Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-06-16
TWO VICTIMS
OF A NEGRO
Negro Fiend In Somerset County
FeIoniousIy Assaults Two Ladies
Returning Home From Church.

Mrs. Gordon Barnes and Miss Frances
Powell. of near Kingston. Somerset
County, were feloniously assaulted by
negro while going home from church
last Sunday. The fiend escaped to Cape
Charles. Va, where he was followed
identified and captured.
The assault took place about o'clock
in the evening. Mrs. Barnes and Miss
Powell, the lS-year-old daughter of Mr..
Louis Powell. who was visiting Mrs
Barnes, had been to st. Marks Protest
ant Episcopal Church, at Kingston. and
were on their way home. Mrs. Barnes
was carrying baby. The ladies noticed
strange negro walking a short dis
tance ahead of them, but did not pay
much attention to him. AS they ap-
preached strip of wood, about 300
yards from Mrs. Barnes home. they
noticed that the negro had disappeared.
When they were about in the center
of the woods the negro with a long
knife in one hand and pistol in the
other jumped in the road and ordered
the ladies to go into the woods with
him. The ladies' at first attempted
flight. but were told by the negro that
he would cut their throats from ear to
ear if they refused to follow him or
made any outcry.
Crying and pleading for mercy and
trembling with fear, the women follow
ed the fiendish brute. He led them
deep into the woods. With his revolver
pointed at Miss Powell, the negro
assaulted Mrs. Barnes, who tainted
with fear. At every movement made
by Miss Powell that the negro thought
might he an effort to escape she was
told he would shoot her dead if she
tried to get away.
Then he attacked Miss Powell. She
resisted and was savagely beaten and
assaulted, after being stripped of her
clothing.
After the crimes We're committed the
negro tiend kept the two women in the
woods with him until about O'Clock at
night. when, after threatening them
with death if they made any outcry or
left the woods until he had made his
escape. the negro left them.
He made his way on foot to Rehoboth,
went to the Rehoboth Baptist Church,
where Children's Day services were in
progress, and stole the horse and car
riage of Mr.. Charles Briddell which he
found htched outside the church and
drove to Pocomoke City. After fasten-
ing the horse and buggy on the railroad
track at a crossing about one mile from
Pocomoke City, he boarded south
bound freight, which left there about
A. NJ, and landed in Cape Charles at
$50 Monday morning.
Hours before this, however, the en-
tire neighborhood had become acquaint-
ed with the details of the crime and
kilograms were sent to every station
between Pocomoke City and Cape
Charles warning the authorities to be
on the watch. So when the negro land
ed in Cape Charles he was arrested. al
though he put up hard fight.
Ii seems that on Sunday afternoon
mulatto was seen prowlng around the
home of Mr. Edward Townsend, near
Kingston, and after Mr.. Townsend and
his family had gone to church the house
was broken open and robbed. When
Mr.. Townsend heard of the arrest of
the negro in Cape Charles he went there
and identified the negro as the man he
had seen near his house.
When it was made known that the
negro had been caught and there is no
doubt about his being the man wanted
people in Somerset and Worcester coun-
ties began to talk of lynching. and when
it was announced that he would be
brought to Princess Anne, the county
seat of Somerset, and lodged in Jail to
await trial crowds. organized to meet
the train.
The man is strange negro, but has
been making Crisfeld his home for
about two months. He is considered a
bad negro. He was known by the name
of "Kid." but claimed his name was
William Simmons. He also said his
name was William Lee.
coNFEssEs CRIME.
On Monday the Governor of Virginia
sent two hundred soldiers to Eastvillc
to guard Lee against being lynched by
Marylanders who had gathered there
for the purpose. On Tuesday the negro
was conveyed by the troops to Norfolk,
where he will be held until his trial is
held in Somerset county, which will
come off at once, Judge Page having
called a special session of court to be
held next Wednesday.
The negro has confessed the crime to
the Sheriff of Northampton County.