The Washington times., 1904-12-31
John Charged
With Vicious Attack
on Girls.
MEN SUSPECTED
Captive, However, Answers
Closely Description Given
by the Victim.

John Longstreet was arrested near Ar
lington Junction this morning about 2
O'Clock, on suspicion of being the man
who assaulted Miss Esther PeveriIl and
Miss Beulah Ebaugh Thursday night.
The man Stoutly asserts his innocence
Miss Ebaugh escaped with little worse
than bad fright, but her companion
was beaten into insensibility. and is still
suffering considerable pain from the
bruises inflicted by the brute who made
the attack. 1t was said today that her
nose was broken.
a big crowd of men and boys appeared
on the scene of the assault last night
and Joined in the search. Feeling ran
high, and threats of lynching were
heard on all sides
The capture was finally made by a
party in charge of Sheriff Palmer. who
went over to the Jackson-Phillips Brick
Company, which is situated at a little
place known as Waterloo" about a
quarter of a mile from where the as
sault was made
Found Longstreet Asleep.
Lying out in one of the buildings they
found Longstreet asleep. Longstreet is
man who has anything but a good rep
utation in the neighborhood He is not
regularly employed at the brick yard,
but spends most of his time there and
at other brick yards picking up odd jobs
When questioned about his past record
1ongstreet admitted that he had been
arrested and tried in Culpeper for
housebreaking, but said the charges
were not proved.
Yesterday after recovering from ths
nervous shock incident 70 the friglS In.
young ladies said that they could not Tel
exactly whether their assaiiaut was :
negro or a white man with a soot-be
grineed face. When Longstreet wa.
found in the brick yard he was taken foi
negro at first, and his captors sait
that a good washing was necessary be
fore his color could be ascertained witt
any certainty
His description answered exactly t,
that given by the two girls Early thi.
morning Miss Ebaugh was Informed
that a man had been arrested and Gh,
was asked to identify him If possible
Longstreet and four men from the Grove
were taken before her, and she was ASK
+! ed which one resembled her assailan
! the most. She at once pointed out Long
| street and said, "He looks like tie man
but 1 will not state positively whethe
! il was he or not"
Scratched About the Face.
In struggling with her assailant be
| fore she was rendered unconscious by
q terrible blow in the face, Miss Peve-
rill says she scratched him about the
face and neck with her hands Long
street has one or two scratches on hi.
| face and several on his neck. He say:
ne did this himself.
The accused man attempted to prove
an alibi- He asserted that between 8 anc
house of Foreman Henry, of the Jack
| son-Philipps Brick Company. HI
| claimed that he carried several bag!
| of coal and did not leave Henry's nous,
/ until 10 o'clock. This, according to hi
contention, proved his innocence, as tn
assault was made about $50.
Longstreet Contradicted-
However, Mr.. Henry said today tha
fLongstreet brought him one bag OF Goa
and left about ten minutes after
O'Clock. and started back in the direc
| ton Of the car track where the assault
occurred The distance is not yer,
great, and he could have reached tn
car track five or ten minutes before III
crime was committed.
The man denied having ever seen tn
! gunny sack picked up by Mr.. Ebaugl
and known TO have been dropped by IN
brute when he jumped upon the girls
He had a sack with him when arrested
This morning Mr.. Ebaugh mixed u
three or four sacks with the one foun
near the assault and the one foun
with Longstreet, and he was asked L
pick out his. He easily selected the on
which he claimed was his property.
Taken to Fort Myer.
Sheriff Palmer carried the prisoner I
For Myer courthouse, where he Wi
be held pending a further investigated
OF the case. Those who conducted III
search do not feel sure they have tn
right man, and are still following othe
clues which they think viii prove NOR
successful.
a negro man, answering the descrip
tion perfectly. is under suspicion H
works il the vicinity of Arlington juno
ton. and is known to have been on
from o'clock Thursday night until
lo'clock FriGay morning. He seemed t
be Eery nervous yesterday, and wa
scratched about the face In two or thre
places. He claimed that his cat scratch
ed him
This man will probably be arreste
tonight. The two suspected men wll
then be carried before Miss PeverilI an
Miss Ebaugh for identification Mis-
PeVerill was sent TO her home yester
day. 1t Is thought she will be able t
| De out IN a day or So AS soon as Sh
becomes stronger the two men Will d
brought before her and her companion
and between them 1t is believed they ca
positively identify the right man
Last night one of the celebrated blood
hounds of American Branch of Suffolk
arrived at Arlington Junction in charg
OF 5. L. Branch, a son of 'Hurrican
Branch, and the dog was im.ncdiateI
taken to the scene OF the crime Twic
he struck a trail. and both times tn
hound went straight to the house O
| Horace Reeves, who lives near Bricl
| Haven. There was no one in this house
| however. against whom the slightes
suspicion could De attached.