The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1906-07-18
The Lexington Dispatch.
Wednesday, July 18, 1906.
TRUSTED NEGRO
ASSAULTS WOMAN.
Northern Woman Thought Negro
; .'Perfect Gentlemen" Brute
Makes His Escape.

Makes His Escape.
Aiken, July 11.-News of a horrible
crime that was perpetrated about five
miles from Aiken reached here yes
terday afternoon.
On Monday morning about q O. clock
Mrs. L. S. Chapin was assaulted in
her home by a negro man named
Isaac Knight. The fact that Mrs.
Chaplin is an old lady, at least IS
years of age,> makes the crime all the
more revolving. The negro who as
saulted her had been in her employ
for over three years. Mrs. Chapin
lived in the house with no white per-
son. The negro man, who lived in
room at the side of the house next
to the kitchen, and a negro family
living in the yard, were the only ones
who stayed near her.
Isaac Knight had been off all day
Sunday and did not come back to
Mrs. Chapin's home until early Mon
day morning. Hearing. a knock at
the entrance of the house, Mrs. Cha
pin went to the door to see who it
was. She opened the door and found
it was Knight. She went into the
dining room and was fixing the negro
some breakfast when he committed
the assault.
Mrs. Chaplin has no near white
neighbors, so she could not report
the case at once. When the sheriff
learned of it yesterday morning, ne
went to the community at once and
tried to capture the negro, but he
could find no traces of him. The
crime had not become generally
known in Aiken until late yesterday
afternoon, when posse of about so
men under the leadership of the sheriff
organized for the purpose of catching
the negro.
Mrs. Chaplin wanted the case drop
ped, as she did not wish to appear in
court in such a case, but, of course,
the sheriff and the people Of the COM
munity will not allow the negro to go
unpunished if it is possible to capture
him. Every effort will be made to
bring the scoundrel to justice, but
the people have agreed that there
will be no lynching,
Mrs. Chaplin is a Northern lady, and
before her misfortune did not under
stand the nature of the negro. She
had put every trust in Knight and
had even considered him the equal of
the average white man. She had
treated him as well as she could have
treated any white person, thinking
that he was gentleman. She even
declared on one occasion that he was
a perfect gentleman. Knight was
always respectful to Mrs. Chaplin, but
it could be seen by his actions among
other negroes that the treatment he
was receiving was giving him a false
idea of his Importance. On Monday
morning the nature of the negro as
serted itself; it could be held in check
no longer.
Mrs. Chapin was originally from
Manchester, Vermont, but she. has
made her home near Aiken for num-
Der of years. White people have
warned her several times that she
should not stay alone with no one
near her except negroes, but she
would pay no attention to them,
thinking that the negro was worthy
of trust. She came South with the
New Englander's usual idea Of negro
character, and no argument that
could be put forth could shake the
negro from the pedestal on which she
had placed him. While the white
people of the community are not in
sympathy with Mrs. Chapin's treat
ment of the negro, they are determ-
ined that he shall be brought to just
ice. A white lady has been insulted
that is enough, punishment must
follow. .,.