The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1908-04-16
GIRLS too MUCH
FOR A FOOTPAD
THE MISSES JOHNSON PUT UP
SUCCESSFUL FIGHT.
HoLDTHIEF's HATAs MoMErTo
Attacked on Streets in Los Angeles,
Two oskaloosa Young Ladies'
Prove Their Mettle and
Come Out Victorious.

" D. T. F.
Los Angeles, Cal, April 13.--The
Daily Times publishes a large picture
of Miss Alice Johnson, we'll known
Oskaloosa girl, and says:
,"As a memento of set,to With
footpad,' Misses Alice and Emily John
son, plucky, athletic young teachers,
are treasuring battered old hat.
Somewhere would-be highwayman
is In hiding, nursing severe bruises.
and meditating over his folly in at
lacking brave women.
1.-The fray, in which the footpad was
vanquished, occurred Saturday night.
The Misses Johnson had Just alighted
from q Washington street car and
were proceeding toward their home
on Estrella avenue. Suddenly a man
jumped ont from the shadow and
seized hold of Miss Emily.
t'Justead OF screaming for help, the
plucky girl grappled with her assail-
ant. She pinioned mis- arms so that
he could not wrench himself free.
Then, when the opportunity offered It
self, she ierked her arm loose and
proceeded TO beat him on the head
with a heavy silver purse which she
carried sf.
Though scream would have
brought help in an instant, Miss Alice
made no cutlery, but went heroically
Ito her sisters assistance. She took a
firmer grip on the handle of her dain-
ty parasol stepped back to allow a
free swing, and began hammering the
man on the face. With such energy
did she ply her fragile weapon that
the rascal speedily let go of Miss En-.
lily and devoted his whole attention
to trying to protect himself. .s
~ Not Ready To Let Go.
Raising his arms over his head he
tried to rush past the girls. Whack!
The parasol descended on his arm
beating down his guard, and leaving
his head deferseless. Before he
could again raise his hand the silver
purse came down upon his scalp with
a crash, decorating the flesh and
bringing forth groan -tssS
THE girls then followed up their ad,
vantage. The parasol did deadly exc
cution. First the robber was thump
ed on the head; then he received a
iab in the ribs from the steel point.
His hat was smashed and Knocked
off; q well-directed stab knocked his
collar awry.
Desperately the assailaut, now thor,
oughly cowed, tried to break away.
With resound;ng blow the parasol
descended upon his right ear. Before
he could recover the purse struck him
in the forehead. He sought retreat,
but the hedge blocked his way.
With merciless force the well-wield.
ed novel weapons continued to fall
upon the mans uncovered pate and
appraised arms. Every attempt at es.
cape brought greater punishment Fl.
nally, in mad desperation, he made
wild dash. Though the blows landed
fast, he brushed past the women he
had chosen for victims and disappear.
ed In the darkness-himself the vic.
tim of grave mistake.
No Mysteries, But Trophy.
Instead of giving way to hysterical
weeping, when the danger was past,
the girls, in a matter-of.fact way, be.
gan searching the field of battle for
something which might lead to the
identification of their assaiIant. They
discovered the hat, torn and battered,
where 1t had fallen, and proceeded to
carry 1t home in triumph.
Then, without ado the heroines
continued on their way. They enter.
ed their house in silence, and made
no reference to the experience
through which they had gone.
2 "They agreed to keep the whole at.
falr a secret, but finally one of them
whispered the story, in strictest conf |
dence, to her dearest friend. That |
friend passed 1t on, and it speedily be. |
came public.
Miss Alice johnson, whose ener
getic work with the parasol proved |
the undoing of the ungallant highway.
man, is dainty and petite, and not at |
all the kind of person one would |
expect to find pugnacious. She has
Swapping black eyes which tell of |
plenty OF spirit, however, and the |
clear complexion which is the herit |
age of the healthy American girl
Told In Confidence.
She was greatly disturbed yester.
day when she found that the story Of
the adventure had leaked out. She
insisted that II had been told in the |
strictest confidence, and that whoever
had made il public had played traitor.
II was too good to keep. She is an
instructor at the Marlborough Prepar
atory School on West Adams street.
Miss Emily Johnson, whom the
highwayman intended as the victim of
his attack, teaches at the Girls Colleg
late School. She has all of the pluck
and energy of her sister.