Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-13
SEARCHING FOR HARRIS
Local Police Assist in Hunt for
TraviIah Suspect.
PISTOL BULLET IN HEAD
Woman Was Shot as Well as Beaten
With Cold Chisel.
VICTIM CRIMINALLY ATTACKED
Robbery Theory Abandoned as Mo-
tive for Assault on Missing
Mans Aunt.
VICTIM CRIMINALLY ATTACKED
Special From a Staff Correspondent.

day morning at Travilah, seven miles
from here. on Mrs. Clara Harris. The
sheriff learned from the Washington po-
lice official that Ollie Harris. nephew of
the assaulted woman, had not been seen
at the houses of any of his friends in
Washington. but was given information
which may assist in locating the sus-
pected man. IT was said by the police
official that Harris had planned to visit
friend, although he had not yet been
seen there. The sheriff told the inspector
of police that Mrs. Harris had been GRIM
inally assaulted before being beaten on
the head with a cold chisel.
Victim Still Unconscious.
| The condition of Mrs. Harris makes it
| clear to the mind of Sheriff Mullican that
| robbery was no part of the motive for
the crime Mrs. Harris assailant not
| having gone to the house after leaving
| her i'm Il helpless condition I'm the corn
| field with one ear cut off and four gashes
| in her head. Her skull is crushed and
| this morning she was still unconscious.
The piece that was cut from her ear was
| found in the corn field. where a quantity
of blood indicated the spot where the
| victim had made a desperate struggle for
| her life.
| 1t was reported here this afternoon that
| Ollie Harris had been seen in the vicinity
| of Seneca and that he had stopped at a
house and asked for food. The report
also had it that he had crossed the river
| into Virginia.
1 Last night a deputy watched the house
| of Jefferson d. Harris, father of the sus-
pected man, Sheriff Mullican thinking the
| latter might attempt to return there, but
| nothing was seen of him.
Pistol Bullet Found.
While the physicians were treating Mrs
Harris it became necessary for them to
shave her hair, and the startling discov-
cry was made that she had been shot in
| addition to having been beaten with the
piece of iron. A .22-caliber bullet was
| found fiattened against the skull and had
| inflicted a serious injury, although 1T had
not penetrated the skull.
/ 1t was reported this afternoon that there
had been a slight change for the better
| in the condition of the patient.
| This afternoon Sheriff Mullican obtained
information which led him to believe that
Ollie Harris had probably gone to Vir-
ginia. He called Virginia officers over
the long distance telephone told them OF
the crime and asked that they assist in
| locating Harris. Officers in Fauquier
| county in the vicinity of Warrenton were
communicated with by the sheriff. They
| We're told that a reward of 500 Will be
paid for the arrest of young Harris.
| G4ClLSMcuI dL A1dSAA0As
All day yesterday groups of men gath
cred about the road and stores in Traviiaf
and discussed the tragic happening. Early
in the day there was some evidence OF ex-
/ citement and summary vengeance was
| openly discussed, but later the residents
| displayed a different attitude and said
they wanted a full investigation I'm order
| to make certain of the identity of the as
| sailant of Mrs. Harris. A negro was
| blamed for the assault at first. but later
| in the day Sheriff Mullican directed his
efforts toward Ollie Harris. nephew of the
| victim II is said that Mrs. Harris, dur
/ ing a lucid periOd had said: "Ollie was
with me, and | don't know why he left
| Ollie's disappearance was taken to indi-
| cate that he could at least give informa-
ton which would throw some light on the
| tragedy Sheriff Mullican early in the
| day sent messages to many towns In
| Maryland and Virginia, and an appeal to
| Mai. Sylvester asking that Ollie Harris
! be arrested.
Mrs Clara Harris is the wife of B.
| Gwynne Harris. an engineer, while Ollie
| Harris is a son of ]. d. Harris, brother
| of the engineer. The Harris brothers mar
! ried sisters. so that Mrs Clara Harris Is
4 an aunt of the young man on both ms
| mothers and fathers side. Ollie Harris
| has always enjoyed good reputation,
| and much surprise was. eXhlbifed when
| it became known that suspicion pointed
| toward him. Many residents of the
| Travilah section searched Tor the young
| man Yesterday but last night 1t was said
| that absolutely no trace of him could be
| found.
| II is believed that Mrs. Harris was as
| saulted shortly after 80 o'clock in the
| morning and IL Ollie Harris committed
| the deed, ii is thought, he inveigled his
| victim from home by telling her his
| mother wanted her to come to her house
| only few hundred yards distant. Only a
| good size cornfield separates the two
| houses and it was in this field that Mrs.
Harris was attacked with cold chisel.
Farm Hand Heard Cries.
| Charles Connors, a farm hand. who was
| the first person to reach Mrs. Harris.
| might have seen her assailant had he
been little quicker in responding to her
| first outcries.
| Mrs. Harris screamed murder several
times and then Connors heard her cry:
20 Lord, save me; help me- When he
saw Mrs. Harris appear near the edge of
| the field he called to Norman Waters and
the two young men went to her assistance.
Her hair was hanging down her back and
blood was streaming from the wounds in
taken to her home. where neighbors cared
/ for her until DR.. c. III. Nourse of Darnes-
town could reach the house. Later in the
| day DIR. Upton NOurse was in consulta-
tion with his father. but at no time were
/ they able to hold out any hope for the
recovery of the patient.
/ AS soon as it became known that the
| assault had been committed farmers laid
aside their plows and other farming i'm
plements and expressed a willingness to
| lend a helping hand. While the women
of the neghborhood were caring for Mrs.
| Harris, member of her family being
| there with her until later, the men were
endeavoring to fasten the crime upon the
| guilty man and to adopt some means of
| apprehending him.
! Cold Chisel a Clue.
| Mr.. Atwood was one of the many
persons who visited the scene of the as
| sault He found the iron instrument
| which was used by the assailant 1t is a
| cold chisel more than foot
| long and was covered with blood
and matted hair The instrument
was turned over to Sheriff Null
| lican and the latter is making every eff
| fort to have 1t identified. believing 1t
will assist in solving the question Of the
| identity of the assailant.