The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1905-01-26
TERRIBLE CRIME OF A NEGRO.
Mrs. J. E. Harper, of Reno, is AS
sauIted by a Fiend with an AK.

ly began securing the neighborhood.
James Murray, who lives in that sec-
too of the valley. was the first to see
him. He communicated the fact to Mr..
Hazlett and Mr.. Ball They got into a
vehicle and rode up the river, first arm
ing themselves.
They discovered him wading the river
to the north bank. They drove across
the electie light bridge and got another
sight of him. Murray and Hazlett each
took two long distant shots at him and
the negro hid in the brush. When they
approached his hiding place Hazlett
called out to him, "Throw up your hands
you - - and come out of
there"
Reeves said, 81 give up" and surren-
dered himself.
The suspect seemed coel and uncon-
cerned and asked ftr chew of tobacco
with an air of bravado. Later he said,
"Do you think they will hang meH'
From the time Reeves was captured
until he WAS landed with Linderman and
Regan on board special train bound
for the pententiary at Carson City,
Sheriff Farrell and his deputies were
planning to defeat the carrying cut Of
the plans being made by the people to
deal swift justice to the cur who made
the brutal assault upon Mrs Harper.
The sheriff chartered special train
from the Y. & T. at 4:50, and with
the negro aud two other prisoners man
acled together, he loaded them into a
carriage aud with the District Attorney
Craig and reputies Caeghln, Maxwell
and Bramen, he dashed south on Virgin
In street To the old race track, where the
train, which had just arrived from Ca
son, WAS in readiness. Tee men were
hastily placed ahosfd and with the
sheriff and two deputies in charge they
steamed rapidly toward Gurson.
On reaching Carsot the train did not
st..p until near the prison, and here all
tbtee prisoners were lodged for tempor-
ary safe keeping.
The black fend that committed the
assault on Mrs Harper related in detail
tie manner in which be entered the
home Of the defenseIess woman and
struck her down with heavy ak. lie
makes m effort to shield himself, but de-
clares he had no intention of robbi'.g
the house or assanting Mrs. Harper.
saving he does rot know why he acted
as he did. 10 making his ct nfession he
said:
81 went to the home of Mrs. Harper
early Friday morning, aud after standing
about the house fof few moments saw
that all was quiet then went to the
wood shed an secured the ak, pr;ed up
the window 10 one Of the rooms and
crawlel into the house. The room that
| entered was unoccuped and after |
listening for a few moments to see that
no one knew of my presence, l walked
into the room where Mrs. Harper and
the children were sleeping. l carried
the AK aud walking over to the bed L
SWING it with both hands and struck
the woman on the head with the pole
end. She uttered scream aud then
Law unconscious. The children awaken
ed but before they could get out of bed
| dragged the woman into the next
room and after waiting for moment |
carried her from the front door to the
wood shed, where | threw her on the
floor. then hogan to fear that some
one had heard me, so | ran from the
ward and made my way up the river,
where crawled into hay stack.
I slept there for several hours and when
I awoke it was daylight. | crawled
from the hay and started up the stream
again, walking around the hill, when a
man with gun started after me. | ran
and he fired several tines at me. | ran
to the river and swan it and tried to
hide myself in the brush, but the fellow
caught me and took me to Reno, where
| was placed in jail
When asked if he had been at the
house the previous night and had at
tempted to break in he evaded the ques-
ton and then said that he probably was
there.
How the fend ever lived too see ,hc
back of prison bars seems almost mir.
aele, for the justly indignant people were
bent on taking the law in their ewn
hands. Had il not been for the de-
termined stand taken by the sheriff the
wretch ere this would probably be dang
ling from the end of a rope The crowd
that demanded the life of the scoundrel
was made up of some OF the most re.
spectacle business men of Reno.
Mr. Harper, husband of the assaulted
woman, is well known III Battle Noun
tain, he having been on the road for the
hardware house OF Baker IL Hamilton