Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-09
IDENTIFIED BY HIS RED TIE
WILLIAM F. SOUTHERN ACCUSED
OF CRIME.
Held for Additional Proof That He At
tempted to Abduct Little Ger
trude Miller.

A fight at 9th and \ streets southeast
about IL o'clock Saturday night called the
police to that vicinity, and it is believed
the colored man who carried off little Ger
trude Miller from the Eastern market Sat
urday night became frightened by the pres
| ence of the officers in that vicinity and
dropped her. This, it is thought, prevented
the KIDNAPPING and possible Serious injury
to the little girl
William P. Southern, co.ored, of Hillsdale,
d. c., was yesterday arrested by the police
of Anacostia, and was identified by How
ard Miller, the little brother of Gertrude,
who was with her just before her disap-
pearance, and by Grace Craig, as the COL
ored man who carried the child away. More
persons, witnesses of the incident Saturday
night, will be called upon to determine if
Southern Is the man seen with Gertrude
Saturday night.
Southern was arrested as the result of
a chance meeting with Grace Craig, twelve
years old, the witness mentioned, who was
walking on Sheridan avenue, Hillsdale, yes
terday. She became convinced at once,
she says, that he was the colored man for
whom the police We're looking.
Calls Policeman.
She told Policeman Brooks that she recog-
nized 6 uthern. The colored man was i'm
mediately arrested, and was taken to the
fifth precinct station house. He answered
the description given by the police, the
red necktie being the chief feature. Ger
trudes seven-year-old brother, who was
lured away from her by the colored cap
tor, was sent for. and when he saw South
ern, he exclaimed:
That's the man.
The little girl, as previously stated in The
Star, was left on the street near the corner
of 10th and streets southeast about IL
II ,i.rl,t w afN hot
time Albert Smart and William Mead were
engaged in pelting each other with stones
in alley nearby. and about IL o'clock
the police heard of it and quickly dispatch
ed several police officers to the scene. After
the injured man had been sent to the hos
pital the police undertook to locate his as
sailant, and chased several colored men
who We're near the scene. The streets there
are said to be poorly lighted and it is
thought that the captor of the Miller girl
fearing the men in uniform were trying to
find him, dropped his burden and ran away
This chance alteration is believed to have
helped the police in solving the mystery
surrounding the disappearance of the little
girl as there seems to the police to be no
other explanation for the release of the
girl by her captor at that point
Tie Gives Him Away.
All of the witnesses in the case state that
the colored man who picked up little Ger
trude at the Eastern market wore red
necktie, and the fact that Southern wore
a red tie led to his arrest. While he was
seated in the fifth precinct station house,
awaiting identification, the police say, he
slipped the tie off and tried to hide it. The
act was discovered by Capt. Matthews and
the tie taken from him.
Southern denies carrying off the girl. but
has admitted that he was around the East
ern market Saturday night. No charge has,
as yet, been placed against him, but it is
expected that If he is identified by other
witnesses he will be charg.S with indecent
assault That she was me victim of at
least. an attempted assault Is firmly be-
lieved by the police.