The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-05-27
TENSE EXCITEMENT
IN PHILADELPHIA
Whole City aroused by
Brutal assault.
NEGRO NOT YET CAPTURED
Young White Art Student Attacked in
Fairmout Park Tuesday Evening,
Is Slowly Recovering.
NEGRO NOT YET CAPTURED

PHILADELPHIA, May 27.-PhiladeI-
pha is aroused TO pitch Of intense ex-
element over the details OF an assault
committed by an unknown negro on a
young white girl in Fairmont Park
Tuesday evening, and the continued
failure of the police TO capture the
criminal. The girl-Johanna Mueller.
an art Students still under the care
Of physicians. but has so far recovered
that she has been able to relate the
horrible details of the crime. Every
new disclosure adds TO tho general in
dIgnation, and the newspapers have re-
sponded with editorials phrased in ex-
IRENE terms. urging that abundant re-
ward be offered and that every depart
ment of the city government unite in
the search until the negro has been
taken.
Mss Mueller is the daughter of Au-
sust n J. Mueller an artist and
hthogra pher, of 2314 Poplar Street She
is a frail girl. slightly lame. and in
the course Of her study ir art has be-
come an adept at making out-of-doors
Sketches in oil
Had Gone Sketching.
She had gone to Fairmont Park Tues
day evening to sketch and was packing
Up her easel at the shore end OF the
Lynch Island Bridge when she observed
a negro standing still and staring at her.
He was pretty good-looking colored
man. not the kind you would suspect"
she says. but somehow 1 felt afraid of
him.
Il would have run across the bridge
before he crossed but there is a hole
in one Of The planks. ] was afraid OF
that and afraid he might grab me and
throw me into the canal
The negro is described as being light
colored. Of medium height. stockily
built. and about twenty-six years old.
He wore a light suit and a blue cap.
The natural seclusion Of the scene OF
the crime favored the outrage Lynch
Island IS long. narrow strip of land
following the curve of the west bank OF
the SchyulkiIl just below Columbia
Avenue Bridge. IL IS separated by a
canal from the bank and is connected q
shore by a bridge that formerly led to a
steamboat landing on the island Near
11his bridge the assault was committed.
The island is covered with a rank
growth Of weeds and small clumps of
scrub.
Unnoticed for an Hcur.
There is guardhouse on the West
Drive a short distance above the bridge
but the guard leaves at o'clock After
that the drive is practically deserted.
The Belmont pumping station IS not far
from the north end of the island. En-
pioyes there say they were overlooking
the island during respites in their worl
between and o'clock, the time wher
Miss Mueller was attacked. None heard
the outcry or saw the negro. Crews OF
the Malta and Vesper Boat Clubs were
on the river nearby, but heard nothing
OF the struggle.
II was fully an hour before the CIR
recovered consciousness after the at
tack She thinks the negro was stand
ing on shore watching her then. and
that he walked of in the direction OF
Guard Avenue. Almost another hour
elapsed while Miss Mueller, in agony
and with her clothing torn TO shreds
dragged herself up the steep slopes &c
Guard McLoughlin's station. She wds
taken to "A station at Belmont and
Parkside Avenues, where, between at
tacks OF hysteria, she told the revolving
stcry.
time to such good advantage that NJ
trace was left behind TO threaten hi:
A meeting Of the city councils wal
held Yesterday especially 20 consider
h. this case. and a reward Of 500 was Of
tfered for the capture of the criminal
Ut vas further proposed 20 appropriate
kI5.00O for additional park guards in the
Summer. All the members of the coun
cils were clearly wrought UP over thu
occurrence and expressed themselves
freely.