The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-03-16
Miss Pearl White Says Pris-
oner Is Man Who Made
Attack on Her.
ANOTHER WOMAN
ALSO ACCUSES HIM
Police Believe Many Holdups
Committed by Black
Person.

''YoG don't remember attempting to
snatch my purse last night? Well.
remember you and you are the man"
Miss Pearl White, Of the Lenox apart
ments, 1923 L street northwest, at the
Third precinct station this morning
thus identified Fleming Whitley as the
negro who attacked her near st. Au-
gustans Church about o'clock last
night She struggled for minute or
more and a bystander refused to come
to her aid
Miss White showed Whitley her torn
pocketbook. which she retained only
because her assailant tore the handle
from il, in an effort 10 draw from
him an admission as to the incident.
The negro stolidly protested his innO-
cence.
Other Victims Called.
The police now believe that not only
is Whitley the man who attacked Miss
White. but that he viii De connected
before the day IS over with two other
purse snatching attempts Of yesterday
afternoon and last night. IN one Of
which the snatcher =7as successful
Hardly had Miss White left the po-
lice station before Miss Irma Skeer, OF
2946 Newark street, appeared and iden-
tlfed Whitley as the negro who grab
bed her purse shortly after noon when
she was at Cathedral and Connecticut
chased by bystanders Guul he escaped
over a barbed wire fence
Mrs. John Anderson. CT 1893 Wallack
street, the victim Of similar attack
at o'clock last night, Is TO appear at
the station this afternoon and look at
Whitley. Her description Of the man
who attacked her fits that Of the ne
gro now under arrest, as TO age,
height, and color.
Purse Torn to Strings. ~
The purse which Miss White brolf.lst
to the station with her plainly evidenc-
ed the desperate struggle in which she
, engaged with the negro. It's handles
are torn away and on the whole is a
dilapidated bit OF IeHt4er.
In addition TO the Identification Of
Miss White, the negro now held for
further investigation was also positive
~ identified by Dock Evans, Of the
Cairo stables, as being the one who ran
hurriedly through the stables about the
: time that Miss Whites cries were heard
/ in t. vicinity Of her home.
Although Whitley has refused to con-
/ fesS he has already made several dam
! aging admissions. lie at first denied
/ that he slept in Dr. Simpsons stables,
! in the rear of the LenoX, last night in
stead Of at home. This afternoon he
admitted that he did.
Cnanged his Sn0eS.
When called before Miss Skeer, he
| voluntarily suggested TO her that he had
/ on different shoes this morning than
| those worn last night. 4 had on soft,
/ oil shoes. last night" ne said
When he had left the room Miss skeer
| said Whitley vas her assanant, al
though he had since changed his clothes
she remembered particularly that the
shoes OF the negro attacking her were
k OF peculiar shape, sOftness and color.
Whitley IS TO be ''SWeated" furt her
/ by the police during the afternoon and
should ne be Identified by Mrs. Ander-
son, the police believe they will have
rounded up wholesale purse snatcheT.
W hIIely was arrested on suspicion early
/ this morning BY Policeman LOTUS Mr..
LoItus recalled seeing the negro IN the
vicinity OF the LenoX a few moments
before the attack last night
Miss White is stopping with DR.. aud
! MIS-. 1honaS TalbOtt Of the LenoN.
Jhe attack Of last night recalls thar
| about year ago Mrs. Robert Hickman.
was twice assailed by unknown negroes
/ IN me vicinity OF that apartment rob-
| bery IN each instance being attempted
Mrs Hickman, in one Of these attacks,
| suffered severe bruises about the head
| Miss Whites escape last night is due
/ 10 the fact that the negro became
frightened ana ran after she had put
! up such a determined resistance.
" e ought 70 have more policemen in
| this section" said Mrs. Talbot this
morning. These repeated attacks
should show Congress that we are not
sufficiently protected, anG now since
/ they have broken out afre sh, something
ought to be done"
Tried Second Time.
The theory Of the police is that White
~, after his unsuccessful attempt TO
take Miss Whites purse, proceeded to
| Thirteenth and Riggs streets, where
Mrs. Anderson was attacked. The iden-
tification Of Whitley by Miss Skeer in
dlcates that be began his operations
early in the Gay. Miss Skeer's purse,
which was wrenched from her, con-
tained only d small amount Of change
and several trinkets
The police are now hunting Cor the
clothes thought to have been worn by
/ the negro before his capture this morn
! ing. as his supposed victims agreed that
/ ais appearance was neater at that time.