Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-10
INSISTS He IS THE MAN
Mrs. Spencer Identifies William
Proctor as AsSaiIant.
FAINTS WHEN SHE SEES HIM
Investigation to Be Continued by the
Authorities.
ACCUSED MAN MAKES DENIAL
Discrepancies in Statements Regard
ing His Whereabouts Monday
Is Placed in a Cell.
WHEN SHE SEES HIM
ACCUSED MAN MAKES DENIAL

Mrs. Minnie spencer, upon WnOfn leu
NOUS assault was attempted at her home.
near Rosecroft, Prince George county, Nd.
Monday afternoon, as stated in yesterday 8
Star, yesterday afternoon again identified
William Proctor, the young colored man
who was arrested Monday night by Deputy
Sheriff Vincent and Constable l.. 1. Allen,
her assailant. The prisoner was re-
turned to a cell, and will be held until the
be further investigated. Mrs.
Spencer will be summoned to appear before
the grand jury that is now in session at
Upper Marlboro, and the case may be dis
posed of at this term of the court White
residents of Rosecroft and vicinity showed
lack of interest in the case yesterday, Dep
uty Sheriff Vincent and Constable Allen
having no assistance whatever.
Many coored persons were about the viii
lage, however, and it was supposed they
were on hand to protect the prisoner from
violence should an attempt be made to do
him harm. They had learned through
newspaper story that the white people
were excited and would probably take the
law in their own hands, but the latter
had no such thought. William Proctor, the
prisoner, remained about a country store
and bar room practically all day yesterday,
and the white residents took such little
interest in the affair that only few of
the three dozen or more colored men who
spent the day there.
Constable Allen in the afternoon arrested
a black-man named Noble Gray, he having
been seen in the saloon between Rose
croft and Anacostia the day the assault
was committed.
There's no in bringing him here"
declared Mrs. Spencer, when Gray was
taken to her house.
Identification of Proctor.
Deputy Sheriff Vincent and Constable
Gray took William Proctor and several
other colored men to the house of Mrs.
Spencer late yesterday afternoon a number
of colored men and women following. Mrs.
Spencer saw the men as they assembled in
the yard and she said it was useless to
bring more than one of them into the
house. She had identified William Proctor
the night before and she could not identify
any other person. 1t was arranged that
Mrs. Spencer should open the rear door
with Proctor there in order that she might
see him under the conditions which she
saw her assailant. but when the time
came for her to open the door she became
excited and hysterical and her husband
mad to take charge of her. Several colored
men finally entered the kitchen Mrs
Spencer at first pointed to a brother Of the
prisoner as beiOG the guilty man. He wore
clothing somewhat similar to those worn
by the man who had actually committed
the assault.
was there with her husband black coat and
PREDETERMINED hat, and when these had
been put on him Mrs. Spencer cried:
Ihats the man; that's the man Take him
away Then she tainted and two or three
minutes elapsed before she could h.. re
vived Mr.. and Mrs. Spencer, the officers
ana others remained in the house some little
tlme discussing the affair. 1t had been re-
Edith Berry, fourteen years of age while
she was IN an clubhouse at the Rosecroft
school. and she was sent for to look over
the party of colored men to see If she could
frightened her. Her father was NOT at
nome when the messenger reached the
mouse, however. and her mother would not
let her go to Rosecroft without him.
Is Closely Questioned.
William Proctor was closely questioned by
the officers and he explained his movements
during the entire day the assault was COM
mitted He denied he had been at or near
Rosecroft Monday, and Mrs. Spencer was
the only one who claimed she had seen
him. Had he passed down the road that
day, it is argued he would have been seen
by some OF the people at Moneys restau-
rant, but nobody there saw him nor vas
he seen on the road near there
Deputy Sheriff Vincent had investigated
some of the statements made by Proctor
Monday night and he found variance of
an hour in time between the statement he
gave of his movements and that of a rela-
tive of his, although none of them had
made any claim of having consulted a time
piece. Proctor had been working at Con-
gress Heights, he said, for Contractor
Lightboun. He went there Monday morn
Ing, but did not go to work on account OF
the weather conditions. 1t was about 9
Q clock. he stated. when he left Congress
Heights and walked home, nearly three
miles from the residence of the Spencer
family. About IL o'clock he went to the
home of his uncle. not more than five min
utes walk from his house, and remained
there. he thought. until about II 30 O'Clock
Then" he said. II went back home and
had dinner After dinner I went out with
my wife and cut kale. That was on the
place of Mr.. Herman Owens. and Mr..
Owens saw me there about l o'clock"
Makes Vigorous Denial.
Proctor entered a vigorous denial to the
charge, and claimed it was a case of mis-
taken identity. He said he had nothing to
fear from a trial he was satisfied he
could prove where he was almost every
minute Monday. Deputy Sheriff Vincent
remained about Rosecroft until late IN the
afternoon hoping something would develop
which would either make the identification
more complete which would result in
fastening the crime upon some other per-
son, but nothing more developed and the