Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1904-03-31
WOMAN ASSAULTED
BY 4 NEGRO.
MRS. CoRDELIA LEAP, FELLED ON
GLOUCESTER COUNTY HIGH
WAY, AND ASSAULTED.

ter county last Sunday morning L. is an
old crime in some sections Of the country,
hut new here. Mrs Leap i a widow. aged
As years. and is housekeeper for her son
Harry, who resides half mile north Of
Swedesboro on the Woodbury. turnpike.
Her blackened eyes and big bruise back Of
the left ear show where the black fend
used his fists. Mrs. Leap was seen at
home on Monday by representative
of the DEMOCRAT, and gave the following
account of the encounter -
with my six-Year-old granddaughter,
Rebecca. Howey, who lives at Gloucester,
j started from Swedesboro about 1890
O'Clock on Saturday night to walk to my
home | had met the child at the station,
as she was coming to visit me,
lsWe walked along the Swedesboro turn
pike until we came to the toll gate, which
is half way between the town and my
home. There, standing in the shadow
cast by the gate house light, l saw col
ored man. He was about twenty-five
years old, and fairly well dressed. He
wore long brown coat like macintosh
and Derby hat 1 could not see his face
distinctly.
The man did not come into the light,
and he looked at me so queerly that / be-
came scared, and decided to wait until he
moved away before we continued along the
read He did not move for several minu-
tes, but kept looking at me.
After while he must have seen that
vas timid, for he walked along the road
s-vhiahs -eseeses 4rnain road ST slzaa Ts;nt..
Then Rebecca and / started on toward
bome.
When we were within hundred yards
of home, and short distance from the
house of Cooper Kirby, which stands back
from the road, the same colOred man sud-
denly jumped out Of the bushes at the side
Of the pike and tried to grab me.
II screamed and started to run back
toward the toll gate, but he overlook me
and caught me by the throat with one
hand and the shoulder by the other.
cried for help, and he hit me in the face,
blackening my eyes. He was very strong,
for he threw me into the ditch at the side
Of the road and told me that If did not
keep quiet he would kill me.
II called to Rebecca to run away, and
find some one to help me. but he laughed
and said, oh, she can't find anybody. )
Every time / struggled be struck me back
of the ear He hit me so three times.
think he was trying to knock me senseless
II begged him to let me 60, but he only
ieered at me- thought / could frighten
him by saying that my husband was fol-
lowing me along the road, but he said,
with an oath:
NO you don't. You can't scare me. !
know you and you are no married woman.
If you make any more noise viii kill you
right where you are.
1T was these words about me not being
married that makes me think the man is
the same who was formerly employed by
one OF my sons as farm hand The man
now lives in Woodstown, which is about
four miles from here.
After keeping me prisoner for ten
minutes he released me and turned down
the road toward Woodbury., saying: Good
bye. I'm going to Woodbury.. II You say
anything will kill you
"a few minutes later Rebecca came back
with Joseph Shiveler, who lives in the
neighborhood. Rebecca had awakened him
and he had come to my assistance as fast
as he could with his gun. But it was too
late to catch that fiend.
while was telling Mr.. shiveler what
had happened, AtIey Tighe drove up in his
farmers wagon Mr.. shiveler told him of
: the affair and he drove off for Swedesboro
to arouse the authorities, while Mr.. Shiy-
eler took me home. I was hYsterical,
guess. The whole thing is 50 awful that
il seems like a nightmare
Tighe, upon reaching swedesbcro, ncti-
fed Garrison, the county detective, who,
with several men and women, he aroused,
set off to the scene Of the encounter By
the aid Of lanterns the colored man was
tracked across ploughed field to another
road. The shape Of the shoes worn by the
man were peculiar and the footprints were
easily followed until the macadam road
was reached. The man had gone West,
which is in the direction Of Paulsboro