The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-11-11
SEARCH IN VAIN FOR
GIRLS ! ASSA|LAN'1
Hundreds Of People sco,lr
Church Hill, but Dis
cover No Clue.
POLICE WROUGHT
UP OVER AT FAIR
Chief Will Likely Ask Governor
and Mayor to Offer Reward,
in Hope OF Discovering
Some Trace of
the Mis-
creant.

In the eastern part of the city yes.,
terday feeling ran high over the iend-
ish assault committed early Saturday
might on Miss Mamie Conners. OF No.
SO North Thirty-first Street, and peo-
pie generally were incensed and indig-
nant that women may not go In safety
even few blocks from their homes.
Two assaults within a week Of each
other have been committed. without
reference to those attempted In other
parts OF the city. and in each instancs
the assailant has made good his escape.
although the police have exerted and
are exertlng every effort to run the
|culprits to earth.
Three Arrests Made.
Three arrests were made in the Con-
ners case yesterday by officers Wiley
and F'olkes. Two OF the negroes were
examined thoroughly, and when 1t was
found that not the slightest suspicion
could be attached to them they were
liberated.
The third, William Davis, who has
served a term of ten years in the pens
itentiary for attempted criminal as
sault on a girl named Gebhardt. was
locked up in the First Police Station,
and is being held pending further
Investigation. 3
When arrested he said: Did steal
anything last night?' On receiving n
negative reply. he said: Well, didn't
Kill anybody. did II"
Were you drunk last night?" asked
one of the officers.
The prisoner answered that he had
been drunk Saturday night.
Terrible Experience.
Miss Corners Is said by her physi.
clan. DIR. Taliaferro, to be recovering
from the effects of her terrible expe-
rience as rapidly as possible under
the circumstances. She is still in
very nervous state. and shudders at
the very mention of the assault.
It seems remarkable that the as
sault should have been committed In
the rear of one house and near the side
Of another. both occupied. and that no
one should have needed the sounds OF
her struggle.
The attack was made in the alley
which connects Thirty-First and
Thirty-Second Streets between Mar
shall and Clay. running on the south
side of the residence OF Wyatt c. Nc
Gehee. Mrs. McGehee heard faint
noise outside. but thought 1t was her
husband coming in by the rear gate.
Just as Miss Corners lost conscious
ness she raised her eyes to the window
In the rear of the house on the cor
ner and saw man fold his arms and
come to look out of the window. She
tried to scream, but her assailant
throttled her. She grasped hold of the
mans sleeve, still struggling, and af-%
ter he had struck her. managed to get
to her feet again.
Walked to Her Home.
Crying for pity, she was felled sec-
ond time and when she recovered con-
sciousness she was alone in the dark.
Then she walked the distance to her y
home nearly two squares, without be-
ing seen by any one.
She went into the house, leaving
blood marks all over the gate and on
the doorsteps. apd said: Some one
dragged me into an alley and tried to
kill mel" She was still dnzed, but sha
has not lost consciousness since. The
young woman is unable to give any de-
scription Of her assailant, and here is
where the police are the most seriously
hampered in their operations. Sha5
thinks that the man wore an overall
Jacket, for this idea came into her mind
when she grasped him by the sleeve.
More than this she cannot say, as her
recollections OF what happened even
during her moments of consciousness
are still hazy and underlined.
No one was allowed to see Miss Con-
Iners yesterday, and even the police
forbore to intrude upon her. The
wound over her right eyebrow, inflicted
by the four-foot piece of steam-pipe,
was sewed up. but her right eye Is
closed and the left side OF her face
in abrased. Otherwise she is not
seriously injured. though the, shock to
her nervous system will last for some
time.
Neighborhood Excited. s
All day yesterday crowds visited the
spot, and could the brute have been
captured then his end would have been
but the matter of q moment. Citizens
are endeavorlng In every way to aid j
the police. and as for the latter they
have been simply camping on Church
HILL Early. In the day Major Werner
began an Investigation and he and
Captain Tomlinson. with numerous pri-
Yates and detectives, have searched for
the minutest clue and examined every
man, woman and child who could pos
sibly be thought to know anything OF
the affair, Inspection or the premises
of the Pitts store. on the corner OF
Thirty second and Marshall Streets.
has been made and 1t is thought that
the assailant got the piece Of steam
pipe from the yard in the rear OF tina
store,
Many negroes were In the store at
the time Miss Corners visited the place
to purchase oil and some candy for
the children at home, and 1t Is believed
that she was followed out of the store
by one of them Working on this
theory. it Is probable chat the man
Went up Thirty-second street, and.
running through the alley, waylald the
young lady as she passedsits mouth on
the Thirty-hrst Street side. The man
was evidently large and OF heavy build.
for everything points TO the fact that +
| he lifted the young woman in his arms
and carried her bodily further into ths
alley.
Police Wrought Up,
Major Werner stated last night that
no stone would be left unturped n 3
discover the assailant. The police d.