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Southern Spaces
A journal about real and imagined spaces and places of the US South and their global connections

"An outrageous assult was made upon a Miss Burdette, a maiden lady, whose father lives near Ponce de Leon, on the outer end of West Peachtree street.

"She had been to Ponce de Leon spring and was returning, picking berries along the way, with her little niece who had accompanied her.

"It was about ten o'clock, and as they were walking along a burly negro jumped out from behind a clump of scrubby postoak bushes and assaulted her. The cries of the frightened child, however, attracted the attention of some boys who were herding cows near by, and they ran toward the scene.

"Mr. William Wright also heard the alarm, and ran to the rescue.

"By this time the little community out on West Peachtree was in an uproar of excitement. Chief Connolly was notified, and sent Captain Wright with a squad of police to the scene. By the the [sic] time they arrived there was quite a crowd gathered, and the woods and fields in the vicinity of Ponce de Leon were thoroughly searched, but no trace of the negro could be found.

"The negro is described as a low, chunky, brown skinned negro, and the police are of the opinion that he belongs in Atlanta." (Atlanta Constitution, (June 14, 1889): 5)

Published: 15 January 2008
© 2008 Sarah Toton and Southern Spaces