Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-10
NEGRO ATTACKS YOUNG WOMAN
ATTEMPTS CRIME ON ALEXAN.
DRIA COUNTY HIGHWAY.
Rescue Effected by Young Son Of
Prosecuting Attorney Mackey.
Boys Brave Action.

Boy Brave Action.
While returning to her home at Rock
Hin. Va last evening Miss Amelia
Schrof, fifteen years of age whose father
holds responsible position at the plant
OF the Arlington Brewery Company.
Rosslyn. was attacked by vicious COL
ored man. Joseph Darlington Mackey.
thirteen years of age. son of Crandal
Mackey. commemorative attorney for
Alexandria county, happened to be In the
vicinity and interposed to protect the
girl The negro drew a pistol to frighten
away young Mackey, but the latter sue
ceeded i'm effecting her rescue. Later the
boy notified Frank Schroff brother of the
girl. and the two went after the assail.
ant, each armed with d shotgun
They searched the woods and guarded
the approach 10 the bridge, but failed to
md the colored man. So promptly was
the alarm given that the fugitive did not
have an opportunity to reach the bridge
oefore there was guard at the Virginia
entrance TO the structure. Young Mackey
and Schroff. the latter nineteen years OF
age, remained al the bridge until after
midnight. but no trace of the would-be
dSSallant WAS found. II was reported to
commemorative Attorney Mackey this
morning that negro answering TO the
description of the one wanted had been
seen going through the woods in the di-
rection of the river. the belief being that
he had been afraid to cross the river last
night and had remained in hiding In the
woods
The place on the road where the assault
was attempted is about 100 yards from
the home of the Schroff family and about
the same distance from the residence Of
Mr.. Mackey. Mr.. Schroff was seated on
the porch I'm front of his house at the
time, but the point where hts daughter
was attacked was hidden from his view.
Miss Schroff screamed. but her father did
not hear her. and II was not until she
was accompanied home by the boy that
he learned of the occurrence.
Miss Schroff's Statement.
Miss Schroff left an F. street millinery
store where she is employed, about
o'clock and went to Georgetown. expect
ing she would catch the $40 car. She
missed that car however. and concluded
she would walk home knowing she would
reach there sooner than If she waited for
the next car.
Il was walking rapidly along the road
said Miss Schroff, las ! always feel = lit
tie uneasy when passing that point and
suddenly the man appeared and spoke TO
me. He said. How do you do? and grab
bed me, trying his best to throw me
down.
Miss Schroff said she was grabbed about
ner neck and body, her arms being PIN
toned Her assailant slapped he'd. she
thought. and made an effort to gag her
He held me In his grasp so tightly.
said Miss Schroff, that could not move,
but l did manage to scream for help.
1t happened that young Mackey had
left his home to go to the blacksmith
shop in Rosslyn to get horse he had
left there earlier in the day. and was
near enough to the scene OF the assault
to hear the screams Of the young lady.
"Nigger! the boy shouted at the top
of his voice. ''let go that girl.
The colored man heard the boy, al
though he was not then in a position 10
see him. An instant later the colored man
turned toward the girls rescuer and drew
his pistol. Young Mackey was not
armed, and he realized he would have
no show should he become involved In a
fight. but he called TO her to run. and
was soon hurrying her in the direction of
her home. News of the outrage incensed
the residents of Rock Hill. and Mrs.
Mackey. Joseph's mother. made haste to
summon assistance. She succeeded In ef-
fecting communication with Clarence Wi
bert, United States marshal. who Is de-
tailed for duty on the government reser-
walton at the south end of the bridge. but
he said he could not leave the reserva-
ton. Mr.. Schroff was the only man at
Rock Hill at that time. 1t was stated and
Mrs. Mackey was anxious to get other
men there to assist IN the search.
Summons County Officials.
When several attempts to summon as
sistance had proved futile Mrs. Mackey
succeeded in getting a telephone operator
to assist her, and the latter soon sum-
moned Harry Crack. who has charge OF
the jail at Fort Myer Heights, and Dep
uty Sheriff Harry Collins. and both en-
gagged in the man hunt. 1t was not until
several hours afterward that Common
wealths Attorney Mackey reached home
and took part in the investigation. He
learned the story of the affair from Miss
Schroff and others. and concluded the
culprit had come to Virginia from this
city.
''Colored people who belong in Alexan-
dria county" he said, do not commit
such crimes. Indeed. they commit very
few violations of the law. At the last
term of the county court colored men
were tried for stealing horses, chickens.
breaking open cars and other serious Of
lenses, but they were all from Washing
tom
Mr.. Mackay learned that the culprit
had been seen on the road about one hour
before the trouble occurred, and only two
or three minutes before the attempt was
made to assault Miss Schroff. Miss Anna
May Schuyler passed along the road
Miss Schuyler saw the colored man. but
was not >nolested by him. Miss Schroff
repeated the story of the attempted as
sault to the attorney, and declared she
would be able to identify him without
the slightest trouble. Miss Schuyler and
others will also be able to identify him
should he be captured.
Those who saw the colored man said he
was about twenty-five or thirty years Of
age and nearly feet> tall. He had a
smooth face and brown skin. He wore
short black coat, blue overalls. boots and
a soft hat. 1t is also stated that he had a
bottle of whisky in his pocket. 1t was
stated today that many armed residents
of that section of the county are making
a search of the woods and adjacent terri.
tory in the effort to find the colored ruf.
fan.
Assailant's Revolver Found.
commemorative Attorney Mackey CALL
ed on Inspector Boardman at police head.
quarters today and exhibited the revolver
that the colored man had yesterday and
with which he theatened Mr.. Mackey's
son when the latter went to the assist
ance of Miss Schroff. 1t is a .3S-caliber
liver Johnson weapon, and has five cham
beers. The weapon was thrown away near
the end of the government reservation
about $40 o'clock last evening John
Souder saw the coored man throw it
away, and he picked 1t up turning it
over to Policeman Joseph Hall, who was
stationed at the north end of the bridge.
The number of the weapon Is 23S4O and