New Britain herald., 1924-09-23
Armed Posse Scours Woods Until Consta- bles Arrest Charles Evans At Home On Pearl Street.
Mrs. Mary Thompson of Town Line Road Says: That's the Man, I'd Know Him Anywhere
Especial to the Herald.)

Plainville, Sept. 24,-Charles Evans, colored, of Pearl street, was arrested this noon by Policeman An- drew Hogan and George Schubert and locked up at the local jail on charge of attempted criminal assault following an attack on Mrs. Mary Thompson in a secluded spot on the road about 10:30 o'clock this morn ing Mrs. Thompson positively identi- fled Evans as her assailant when he was brought before her.
 The attack occurred on the Town Line road which marks the boundary between Plainville and southington. Mrs. Thompson was returning from picking flowers in a field and had reached a spot about 400 yards from her home which is on the road. The highway at this spot is bordered on both sides with growth of dense brush and stunted trees.
 As she was walking along, Mrs. Thompson states that from the Plainville side of the road, negro leaped out from behind her and seized her by the throat. She was unable to scream and was knocked down, she says The negro tried to drag her into the woods, but she fought him and dragged him down. Scared Away by Auto
 When he had her down, she states, the colored man then tried to assault her but she successfully warded off all his attempts. Finally, getting his hand off her throat, she screamed and almost at the same instant, the purr of an auto motor was heard approaching. The negro, punching her Tn the face, ran up the road to- wards Red Stone Hill and Mrs. Thompson hurried to the Plainville- southington road and sent in a call to Deputy Sheriff E. W. Furrey.
 Officer Furrey hastened to the spot and when he heard of the serious ness of the crime, he sent in 8 call for his brother officers. Patrolmen Thomas Royce, Andrew Hogan and George Schubert responded. They were later joined by Justice Edward F. Prior and as the story spread around, about 30 men from the town joined in the hunt. Many of them were armed.
 Posses Scours woods
 The police41en formed a searching party and secured the woods and brush for the man. Mrs. Thomp- son, because of the nervous shock under which she was laboring was unable to give any description of her assailant.
 Deputy Sheriff Furrey sent In calls to the surrounding police forces to be on the watch for the man and in the meantime, Policeman Hogan had received information from woman that she had seen a colored man whom she described as shoIs 2 and stocky, wearing dark blue suit and a light hat. walking down the railroad tracks towards the place of sthe attack about 9:30 this morning. Others who were interviewed told the same thing and the trail led to the woods again.
 Woman Identified Evans
 Here the policeman following fresh footprints in the sand. went along a path through the woods but were unsuccessful in their search. Added information from others pointed to Evans as suspect and Policeman Hogan and Schubert re- solved to take the man to the woman in an effort to identify him.
 They went to Evans home on Pearl street and found him hons. They arrested him and brought him before Mrs. Thompson who, when she saw him, cried out, That's him, I'd know him anywhere" Evans was promptly locked up and will await trial on the charges of the woman.
 Mrs. Thompson received a bad beating at the hands of her assailant. Her lips were bruised. her nose was bleeding and her face was scratched. Her throat showed the red marks of fingers where they were pressed against her windpipe. Her clothes were torn and the dirt had been gritted Into her back where she had struggled.
 No record of Charles Evans ever having been conivcted here for criminal assault on a woman could be found in the police records. Evans was identified this morning by a number who had known him pre- viously, as the man who was convict ed in New Britain and sentenced from the high court to a term of years in prison for criminal assault upon woman in this city.