The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-04-20
HER PA PUNCHED
THE WRONG MAN
Ernest Rossiter, Traction Ruler s
Son, Admits he was Person
Beaten On Train.

NEW YORK, Special.-Ye-es, he
had been groggy with a blow from a
list. and had been struck many times
on the head with an umbrella when
coming TO New York from his home
In Flushing. when the father of
young girl accused him Of attempting
70 nirt with her. said Ernest Rossiter
last night. But the son of r.. V w
Rossiter, former vice president of the
New York Central Railroad. denied
there was any ground for the as
sault.
When 1 was attacked suddenly /
didn't even know 1 was i'm the seat by
girl" he asserted Il couldn't I'M
derStand the assault"
But George w. Kelley, father of
Miss Gertrude Reilly. OF Flushing, is
equally positive that the man he
smashed in the face with his fist and
umbrella had made advances to Ger
trude.
Mind you, L don't say the man I
nit was Ernest Rossiter." added Reilly.
I don't know Rossiter."
Miss Reilly is a stenographer- en-
ployed I'm Manhattan. Her father Is a
clerk in the downtown district.
MY daughter came to me Wednes-
day night last and showed me a note
which she said had been dropped in
She described the man who dropped
the note and said he had been an
noying her with his attentions a long
time. My daughter always boarded
tho lib train at the Murray Hill sta
Hoa. She said the man got on board
a lain Street, the next stop.
The note told Gertrude to sit I'm
certain place on the train next morn
ing, and advised her that the writer
would join her. Next morning / made
Gertrude do as the note directed. and
L took a seat across the way.
AT Main Street handsomely dress
ed man, wearing a mourning band
about his sleeve, got on the train and
Then 1 saw him attempt to begin con-
versation with her. Gertrude gave me
the sign and let drive. After I had
done some damage with my fists
and at Woodside the man quit the
train. The affair caused excitement
on the train. OF course.
Afraid of being arrested for as
sault?" Reilly echoed. Il should say
I'm not / did what any father would
a masher. II this man Rossiter adj
mits he was struck with fist and UNI
brella last Thursday morning, when
coming into New York on the 7;1S
train, then Rossiter is the man who
made advances to my daughter. That's
all have to say"
The Reilly home is at 20 Flushing
Avenue. in the Murray Hill section of
Flushing. while the Rossiter house,
one of the fenst in that section of the
city. is at % Sanford Avenue. Err
nest Rossiter is twenty-eight years old
and is employed by the New York Cen
trail Railroad In the Grand Central
station.
He was reluctant TO talk OF the at
fair last night. but finally said:
II understand Mr.. Reilly says the
man he was after dropped a note In
his daughters lap the morning be-
fore. when she was going to Manhat-
tan on the 1913 train. To prove I am
not the man. let me say 1 was not on
catch the SIP train. Thursday took
the earlier train TO attend to some bus
mess before going TO my office.
1T has been my custom TO sit In the
smoker on the trips To the city, but
Wednesday morning the smoker was
crowded, and / walked the length of
the train and sat down. L didn't even
notice who was in the seat by me and
pulled out newspaper to read"
Rossiter was asked why he left the
train at Woodside when Reilly was
whacking him with the umbrella.
During this most unusual scene 1
had my family in mind" he replied.
Il didn't want to get into the news
papers or cause grief to my mother.
My one idea was TO get out OF the way
and not to resent the assault. To stop
the mans speeches and his constant
swinging Of that umbrella 1 had to
leave the train.
u never saw Mr.. Reilly before he
attacked me. and l have never seen
his daughter in my life that know of.
l didn't have time TO look her way be-
fore her father assaulted me-"