Hattiesburg daily progress. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 18??-1909, 1903-05-01
Has Been Identified By His Intended Victim,
Perline HargrOye and Two Others.
WALTER LEE, THE NEGRO, Is UNDER ARREST.
The Detectives Found Him on Pontotoc ST
and q Hurried Trial Followed--Intense
Feeling Among Citizens.

Memphis, April 0U.-O0o OF the
most atrocious and daring attempts of
an assault ever planned in the brain
of negro fiend came near being con-
summated in Pontotoc street yesterday
afternoon, and today Walter Lee is in
Jail, with the serious charge of at
tempted criminal assault entered
against his name on the trial docket
at the police station.
The crime is all the more vile, in
asmuch as the victim was an Swear old
girl, little Pearline Hargrove, who
lives at 347 Linden street with her
mother, Mrs. Fannie Hargrove. The
attempt was made yesterday after
noon, and this morning at II 10 De-
tectives Hurst and Cox, who we're de-
tailed by the chief to get the negro,
brought him into the station house.
The story is one that makes one
wonder what white people in this COM
munity are to do to protect them
selves from the rising generation CT
"dude niggers'' that GO prowling
around seeking to prey on defenseless
white women and girls.
Yesterday afternoon, according to
the statements of the child, the negro,
Walter Lee, met them on Linden
street, at the alley near Mayor Will
liams house. He was dressed we'll
and carried a switch cane. Little
Pearline Hargrove had with her a
negro girl, the daughter of the cook at
the house of Mayor Williams, and
they were stopped by Lee. He told
them to meet him at the mouth of
the alley on Pontotoc street and he
would give them something pretty.
They went, child like, and there the
negro met them, and dragged the
white child into the shelter of the
fence.
The little child screamed and the
negro girl with her ran and shrieked
at the top of her voice. This attract
ed the attention of the cook in the
kitchen of Mr.. Williams house, aud
looking over the back partition fence
she saw the brutal attempt. Yelling
to the negro she started after the lit
tie girl, and Lee ran.
TAKEN QUICKLY TO JAIL.
Last night Mayor Williams phoned
the police station, and asked that de-
tectives be put on the case. He was
able to give the police good descrip-
tion of the negro. He was blind in
one eye and had a terrible scar on
his face that reached from chin to eye
The detectives went out after him
and this morning took the dude OH
Pontotoc street. He was very indig-
nant, and claimed that he knew moth
ing and had hurt no one. He was
taken to the little girl, his wouldbe
victim, and at the sight of Lee she
screamed and said it was he. The
negro cook recognized him and stated
positively that Lee was the man.
The negro girl said that it was the
man, and, Furthermore, the descrip-
tion that Mayor Williams gave to the
police fitted to a nicely.
He was hustled to the station house
in hurry, and warrant was sworn
out before Justice Frank W. Davis,
charging Lee with attempted crimi-
nal assault. Inside of ten minutes
after the hearing, in which the negro
had nothing to say, Deputy Sheriff
Jos. Farnbaker was on his way to the
county Jail with the prisoner. There
was no chance to be mistaken in the
man, and the police were not anxious
to hold him very long at the police
: station. There is bitter feeling
among the citizens of that section of
the city, and the station house is not
q bastile that would stand storming
by determined lot of men if they
should take notion to take the negro
ont.