Evening star., 1909-03-11
GIRLS ASsA|lANI IS Hello
NEGRO JAILED TO AWAIT
GRAND JURY ACTION.
Storv of Attack on Miss Tyler Told
in Police Court-Sargeant
Denies His Guilt.

Charged with attempting TO crlmlnaiiy
assault. Bertha Eliza beth Tyler. a four
teen-year-old schoolgirl of AIS Sth street
southwest, last Monday night in an alley
near Sth and D streets. Howard Sargeant,
"a negro, nineteen years old, was given a
preliminary hearing this morning before
Judge Mullowny of the Police Court and
held in S., 600 bond for the action of the
grand Jury. Sargeant entered plea OF
not guilty, and in default Of bond was
remanded to jail.
Despite an alleged confession by the ac-
cused negro to police Of the fourth pre-
cinct yesterday. in which, 1t is stated,
Sergeant admitted he attacked the girl
and confirmed a number of statements of
the government witnesses. 1t Is stated
the defense will claim in the trial that
Sergeant is the victim Of mistaken iden-
tity. The alleged confession was given
in the testimony Of the government to-
day in the course of the hearing
The chief witness was Miss Tyler her
self. who appeared in court not yet fully
recovered from the effects of her eX-
perience. Both of her eyes were in a
blackened condition as the result of her
assailant's blows. there were several
ugly bruises on her head and she COM
planned of weakness due TO nervous col
lapse.
81 was walking through the alley" She
| told the court. ION an errand for mother
probably about half-past or twenty min
| utes after s. Just as | reached a dark
part | heard some one approach me from
behind. and then voice. saying Its all
! right" | was about to turn To see who
| it was when / was struck several blows
| on the forehead and between my eyes
/ and fell to the ground. The blows stun
ned me. and | didn't realize what was
going on.
when | came to a few seconds after
ward there was a burly colored man hold
! ing my hands in one of his and trying Il
| lamb the fingers of the other down my
! throat. ! struggled hard and he kept
| saving to me Keep quiet or III kill you.
| After a while | got his fingers away from
my mouth and screamed. | called fol
| help several times. He got 20 his feet
struck me several times and then RAJ
| away.
! At the conclusion of Miss Tyler's direc
| testimony she was asked If she saw he
aSSailant III court. and turning foWart
/ the defendant positively identified him
| After the hearing it was said that Sar
geant had accosted the complaining wit
ness the afternoon of March ! in th'
alley near the scene. The words used b,
SarEeant on that occasion, the author
tiles were told. We're Hello. kid. sweet
heart" Miss Tyler stated that was tn
first time she noticed the prisoner.
/ Warren WSter told the court that i'm
! mediatey after the assault he gave chas
to Sergeant and succeeded in catchin;
| and throwing him down in another allie.
close by lie was i'll the midst of tuS
| sic with him. when the defendant. th
witness declared. called upon three col
Ored men close by for assistance. In th
turmoil which followed the prisoner mad
his escape. Wister positively identified
Sergeant as the man he encountered OF
/ that occasion.
Policeman Boyle of the fourth precinct
told of the prisoners arrest Tuesday
morning about eleven hours after the as
sault. Sergeant was an escaped inmate
OF the Reform School and late that after
noon was sent to that institution. The
following morning, the witness stated. In
formation was obtained to the effect that
the negro might have been implicated iT
the Tyler assault and he was returned tC
the station house and subjected to a Sc
we're sweating and identified by Miss Tyler
and other witnesses. In face of the identi-
fication. the police declare, Sergeant made
| a full confession.
| Several other persons, including the
mother of the complainant, were sum
moned as witnesses for the prosecution
but were not called upon to testify.
| Sergeant. il is stated. has been a de-
fendant before the Juvenile Court in the
past upon several different charges, ant
has served sentences in the Reform
School.