Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-12
VICTIMS RAVISHED
TWO WOMEN FELoN1oUsLY AS
sAULTED By A NEGRO.

Mrs. Gordon Barnes of Kingston, Md. is
in critical condition and Miss Frances
Powell Of Marumsco. Md. is thought to be
dying as result OF criminal assault
upon them Sunday afternoon by a negro
known as Kid" but whose name is said
to be William Simmons or William Lee.
Not only Somerset county. but the whole
OF that section of the peninsula is afiame
with horror and indignation at the crime
1t would take a regiment of soldiers to
save the brute from being literally torn to
pieces If he should fall into the hands of
the people. They were looking for him all
day, hoping he would come in on train,
on his way to the jail at Princess Anne.
1t Is safe to say that he would never have
reached 1t. The negro Is now In Jail at
Cape Charles City, Va, to which place he
was traced and arrested yesterday. Soon
after his arrest it was thought he would
be taken to Princess Anne at once but he
understood all about the requisition laws.
and refused to go without requisition
papers.
Women Assaulted After Church.
The assault took place about 6 O'Clock
Sunday evening. Mrs. Barnes and Miss
Powell, the eighteen-year-old daughter of
Mr.. Louis Powell. who was visiting Mrs.
Barnes. had been to church at Kingston,
and were on their way home. Mrs Barnes
was carrying baby. The ladies noticed
a strange negro walking a short distance
ahead, but did not pay much attention to
him AS they approached strip of wood,
about 800 yards from Mrs Barnes home,
they noticed that the negro had disappear
ed.
When they were about In the center of
the woods the negro, with a long knife in
one hand and q pistol in the other Jumped
in the road and ordered the ladies to 60
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 trem-
Ding with fear. the women followed, the
hendish brute laughing at his victims
pleas He led them deep into the woods
With his revolver pointed at Miss Powell,
the negro assaulted Mrs. Barnes, who faint
ed with fear. AT every movement made by
MISS Powell that the negro thought might
be an effort to escape she was told he
would shoot her dead IL she tried to get
away. Then he attacked Miss Powell She
resisted and was savagely beaten and as
saulted.
After the crimes were committed he
kept the two women In the woods with
him until about 8 O'Clock at night, when,
after threatening them with death If they
he made his escape, the negro departed.
otoio ming ana ESCAPED.
He made his way on foot to Rehoboth
went to the Rehoboth Baptist Church.
where children's day services were in prog
ress, and stole the horse and carriage of a
Charles Briddell. which he found hitched
outside the church. and drove to Pocomoke
City. After fastening the horse and buggy on
the railroad track at a crossing about one
mile from Pocomoke City, he boarded a
southbound freight, which left Crisfield
about am. and landed in Cape Charles
at $50 o'clock.
Hours before this, however, the entire
neighborhood had become acquainted with
the details of the crime. and kilograms
moke City and Cape Charles warning the
authorities to be on the watch. So when he
landed In Cape Charles he was arrested,
although he put UP hard fight
1t seems that on Sunday afternoon a
mulatto was seen providing around the
home of Mr.. Edward Townsend, near King
ston, and after Mr.. Townsend and his fam
lily had gone to church the house was
broken open and robbed. When Mr.. Town
send 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 counties began to
talk of lynching. and when It was an
nounced that he would be brought to
Princess Anne, the county seat of Somerset
and lodged in Jail to await trial. crowds or
ganized to meet the train.
When questioned the negro denied any
knowledge OF the crime for which he Is
being held. but later, when Mr. James E.
Townsend arrived there from Kingston and
identified the prisoner as the negro who
passed his home while he was preparing
to go to church, the negro admitted, that
he had broken into Mr.. Townsends home.
but denied any knowledge Of the assault on
Mrs Barnes and Miss Powell.
Later the prisoner was searched and
watch fob belonging to Mr.. Townsend was
found inside his stocking, also a ring with
Mr.. Townsend's initials and sixty-two cents
in small change, which he had taken from
one of Mr. Townsend's children's toy bank.
The negro refused to return to Maryland
without the proper papers from that state.