The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1911-09-16
Harry Frazier Seizes Vera
Pfafflin, IL, as She Enters
Woodshed and a Fierce
Struggle Ensued.
SCREAMS OF CHILD
BRING ASSISTANCE
Mother and Sisters Rush to
Her Aid and Frazier Fled
But Was Later Arrested in
Pool Room.

Harry Frazier, alias Harry Ralston,
a coal black negro, aged about 20
years, is held at the city jail on a
charge of attempting an assault upon
Vera Pfaflin, 12-year-old daughter of
Mr.. and Mrs. Gus Pfafflin, 108 North
Sixth street. The attack took place in
a blind alley back of the Pfaffliri resi-
dence at Sis o'clock this morning.
Frazier was arrested at the pool room
of Harm Skillens on Fort Wayne ave-
nue. this morning at TO-: 40 o'clock. He
was taken to police headquarters
where he was positively identified by
the little Prafflin girl and her younger
sister, Ruth, aged about 9 years. He
was also identified by an employe of
the Whelan store-room, between
North Fifth and Sixth streets on A
streets, as the negro who has been
loafing in the alley recently.
Just as the little Pfafflin girl was
entering the woodshed of her home
from the alley after a trip to the gro
cery store, the negro sprang from the
shed, where he had been hiding and
grabbed her.
Threatened Her Life.
He threw a Handkerchief over her
mouth and then warned her that II
she made an outcry, he would kill her.
The child struggled valiantly against
|Aer~ AsRcl and after fierce
|scuffle OF several minutes freed her
mouth from the handkerchief held by
the negro. So terrified as not to heed
the threat of Frazier, she screamed
with all her might, while still strug-
Cling in the mans grasp. Her outcry
reached the ears of her mother and
sisters in the house and they came
running towards the alley.
Frazier heard the slamming of the
screen door as Mrs. Pfafflin and the
footsteps upon the cement sidewalk.
He released the little girl and ran
from the alley towards North A street
No men were attracted by the scream
ing and the negro made his escape.
In the scuffle with the negro, the
little Pfafflin girl received a severe
scratch on the left shoulder. She is
also suffering from the nervous shock
Frazier has admitted to the police
of having been in the alley at the
rear of the Pfafflin residence at the
time of the attack.
He was adopted when a child by
Frank Ralston of North Sixteenth
street. His reputation has not been
very good.
Identified tho Negro.
Ruth Pfafflin, the younger sister OF
the girl attacked, has identified Fra
zier as the negro she saw loafing in
the alley near the Pfafflin home a cou
pie of days ago, and who asked hel
for an old umbrella laying near the
woodshed. Frightened, she told him
to take it, and ran into the house.
Frazier had been loafing in the alley
for several days, according to an EN-
ploye of the Whelan store-room.
The Pfafflin girl was told to go te
the Bullerdick grocery, corner oi
Fifth and A streets, by her mother
shortly after o'clock. She left b,
| the back way, reaching A street
| through the alley, and was no doub1
seen by the negro at the time. She
returned the same way, and was
about to enter the woodshed, which
| is located at the rear of the PfaffliI
residence and affords an entrance into
the rear yard, when the negro sprans
out at her.
The employe of the Whelan store
room learned of the attempted assaul1
and later he saw Frazier, whom hs
recognized as the negro who had beer
| loafing in the alley. on Fort Wayne
avenue. He notified the police ant
patrolmen Lawler and Wenger were
| detailed on the case. They located
Frazier at Skillen's pool room in .
short time and made the arrest.