The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1905-01-28
A NEGRO FIEND.
Brutal and Murderous Attack on
Mrs. j. Z. Harper at Reno.

Mrs. j. Il. Harper at Keno.
Mrs. J. E. Harper hes in u hospital
in Reno with her skull crushed and
near to death, as the result of a brutal
attack made upon her Friday morning
of last week by a black brute named
Levi Weber, alias Eli Reeves, an ex.
convict.
Early Friday morning Weber went
to the Harper house and gained an en-
trace by prying open a window with an
ak. He entered the room where Mrs.
Harper and her three children were
sleeping, and struck the woman on the
head with the back Of the ak, crushing
her skull. The mothers scream as she
was struck awakened the children, but
before they realized what had hap
pened, Weber grabbed the unconsci-
Gus woman and dragged her into an
other room. The children began to
cry and the negro threatened to kill
them. He then dragged the helpless
mother from the house to the w~oodshed,
when Evelyn, about 9 years of age and
the oldest child, grabbed her little
brother and sister by the hands and
hurried from the house, calling loudly
for help. A neighbor heard her and
fastened to the scene, but the negro
had also heard the children's alarm and
ran from the yard and escaped.
The children gave a good description
of the fellow and in a short time posses
were searching in all directions for him.
Officer Cadle and a boy named Hazlett
at last captured him in some willows
along the Truckee River and took him
to the Reno Jail. A mob o gathered
and demanded that he be turned over
to them. Sheriff Ferrill resisted and
arrested DIR. II. H. Hamlin. a WELL
known optician, for melting the mob to
violence.
Later it was given out that Reeves
was not the right person and the mob
dispersed to search for the guilty man.
Sheriff Ferrill and ten deputies took
this opportunity to hurry Reeves, muir
derer Linderman and Dan Regan, ac-
cused of numbering his mother-in-law,
from the Jail to a special train which
conveyed them to Carson City aud the
State Prison for safe keeping.
Later, a rum or spread that Weber
had confessed and hundreds of infuri-
ated citizens surrounded the Jail. and
would not disband until two different
committees had searched the prison and
found the negro gone.
when taken from the Jail. but after he
was several miles out of Reno on the
train, his fears subsidized and he con
fessed his crime and described the event
with sickening detail to the officers who
were taking him to Carson.
The people of Reno are still greatly
excited and it is openly threatened that
if Weber is taken back he will be
lynched.
Mrs. Harper has regained conscious
ness and her recovery is probable un.
less Inflammation Of the brain sets in.
She has not yet been allowed to speak
of the trouble for fear of excitement.
Mr.. Harper is well known in Eureka,
having visited here many times as the
representative of the hardware firm of
Baker g. Hamilton. He is now con-
Quoting a store at Loyalton, where he
was when the terrible assault vas made
upon his wife.
Weber is a bad niger. He has
been several times in Jail and about two
weeks ago finished a term in the peni.
Tertiary for selling whisky to Indians.
The limit of the punishment hat can
be melted out to him for his heinous and
murderous assault on Mrs. Harper is IA
years. The present Legislature will be
asked to make such crimes punishable
by death, and a petition to that end is
now being circulated in the State.