The Mount Holly News

On New Year's Eve at an unknown hour a strange colored man made a forcible entrance into the home of the Rev. D. H. Gaines, pastor of the A. U. M. E. church, at Riverside, by way of a rear window in the kitchen, and attempted an assault on the pastor's 10-year-old niece, who was asleep in her bed on the second floor. The pastor and his wife were at Watch Night service in their little Riverside chapel, and the niece was left at home to keep company with the little 3-year-old tot of the family, both safely tucked away together in bed. It was near midnight when the loud screams of murder from a childish voice aroused Charles Penn and wife, who live in the adjoining half of the house, and who responded quickly to the cry. Mr. Penn ran around to the rear in the adjoining yard, while Mrs. Penn with a key quickly slipped into the house by the front door. As she entered the man was seen to run through the house to the kitchen, where, with a leap, he went through the window to the ground, taking the window sash with him in his exit. Nimbly springing to his feet he dashed past Mr. Penn with the agility of a deer and was soon lost sight of. The child says that she was sleeping soundly when aroused by the touch of a person she thought was her aunt. As she was being lifted over she awoke, and discovered the man getting into bed. She then screamed, and the little bed-mate, awakened and frightened, joined lustily in the piercing cry that caused the flight of the villain and brought the aged neighbors to the rescue, and who remained until the return home of the uncle and aunt.