The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-09-13
BLOW IN THE DUSK
A Young Girl Followed
and Stabbed.
AS She Falls to the Ground Scream
ing the Negro Who AssaiIed
Takes to His Heels and
Escapes.
Escapes.

Especial to The News and Observer
Asheville, N. c., Sept 12.-One of
the boldest and most dastardly crimes
that has been committed in this city
for years occurred Saturday evening
shortly after o'clock, when negro
stabbed Miss Ida Bias, young white
woman of this city, while she was
walking along Woodfn street return
ing to her home after her days work.
Miss Bias for the past two years
has been engaged at the Salamanca
Steam Laundry as marker. Saturday
evening she left the laundry about
o'clock and started to walk to her
home in the northeastern portion OF
the city, going by way Of Woodfin
street-a street that is thickly popu-
| lated and where there are numerous
electric lights While going down
| Oak street she noticed a negro fol-
| lowing and upon reaching Woodfin
street she decided to go into one of the
| houses for protection. 1t was then
that she was suddenly struck in the
right side and felled to the ground.
Badly frightened and suffering from
the effects of the blow she lay for an
instant and then screamed. AS she
| was struck she saw her asailant start
| to run and recognized him as negro,
but does not think she would be able
| to identify the man should she see
| him again. Regaining her feet Miss
| Bias hurried to the residence of DR..
| Briggs, close by and laid a bundle that
| she was carrying on the step. AS she
| did so she noticed blood on the wrap
per and for the first time realized that
| she had been stabbed She was given
medical attention and sent to her
| home Investigation of the wound re-
| ha ho hppD %
| by a small knife blade but it is not
| thought the blade penetrated suff-
! GENTLY deep to infiict dangerous
wound and that barring complications
the young lady will soon recover
/ Within a few minutes after the at
! tack the police officers were notified
| and went to work on the case. There
was no clue to thelnegro's identity and
| there is hope that he will be appre-
| hended Miss Bias says she merely
| knows that he is "a negro but would
not recognize him should she see him
again.
Proprietor Caney Brown, of the
| Swannanoa Laundry, said yesterday
that Miss Bias had been in the en-
ploy of his establishment for the past
two years; that she was young WO-
man of high character and retiring
disposition. One theory advanced for
the cause of the attack is that the
negro intended robbery and seeing
that the young woman was going to
enter the house and elude him be-
came Infatuated and instantly plunged
the knife into her Other than this
| there is no reason save pure ana
unadulterated devilish desire to inflict
| injury or show the brute nature. y
reward for the Negroes apprehension
| has been offered by Mr.. Brown.
Gudger and Ew2rt Joint Canvass.
| The joint campaign between Con-
| gresham J. NJ. Gudger Jr., Demo-
crat, and Judge H. G.. Ewart. Repub-
| lican, candidate for Congress from
| this the Tenth Congressional District,
opened at Brevard today with large
crowd in attendance. The speakers
were in good fettle and the joint dis
| cusson of the issues Of the campaign
| Listened to with interest Those who
| heard the speaking declare that Mr..
Gudger had things practically his own
| way. Judge EWart attacked Mr..
| Gudger's support of the bill for gov
eminent road building but made fiat
failure If the result OF today's dis
cussion is to be taken as an example,
| Congressman Gudger will have little
| trouble in convincing the voters of the
Tenth that Judge Ewart is not the
| man to represent them in the Con-
! SreSS OF the On1teC states. FROM Il
! Democratic standpoint the political
situation in this district is all that
could be desired and the hopes of the
| Republicans to carry the Tenth have
| already been shattered. 1t is declared
| by Democrats that the present Con-
| gresham will be reelected by many
times the majority of two years ago,
when he defeated the late Congress-
man Moody. the strongest man the
Republicans had in the district
An Asheville gentleman who spent
Saturday at Alexander tells of a slight
wreck at that place Thursday night
when a Southern conductor came near
| losing his life. A freight had pulled
/ into the station and had been waiting
some time for a train to pass. The
| conductor of the freight had been
quietly resting in his cab and becom-
| ing tired had gotten up and walked
to the platform and stepped Off
Scarcely had he gone ten steps when
an engine plunged into the rear of
| the train, tearing the cab up and
damaging two other cars. The cab
was so badly torn up that it is almost
certain had the conductor been inside
| he would have been killed.