Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-29
BATTLE IN THE DARK.
Black Intruder Fights Four
Men and a Night Stick.
SENSELESS WHEN SUBDUED
Midnight Screams Bring Neighbors
and Policeman to Rescue.
CHAsEs WOMAN ABOUT HOUSE
Mrs. Edwards Awakened by Crash
to Discover Presence of Roy
/. Smith.

A womans screams of terror ringing
out at midnight from the house 1858
Georgia avenue southeast brought to the
rescue three citizens and a policeman. Ar
ter a terrible battle In the dark bed
room of the house, in which Roy L.
Smith. black man, was successfully re-
ssting the efforts of the womans cham
pions to subdue him. he submitted to
superior force only when beaten almost
into insensib,ity by the policeman's night
stick.
Smith was an intruder in the house,
which is the home of Policeman l.. l. H.
Edwards and his family Awakened from
sleep by sounds in the house. Mrs. Ed
wards discovered the colored mans pres
ence Immediately she screamed. The
man rushed at her. anu chased her from
room to room. while her cries for help
pierced the air.
Opportune help came and Smith. after
his battered head had been mended at
the hospital. was safely lodged in cell
in the fifth precinct police station. The
charges are housebreaking and attempt to
attack Mrs. Edwards. Smith gives his
address POO New York avenue.
Mrs. Edwards Discovers Intruder
Shortly after midnight Mrs Edwards
who has been in iii health for some time
WAS louSSu lIOIl her Deu Dy leTTlHC
crash. The nose came from the front
room of a suite which the .amily occu-
pies. the windows of which open upon a
porch.
Jumping up to ascertain what the trou-
BILE was. she discovered the negro near her
bedroom door. crawling from under the
wreck of a small table he had knocked
over in getting through the window Mrs
Edwards ran back into her bedroom and
screamed for help.
The man, quickly jumping to his .eet
followed her, with the evident purpose of
preventing her from making an alarm
Mrs. Edwards bolted through the door
leading TO the stairway. crying for help,
with the man close to her heels.
Her cries by this time were heard by
Ernest Padgett. William Ernest and
Charles {. Criedler. ne ghbors. who ran
into the house. They discovered the col
ored man trying to make his exit from
one o. the windows.
The three men Immediately grappIed
with him. A fierce fight followed, in
which Smith seemed to hold his own
Policeman Clarke then appeared on the
scene. Smith fought more fiercely than
ever Before he could be placed in the
patrol wagon. the policeman's baton was
used frequently and force. ully
Mrs. Edwards in State of Collapse.
Policeman Edwards, assigned to duty at
the first precinct. was notified of the
attempt to rob his home and procured
relief from duty Tor the balance of the
night
The husband found his wife in a state
of collapse. She was placed under the
care of a phys ician. 1t was stated by
Edwards that his wife was better today
1t will he some time before she RECEIVERS
from her fright
After removing Smith to the station
In a badly battered condition. He was
taken to the Washington Asylum Hospi-
tai where the wounds were dressed Later
he was locked up, and charges were
lodged against him.
He will probably be arraigned in the
Police Court tomorrow morning if the
condition of Mrs. Edwards warrants her
appearing as q witness.