The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1909-09-01
LITTLE MYRTIS NEAL THE VICTIM OF
THE LUST OF ROBERT WOOD.
ALL AT PEARLHAYEN.
The AssauIteF Immediately Captured and
Placed in Jail, Where He Narrow
" Escaped Lynchine.
! COMPANIES OF MILITIA ESCORTED
PRISONER At l.SO A. N. MONDAY
MORNING TO JACKSON JAIL.

Robert Woodall, a white man,
aged thirty, was placed in the Lin
coin county jail Sunday afternoon
at o'clock, charged with criminal
ly assaulting Myrtis Neal, a little
white girl IL years old at Pearl
haven that afternoon at 2::30
O'Clock.
The facts in the case are as fol-
lows: Mrs. Neal, the mother of
the girl, was visiting at the home
of S. HI. Lewis. neighbor, and
noticing that the weather was be-
coming threatening she sent her
daughter. in company with another
little girl, across the lumber yards
of Pearlhaven, which is lumber
manufacturing town one mile from
Brookhaven, to her home to close
up the house so that in case of rain
nothing would be damaged.
The two little children were hur-
rying along, and when midway be-
tween the two ends of the yard Bob
Woodall came out from behind a
pile of lumber and called to the
little girls to stop as he had a
watermelon and wanted them to
help him eat it. Little Mvrtis re-
piled that she had the toothache
and could not eat melon but the
man stepped before the girls and
ordered them to halt
Minnie Lewis. the Neal girls
companion became frightened and
started to run with her cousin
following. WoocIall reached out
after both children. but Minnie es-
caped He caught Mvrtis bv the
dress and dragged her from the
passageWay into the lumber nile
and tore her clothing into RAGS.
Minnie Lewis ran off CRYING when
she saw her playmate disappear
but she did not at once 90 home to.
Trepors tl1c-,osee1.s.aaos gs.sssvsaisesa
for several minutes for Myrtis, but
as she. did not come, the little girl
ran off screaming. She told Mrs.
Neal and her mother OF the occur
renee and a search was started.
Marshal g. 3. Lee was near the
mill and responded promptly. 4
posse OF possibly fifty men were
gathered IN short order and
search OF the lumber yard was
Started, but Rev. Mr.. Thurman,
the minister OF the town, learning
OF the crime and the search re-
ported having seen Woodall come
out OF the lumber yard and walk
toward his own house.
On this information Marshal Lea
went at once to Woodalps home and
right on IN.
AS soon as ne entered he found
Woodall in company with his wife
and baby and threw his gun on him
and told him to come along, being
Joined by some of the posse.
Woodall was at once taken to the
home OF s. H. Lewis, strongly
guarded, where the little girls
were brought before him and iden-
,no ,1sb = nrn as g 10 once one ts q snsm say
distance Of 60 feet.
Mrs. Neal the mother Of the.
wronged girl, as soon as he was
identified, plead pitifully for a gun
to kill WoodalI with.
AS the news spread men with
guns and pistols to the number Of
about 200 surrounded the place
with threats Of lynchinp and fear
| ing for the safety Of the prisoner
Sheriff j. il. Greer was teIephoned
| for and the sheriff with his brother
| Tleputy j wv Greer. iunped into
q hack and drove to Pearlhaven at
once The crowd was reftinp
prettv uplv abont fbis time buf
lthev lacked 4 leader The sheriff
recognized the situation # once
and ordered the driver Il start !.
once for Brookhaven and after 5
| hard drive n town the assa,IItpr
was in iaiI safe far the fine beino
!. ,..., r:,,
ING Lllslc ulEi SonaillOIl.
Immediately after identifying
WoodaIl, Mrs. Neal carried little
1 =