The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-07-19
An ATTEMPTED ASSAULT.
YOUNG LADY ATTACKED ON THE
PUBLIC HIGHWAY.
The Brute Frightened off and Es-
capped But Was Finally Captured
and Lodged i'll Jail.
From the Daily Item, July Is.

! known negro man to criminally as
sault a young lady near Tisdale's old
saw mill. on the Mayesville public
road. about four miles from this city
Yesterday morning. She had gone
| to the artesian well at the old mill
accompanied by child five years of
age and was returning home, only a
short distance away, when She passed
a negro man. He spoke in passing but
seized her as soon as her back was
turned, She resisted desperately and
screamed for help. There being sew
era1 houses within calling distance the
negro became frightened and ran off
| in the direction of Belts saw mill
| (New. Sumter) less than a mile dis
tant.
The alarm was given and posses
organized at the mill to pursue two
negro men who had been seen to leave
the mill village shortly after the as
sault was attempted. Jim Taylor, .th~
| one that went in the direction Of the
Rocky Bluff mill, was captured short
lv afterwards and taken back to the
mill for Identification. The identif1-
cation not being satisfactory it was
thought best to hold him until the
other negro, who had gone in the di-
rection of Mayesville, could be cap
tured, and he was broughl here and
turned over to Sheriff Epperson to be
held as suspect There being good
deal Of wild talk on the streets and
various unfounded rumors of the pos
sibility of an attempt to lynch, which
on the face was improbable, as the
ones most concerned, were the. ones
who delivered Taylor TO the sheriff.
| After having him in their possession
| for several hours it was decided as
| precaution against contingencies, to
send Taylor to the penitentiary for
safe keeping. Sheriff Epperson ac-
cordingly carried him over to Colum-
bia on the $3.50 train last night. Tay-
lor was thoroughly terrified and when
Sheriff Epperson started to the depot
with him he fought with desperation
! and alarmed the town with his yels.
| The posse who was pursuing the
man who went toward Mayesville did
not overtake him, being informed
when they reached Mayesville that a
negro answering to the description OF
the one wanted had passed through
the town about II o'clock. They
wired ahead to Lynchburg and Tim
| monsville to the officers to be on the
watch for the negro.
The negro did not go beyond
Mayesville, but according to his own
account remained in the village for
several hours and then started towaro
ST.. Charles on the public road. A mile
or two out he attempted to break into
a house for the purpose Of robbing 1t
and was captured by two negroes who
carried him to Mayesville and deliv-
cred him to the town marshall. He
was locked up in the guard house.
where he remained until this morn
ing when two men came for him. He
was carried before the young lady
WHO positively identified him by the
clothes he wore. He had on red
striped shirt, cap ard a pair of gray
pants that exactly tailed with the de-
scription given by the young lady OF
his assault After being identified he
was taken into a swamp a short dis
tance from New Sumter and held ul-
der guard by two men. y committee
of five or six gentlemen came to town
to confer with Judge Purdy as 10
what would De the best course to p'lr-
sue. This was compromise course
between the two courses advocated,
some being for immediate lyncains
and others for a legal trial. ..'ae
wiser and cooler counsel prevailed
and the committee was sent to this
city while the negro was held as {.
hostage.
4
Judge Purdy met the committee and
| in a conference in which Senator r.
l. Manning and several members Of
the bar participated, Judge prroy in
| formed them that if the negro was de-
livered to the shc:'T h.; would cal
! the grand jury so meet We2nes1ar
morning and the court now L:ir.g III
session the case could be taken up
when the grand jury had acted.
This satisfied the committee and
they agreed to communicate with
those who were holding the negro and
advised them to surrender him. They