The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-04-21
Assault on Mass. Ave.
Near Sheridan
Circle.
Mrs. Rose Porter Lies
In a Critical
Condition.

With her skull fractured. and her
head and body covered with bruises,
Mrs. Rose Porter. OF Bethesda, Nd. lies
at the Emergency Hospital in a critical
condition. the victim % an attempted
criminal assault
Mrs. Porter. who is thirty years old,
says her assailant was a negro, and
that the attack occurred az Twenty
/ sixth street and Massachusetts avenue
last night
In spite OF the woman's assertions
that the assault was committed by
negro, the police believe the attack was
made by a white man, who was seen
| in the vicinity of Sheridan circle. His
name is known 70 the police. Lookouts
were Immediately sent 10 all the sta
lions. and a diligent search IS being
made for him.
I Mrs. Porter says that she left her
| home in Bethesda about o'clock. and
came directly TO the home OF a Mrs.
| Sawyer. living at 1928 Thirty-second
street. where she stopped for about an
/ hour. After leaving the house she
| walked down Z street, across the p
street bridge, and up Massachusetts,
avenue TO Sheridan circle.
Seized On Street.
I have a steD-dauEnter. MARY Nc
| Lennshan, who IS employed by fam
ily living near the circle" she said
AS I was in the yienity 1 thought I
/ would stop and n her a visit
While / was walking up massachusetts,
avenue a celOred man approached from
the other side Of the street I Eas
| frightened and would have run. but
before / had an opportunity 70 do so
] -
enc hand in my mouth 10 prevent me
from screamH g. Then he attempted 10
throw me TO t.e ground. I managed 70
keep on my feet, ho~ever. ! fought
him with ali my might and when he
took his hand from my mouth I
screamed
Several boys were attracted by the
noise. and the negro ran toward Rock
| Greek"
one Of the first men to arrive on the
/ scene was George Nicholson, who lives
| Mrs. Porter in nervous and hystericat
condition, and unable 10 tell him eX-
! actly what had happened Blood was
| gushing from the wound in her head
Skull Fractured.
She was assisted to Twenty-fourth
| street and Massachusetts avenue, where
she was taken into a house. and the
blood washed from her face. and the
wound temporarily dressed From there
! Mr.. Nicholson assisted her 10 the ONCE
/ Of DR.. Richard 5. Blackburn. 2026 P
street northwest. After an examina lion
OF her injuries, Dr.. Blackburn decided
that the woman had a fractured skull.
and chat she had better be taken 20
hospital. The police were notified, and
| the Emergency ambulance sent TO the
doctors Office.
Policemen Russell, Sullivan, and
HuRhlett questioned Mrs. Porter at the
physicians Office When she was taken
10 the hospital, Lieutenant Peck, IN
charge Of the detective bureau sent De-
tectiVe Grant out on the case. the
woman told the same story 10 the de-
tective that she had told the policemen
Mysterious Companion.
Mrs. Porter Is the mother Of four chill
dren. the youngest Of whom is nine
months old. She is the wife Of Louis
/ Porter, a stone mason
The man suspected by the police OF
having assaulted Mrs. Porter is known
10 have been with her at 6 O'Clock. This
much she admitted to the police. but
asserted that he left her before she
boarded a car for Washington. Charles
Davis, the colOred Caretaker Of the
house at 2329 Massachusetts avenue
knows this man well, and is positive
he saw him pass the house shortly after
s o'clock.
He had his hat pulled down over his
eyes" says Davis. but 1 recognized
him as he went past the house. He was
running and seemed to be in great
hurry. I cried out, What's the mat
terg and he said, a coIored man has
heat a woman up! He didn't stop. but
continued IN the direction OF Dupont
/ Circle"
Mrs Porter says she IS unable 20 ao-
count for the fractured skull She says
! the negro beat her in the face. but she
cannot remember any blow having been
struck with any instrument that would
/ inhict such an injury. At an early hour
this morning she was stil conscious.
{ Doctors who attended her said that
. her condition WAS considered critical
but that il was too early 70 predict
what the outcome Of her injuries would
be.
She described her assailant as being
II a Ught-skinned coiored man. medium
height, and very stout He wore a light
box 0veTcoat
The place where the assault occurred
Is directly back OF Oak Hill Cemetery.
II is a lonely and secluded spot there
being no houses west OF Sheridan Cir