Milford chronicle., 1926-01-29
SMALL CHILD ASSAULTED
BY NEGRO IS STILL in A
VERY SERIOUS CONDITION
continued from first pagel

Butler had been arraigned befor
Magistrate James X. Phillips a
Seaford, charged with rape and wa
held without bail for court. He il
said to have confessed all the charg
es against him, admitted the iden
tity of his victims, said he knew h
had done wrong and that he guess
ed he could take all they gave him
for his crime. By means of a rusC
the highway police spirited him tt
the workhouse at Greenbank where
Butler is now held a prisoner.
Thursday night was the most ex'
citing Sussex county residents have
experienced for many years. Men
| from all sections of the county
gathered in the throng that was hot
in pursuit of the highway police
men who had Butler in custody.
One of the things that averted a
lynching was the absence of a lead
er. The mob filled the magistrates
Office in SeafOrd at the hearing and
there were mutterings of what
should be done to Butler, but there
was no one, apparently, to direct
them in any concerted movement to
take the law into their own hands.
Later when details of Buffers con-
fessiOn became known there was a
howl of rage and expressions of re-
gret that the prisoner had not been
taken by the mob when they had
the chance in Seaford. But it was
too late then and Butler was safe
ly on his way to the workhouse, al
though the mob still was of the be-
lief he was held in the Jail at
Georgetown.
Attacks Mrs. Neal
About II o'clock Thursday morn
ing Butler appeared at the home of
William Neal, colored, about two
miles west of Bridgeville, at a place
called Horsey's Cross Roads, be-
tween Bridgeville and Federals-
burg. Mrs. Neal was alone at the
time, her husband being at work
and her children at school. Butler
demanded some money from Mrs.
Neal. She refused him and he then
picked up a fiat iron which she had
been using and beat her about the
head with it. She fell unconscious
and Butler then felOnously assault
ed her twice. He left the house and
Mrs. Neal was appar- |
emily dead. She was found by some |
Of her children when they came |
home for dinner. They gave the !
alarm. A physician was called and |
he revived the woman and then
she told what had happened. She
IS still under the care of a physic-
AN and her condition is serious.
Goes To Steinmetz Home
1t was about 1890 o'clock Thurs
lay afternoon that Butler appeared
1t the Steinmetz home. He former
y worked for Steinmetz. At the
ime Mr.. Steinmetz was out in the
ields pruning trees. Mrs. Stein
metz was at the John Wiley home,
assisting Mrs. Wiley to do some
roning. Little Eleanor was alone
It the time.
Butler walked past the house and
aw the little girl preparing the
Inner for her parents. He discov-
red she was alone. He walked
o the door and asked her to take a
Walk with him. She inquired why
he should go with him and he re-
eated his coaxing that she go. The
irl refused and Butler picked up a
tick of wood and struck her on the
cad, badly stunning her. He then
the child into his arms
nd ran from the house to woods
My short distance away.
A IL.
aimed consciousness and began to
cream and call for her mother.
utler is said to have used some
lthy language while talking to the
tile girl and then he smoIhered
er cries, tore off her clothing and
assaulted her twice. Not
atisfied with this he subjected her
} other indignities of the worst l
ind. When she struggled and tried
scream he beat her about the
cad with the club until she was I
nconscious. I
Butler, then thinking the girl was \
cad, left her lying on the ground,
ICE up and exposed to the rain Z
.orm that was going on at the /
me. He walked calmly from the
,ene. I
Parents Find Child t
Mr.. Steinmetz and his wife later )
'turned to their home for dinner.
hey were startled when their y
lughter was not there and when e
ey could not find her about the :.
'emises they became alarmed. \
hey inquired of neighbors, but =
lding none had seen her, they and
veral others Joined in a search :,
'out the farm. Mr.. Steinmetz y
ard groans and tracing them to :.
e woods he found his daughter u
ing, partly clothed, in a pool of .
ood and still unconscious. She =
rs carried back to the house and y,
:. Ira A. B. Allen of Seaford was II
lied. When he arrived he found
g child delirious with spasms. He y y
lickly determined the extent to =
lich the Negro had abused her .
ID realizing her condition was y
itical summoned the Milford Hos :,
tai ambulance and had her re- = u
1ved to Milford Hospital. Discov- u
y of the girl was not made until =,
out three hours after she had -
en- lying unconscious and exposed -
the storm all that time. =, ~
Butler Is Arrested 9,
Butler had started for the Mary Re
nd line, Suspicion fell upon him
cause he had been seen in the VI q,
lity. The state police were noti- m
d and Corporal James and Off 6
rs Norman S. Purnell and Joseph
Ut started in pursuit. They over c,
)k the man about five miles away in
d placed him under arrest. He n
Is located in a woods on the farm n
Frank Adams, west of Cannon 81
'tion. When the officers ap-