Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 173, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 August 1918 — CHOKED AND ROBBED OF $45 [ARTICLE]

CHOKED AND ROBBED OF $45

FORMER RENSSELAER WOMAN VICTIM OF NEGRO BANDIT ' AT GARY. • r Gary, July 29.—“ Yesterday mottling, at eleven o’clock, Mrs. William A. Daverport, East Gary, .was choked and robbed of $45 by a negro. Police found no clue. Hobart militia and posses refused to give up hunt and the search continued at noon today, 25 hours after its occurance.” Attacked and choked into unconsciousness by a burly negro, Mrs. William A. D'avenport, 35, East Gary, is lying dangerously, ill at Mercy hospital and at noon today a posse of over 100 farmers and neighbors, the Hobart militia and scores of deputies led by Sheriff Lew Barnes, were continuing their 24-hour hunt for the brute, believed to be the same negro who assaulted two other white women in the past two weeks. Mrs. Davenport had Just returned from her war garden to prepare the noonday meal "in her home, a mile west of East Gary, near Pine street. She heard someone moving about in the front of the house. Knowing that her two children, Elizabeth, 14, and William, Jr., 10, had gone to/East Gary with her sister, Miss Jacobs, she investigated. As she stepped into the living room, the negro grabbed her, slapping his hand over her mouth to prevent her screaming. “I want money,” he demanded, closing his fingers about her throat. “Take it, take it. / It’s under the bed, but for God’s sake let me go,” panted the terrified woman. With a shove the beast threw her to the floor, ran into the bedroom, found the money, $45, jumped out a window and escaped. Half unconscious, delirious, Mrs. Davenport slowly got to her feet and ran screaming to the road. Two neighbor women, Mrs. Schaffer and Mrs. Rose, heard her cries. They lurried to her side.

“A negro—he beat me—took our money—ohhh.” Then she dropped into unconsciousness. One of the women took her to a neighbor’s home. The other gave the alarm. The husband, working in a nearby foundry, was notified. Soon more than 100 farmers, neighbors and foundrymen had gathered. All were armed, some with guns, sticks and pieces of iron from the foundry. Several picked up ropes. The Hobart militia was immediately called out. Church bells, whistles and fire sirens sounded a general alarm. In a short time more than 1,000 persons were combing the woods and territory for the negro, described as tall, smooth faced, dark, wearing a checkered jacket, a cap and khaki trousers. The Gary police department responded, but after several hours’ search returned to headquarters. Through the night posses and the infuriated husband scoured the region for miles around. The Hobart militia led by Captain Reeves, refused to give up the hunt. Women of the neighborhood served hot lunches to the searchers. This mprning the . militiamen and farmer’s posse strengthened by more deputies and Sheriff Lew Barnes and Deputy Fred Shultz, continued the chase. At noon today no trace of the negro had been seen other than that he was reported seen crawling along the railroad between Liverpool and New Chicago. Shortly after the robbery a neighbor woman, Mrs. Brown, started chasing her pigs into their pen. She noticed they were afraid to proceed. Investigating she found the negro huddled in one comer of the shelter. Frightened' she ran into her house and telephoned for help. In her fright she forgot to notice which way he escaped and when the posse arrived was unable to direct them. They found no trace of him in that locality. The money the negro stole was to have been used in the care of Mrs. Davenport, who is soon to be confined. Her condition makes her recovery doubtful, it was reported this afternoon? / This is the fourth assault on Gary women in the last month.

Jeff Crowell, negro, was arrested as a suspect by Deputy F. H. Bassett this morning at Ridge road & Broadway. Deputy Sheriff Stults questioned him at Police headquarters and after ascertaining his innocence, released him. Sheriff Stults, with three men from his office, aided in the pursuit from yesterday noon until early this morning. He continued the search today. Late this afternoon no trace of the assailant had been found by either of the posses, the militia company, neighbors or deputies from Sheriff Lew Barnes’ office. The man hunt continued.