The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-07-23
Account From Chester.


In the following special. received last
night, the correspondent OF Tho Times
Dispatch at Chester, gives a vivid ac-
count of the happenings of Tuesday:
Mrs. r., W. Thompson. living near nn.
"Bclwood's in this county, a WIDOW
of sixty or moro years, wa attacked YES les.
tcrday afternoon about 4:S0 p. NJ. In her
1iome and tho same negro attacked and
robbed Misses Thurs,on and Clement on
later, short distance from Cehtralla
Station.
story of her awful experience. she says
she had returned from hospital ~
Richmond, whore she had gone TO- be
treated the same day about, noon: mat
while her tenant. Mr.. Willie Sadler. had
gone in the field to plow. About 4 z NJ;
she arose and went on the shady side or
her house and sat in the door. whlci,
opened Immediately on the yard without
q porch and WAS reading n paper and cn-
joying the fresh air, when a burly negro
of short. stout stature, between a black
and mulatto wearing an old black suit
and black SLOUGH hat, approached within
n few feet of her before she was aware
Of him and ASKED that a, she e. siye him ms som me-
Just arrived home, and that the man on
the place had eaten all in the house at
dinner and there was nothing to Civ
him. He turned and started to go away,
came back and asked for. a drink Of cool
water. when she told him n, he &c. could .7.I get
about twenty feet from the door. His re-
turn and his peculiar forbidding counter
ance aroused her suspicion and this
caused her to watch his movements
closely.
He drew the water and drank from the
bucket and she concluded that It would
be better to show no fear a. BY BY; retiring 70
eyed him. After he had drank. he re-
turned by the door, and when about two
steps away and opposite, her, he sprang
floor, telling her that if She made any
noise he would kin her. She screamed
with all her might, and he seized her
choking her 10 inscns!bility, when she
caught his underlip with ono of her
hands with all her might lighting him
off.
This caused him TO relax ono hand from
her throat. when she screamed again. Mr..
Sadler. In the field, heard her screams and
responded each time; and was nnloosinS
at her last scream he hallooed with all
his might, ''al right, ! am coming" The
brute evidently heard Sadier's last re-
Spouse. for. he then released his grasp
AN dram off, without accomplishing his
devlisll designs.
Mrs Thompson rushed from the house,
not having herself heard Sadler, and
started for the field. when Sadler came
up. and on hearing the matter ran in
tile direction the ficnd had gone. but not
getting sight Of him. he went to some
1eighbors. and they all began to hunt
for the negro with guns.
The negro elnded them by fleeing
II found his..way, to the electric rdad.
near Centralia, and was going south from
Mrs. TEombson's. When very near Cen
trala mile MIL, or more from his frst
Clement walking home from Centralia
on the electric road Miss Thurston had
Just had a five-dollar bill exchanged al
Centralia for small change. and had the
money in satchcl in he'd hand, Tho
negro passed them and Immediately turn
ed and grabbed tho satchel tearing. 1t
threw Miss Thurston to the ground, while
the negro took to the woods.
The Young ladies screamed, and ran back
TO the station in a brcathlcss condition,
and, as soon as they could tell the story,
SQUAD of citizens armed themselves
and started In pursuit, and continued the
search until night. without finding the
fiend.
The negro described by the young la
dies was,identical with the ore described
by Mrs. Thompson, and was doubtless the
same. The police authorities of Rich
mond. .Manchester and Petersburg We're
notified, and Messrs, Myers and Sadler
took the car for Petersburg at once and
walked. the track back TO Mrs, Thomp-
sons but did not see the man, and UP
10 this morning nothing was known here
II he has been caught, A rumor from
Centralla TINS afternoon says he has been
apprehended. but little reliance Is at
tached 10 IT,
The matter was reported to Sheriff w.
G. Gin this morning at Centralia who
was on his way to Richmond, prom-
Jlent colored man at Chester told me to-
day that lie suspected that this fiend
was the same man who entered Thomp-
sons house a few years ago, and robbed
st. and was caught and sent TO tile pen
jtentiary for two or three years. lilo
reasons that the negro having been re-
leased took this course for revenge, This
Is the first case Of assault ever recorded
IN this vicinity, and the public sense has
been aroused. and ] was told at Cen
tralia this morning that had the wretch
been caught he would have been shot or
swung up.
WelI-Known Ladies'.
All three OF the ladies' attacked are of
highly respected Northern settlers,