followed her as being a tall negro apparently about n years old. wearing rough clothes, and long peaked cap resembling somewhat a golf cap In shape | She would know him If she should again see him. She told of the same negro having followed her and Miss Mamie Car ney. who lives diagonally across tho street | from her. while they. with three other | girls were going to Trinity Episcopal Church one Sunday night to meet Mrs. | Hardin and escort her home from Ser vices. She stated that one part of the house was occupied by l.. Rayford and
 wife, both of whom were in their room | early in the night and who were asleep | and had to be aroused after the attack. Mrs. Hardin stated the same substantial | ly.
 Miss Mamie Carney was also seen and she told of the negro following the quin- | tette and described him exactly as did | Miss Hardin. Mrs. Carney. who was pre- sent during the conversation. stated that | the same negro had frequently been
 noticed by her and her daughters hang ing around the neighborhood and that one time he passed her house and one of her daughters was on the gallery
 which is on the edge of the sidewalk. He | accosted the girl who called the mother Mrs Carney seized pistol and ran out | The negro had gone some distance, but she followed him, hoping to get a shot at him.
 A telephone message was sent to police headquarters yesterday morning and of- fcers are searching for the scoundrel There was considerable excitement in the vicinity of where the attack was made. General Chaffee's Visit. General Chaffee and staff. comprising Colonel Lvermore, Major Harrison. Cap 1 tain Lindsey, Lieutenant Harper and
 Private Secretary Howell. who arrived in | Mobile after midnight Sunday morning, went to Fort Morgan yesterday morning on the government engineers boat,
 Maude. for an inspection of Forts Morgan and Gaines They returned late last
 night and left early this morning for
 Pensacola, where they go to inspect Fort Barancas.
 There was much speculation in the city
 as to the object of the visit of General