The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1952-09-10
Key West MatrOn
Tells Story OF
Attempted Attack
Reveals Account For
First Time To Show
Danger OF Providers;
Has Many Scars

Has Many Scars
A Key West matron showed The
Citizen today scars Of wounds from
being bitten by an attempted rap
list at her home on William street
some years ago. and told the story
OF her attempted attack for the
first time.
Dangerous Providers
II tell my story so that public
officials will know that these PROV
lers are dangerous and that it can
happen here"
The matron held out her wrist
and showed the eight year old
scars, left by the teeth of the tres
passer who broke into her home
tried to rape her and bit her hand
when she grabbed the knife he
held at her throat.
The brave woman. instead of
fainting, put up such battle and
screamed SO loudly that she arous-
ed neighbors who rushed to her
rescue and frightened the criminal
away. Later the man was arrested
and identified by another near vic
tim and sent to jail.
Here is her first person state.
ment, exact and model for full
reports that should be made by all
victims of providers, according to
aroused citizens. II is only through
full reporting to the police and
sheriff's department that the PROV
lers can be apprehended and pun
ished. they say.
Having never written anything
like this before / hardly know how
to begin.
ut was a few nights after the
1914 hurricane about 3 o'clock in
the morning. / was awakened by
my little dog who had jumped up
on my bed and was leaning against
me growing.
'The room was so dark that
could see nothing, but felt a hand
in cotton work glove cover my
mouth. A voice said:
Don't make any noisel"
There was something sharp
sticking my chest up near my
| neck.
''The conversation went some
thing like this, You got any mon
ey," Some How much you got, -
About SIS That amt enough
''By that time / knew what he
was after. | also knew that what
had been sticking me was a long
knife. but that to do what he said
he intended to do to me would re
quire two hands and he would have
to put the knife somewhere. | lis
tened hard thinking he might put
the knife on the windowsill near
my head where could get it. But
didn't hear anything. Then
felt two hands pull the sheet and
found the knife in his mouth
with the handle on the left side.
Il grabbed the handle with nv
right hand and the long blade with
my left and began to scream. He
jumped from the bed then and
tried to get the knife away from
me. held on thinking someone
would come. He pulled me from
the bed on the floor and bit my
wrist so badly that l had to let
go. Then / saw his flashlight beam
on the door. and he was gone.
Friends coming at last, forced
the hook at another door and turn
ed on the light, guess things look
ed pretty awful. Blood from my
hand where | had cut it clutching
the knife blade, blood from my
wrist bitten by him. was all over
the place. l could not tell my
friends what he looked like. be
cause IT was so dark | could not
even see an outline. though he was
so close | could feel his breath
on my face.
We called the city police. But
they said they could not come
the three and one half blocks TO
my house because the headlights
OF the police car would not light
Next morning at ii O'Clock an
officer did come. | described q
watch the man had taken. II was
family heirloom, beautiful and
unusual, that had belonged TO nv
grandmother. As far as | know
nothing was done about the watch
even after the man was arrested
months later.
I was asked TO come 10 court
and identify the man who was la
ter arrested. He had a pair of
work gloves and a long knife, but
now can one identify a man one
mas not seem Another Key West
woman. however. did Identify him
he was sentenced 10 10 years. In
much less time than that he was
seen back on the street in Key
West | understand that he is col
ored, born and reared in Kew
West, married and held q respon-
sieie 100 during the daytime. =
TX books ruiIdeVy T,1rtrc 49, v,,~,,