Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-23
FIVE FOUND GUILTY
|. ON ATTACK CHARGE
Maryland Negroes to Be Sem
fenced Today for Assault
Near Ox0n Hill.
Special Dispatch TO The Star.

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
UPPER MARLBORO, Md. August
23.-Five young negroes, three of
them under 81 years of age, faced a
possible sentence of death here today
when a jury in the Prince Georges
County Court found them guilty OF an
attack on Miss Alberta Rice, % years
old, of 1922 n street, Washington.
who, with her escort, john NJ.
Buckler, 3346 Prospect avenue, Wash
ington, was dragged from an auto
mobile parked near OXon Hill the
night of July 20. The defendants
will be sentenced later this afternoon.
and it was indicated that one of them
would probably receive the extreme
penalty.
The findings Of the court were an
nounced by Chief Judge W. Mitchell
Diggs of the seventh judicial circuit,
who, with Associate Justices William
NJ. Loker and Joseph c. MattinSly,
heard the case yesterday.
Indicted Last Week.
The men, Herman Proctor, q;
Harry Proctor, IT; Alfred Simms, 70;
Calvin Ridley, 10, and Richard Brown,
81. all Of Oxon Hill, Prince Georges
County, were indicted last week by a
special session of the county grand
Jury. Each was charged with two
capital offenses against Miss Rice,
and with assault with intent to Kill.
Yesterday in court the men testified
that they had driven from their homes
the night of October 20. bound for
Oxon Hill After passing a parked
car on the road, which contained Miss
Rice and her escort, they returned 10
get a match.f An argument followed
and Alfred Simms admitted striking
both Miss Rice and Buckler and Her
man Proctor admitted hitting Buckler.
Miss Rice accused Simms of a capltaI
offense. which he denied, and Buckier
charged Herman Proctor with holding
him in the car after Miss Rlce had
been dragged from the machine. Harry
proctor. Richard Brown and Calvin
Ridley all denied being there at the
time of the attack. A number OF
character witnesses testified as TO the
good reputation Of Ridley and Harry
Proctor.
All Identified in Court.
States Attorney j. Frank Parran
and former States Attorney D. WIZ
son. who assisted him, called the case
Prince Georges County.
Parran said that no crime IN ms
memory had so stirred the people OF
the county and said they were 10 De
concra tulated upon allowing the men
TO come to trial, indicating their trust
in the courts and their patience.
Miss Rice. Buckler and William
Goodacre, 1914 Connecticut avenue,
Washington, who happened along IN
time to help rescue Miss Rice and
Ruckler from their assallants, all
identified the men in court. MISS Rlce
njckad them one by one, relating Just
the part each had taken in the stfug-
gle.
Scar on Forehead.
She exhibited a scar on her fore
head which she said resulted from
stone thrown by one of the men.
The men were arrested by Patrol
man Robert. Manning of the eleventh
precinct, Washington, who lives near
Oxon Hill, who went to their homes
after getting their descriptions from
Miss Rice in the hospital and IN com
pany with Deputy Sheriff Clinton
Perrygo as arresting officer took them
into custody.
The case has aroused much feeling,
but the plain clothes men on duty here
so far have had little to do. The
negroes were taken back TO the Balt1-
more City Jail last night and brought
here again this morning.
George 3. Merrick of Upper Mari
boro, and John f Mudd. brother of
the late Representative Sydney +.
Mudd of the fifth Maryland congress
sional district, We're defense attorneys.