The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-03-19
A CuRLY.HEADED CUR.
His Dastardly Attempt to OUTRAGE
a Child.
A LITTLE GIRL OF NINE SUMMERS THE
VICTIM.
Arrest and Examination of IN. Young
ScOUUdrcI
Held in the Sum Of One Thousand Dollars


TN FRIDAY morning, Mrs. Applcman,
proprietress OF the Central House, on
sixth street, between Washington AID
commercial avenues. complained to the
city officers that one of her children, "A
little girl nine years of are, had been
sadly misusel, accusing one Peter Curch.
boardcr in her house. OF the crime The
officers went To Judge Bross and pro-
cured warrant Tor the arrest of Curch.
who was captured and lodged in the city
Jail until yesterday afternoon. when he
was taken out tor trial. He is a youay
man twenty-five years old, short
and rather stoutly built. with
dark curly hair and dark eyes
aud complexion. He cane to this city
about four months ago. and being har-
ness maker procured a situation in the
establishment OF Mr.. l.. ID. Aiken, on
Commercial avenue, where he has work
ed ny til the time of his arrest. lie has
an uncle aud other relatives in Seymour
Indiana, and his mother also resides In
/ IL,
who has been shown letters from her to
young Cnrch, To be in good .circum.
stances, rs In some OF the epistlcs she
oilers him rs m indurrment. IN Jnry with
which to go into business for him
self. Mr.. Aiken informs rs
! that Curch has not needed the cntrca-ic,
OF MS mother. but has spent nearly all
his wages on "thc girls" and that he is
now in debt to him. He has not only
shown himself to be very unthoughtiul
and INSCRIPTIONS young man so far a-
his actions with women goes, but also in
money matters, IL he has affixed Mr.
Aikcn's signature to one If not moIl
pieces of paper which. proved him rs Il
iorger.
When put on trial yesterday bciol,
Judge Bross, he asserted emphatically
his innocence. saying that he was not in
the house ut the time Mrs. Applcman
| states TIE crime was committed Tie
says that he owed the little girls mother
about nine dollar, for board, and that lac
gave her an order on his employer for the
money, and told her he intended 10 leave:
that she got angry "bccause she thought
she was going to lose n boardcr, and put
this job up on him; that he has been
roped in. but he supposcs the courts will
do him justice" and there is no doubt
they will. lie admitted that on more than
one OCCASION he had talked to little Mary
on subjects that lac should not, but said
he had never used violence with her, nor
had he misuscd her rs preferred in the
charge.
Mrs. Applcman stated that on Tuesday
night about supper time, she missed hel
child, and that she was positive Curcl
was in his room with her at that time
from the fact that when, on Thursda,
evening, she questioned Mary, who is ,
pretty little black-eycd. curly.licaded
girl, about her soilcd clothes, the child
began to cry, aud told her that
she was up stairs In the front room, when
Curch came up and asked her togo to hi,
room with him. She refused, and IA,
took her by the hand aud lel her to hi,
room, where his cowardly aud iiendisli
purpose was accomplished, telling the
poor child that she should not cry and he
would buy her some pretty clothes.
Dr. Wardncr's statement, II,
having examined the child went
TO prove that an assault had
been made upon her person, and the tory
OF Mary. herself, was about in substanc,
that told by her mother. One or two
other witnesses were examined, but littl,
OF Importance was derived from their ties.
timony. and Curch was held in the sum
OF one thousand dollars to answer the
charge of assault with intent to rape"
at the 1T 1t term ui the circuit court, and
IN default OF bail, was given quarters /,
the county jail.
I ScsNs