Miss Sophia Diskman Proves Herself A Heroine

The first act of one of the most famous plays of 10 years ago was duplicated at noon yesterday at Baltimore and High streets, with a cast picked by fate and time from life. The passing multitude watched and admired.

The Hebrew synagogue on South High Street has closed its services, and the congregation, pouring out, surged quickly up to Baltimore Street. In the crowd was an old man. Mr. Solomon Sonneborn, 42 South Caroline street, and a young girl. Miss Sophia Diskman. 680 West Baltimore Street. They were unknown to each other, but fate was destined to shape the circumstances so that the aged man would soon have to depend upon the stronger arm of the pretty young girl.

As the old man stood hesitatingly in the street, watching to grasp an opportunity to cross, two young men. Wilson Black. 832 North Washington Street, and Frank Whitney. 206 North Durham Street, passed by.

“Let’s pull the old man’s whiskers,” Black is alleged to have said, and Whitney assenting, it is said Black approached Mr. Sonneborn, grasped his beard, and tugged at it. Mr. Sonneborn cried out for help.

“Let go,” he cried and tried to hit his assailant. Black is then alleged to have struck Mr. Sonneborn on the nose and left him lying full length in the street, his body stretching over the car tracks.

“Why do you do this? Aren’t you ashamed?”

Both Black and Whitney are alleged to have looked up to see standing before them the slight figure of Miss Diskman. They mumbled an answer, it is said, but the girl* not heeding, took hold of the old man and, lifting him gently to his feet, led him from the car tracks to the aide street.

“I was afraid he might be run down by a car that was coming up the street,” the young lady explained.

“What do you want in this, anyhow?* the boys are alleged to have demanded, and Black, it is said, reached back to his hip pocket threateningly. A man ran to his side and, pinioning his arm behind him, held him for a few minutes. Whitney, his companion, is then alleged to have taken a pistol from the pocket of Black and transferred it to his own. A few minutes later, Patrolman Frazier and Sergeant Hoyle arrived, and Black and Whitney were placed under arrest.

At the hearing, Justice Grannan heard the story and complimented Miss Diskman on her bravery. The boys denied the charge.

“You two are bad ones,“ said the Justice, “and I am going to see you have a respite. Twenty-five dollars, costs, and six months in jail.”

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