Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-10-26
Ines Moines special. 1a1

al. H.ss>ssl
49, urr Assailnnts.
TDes Moines Special, 1871
I'll, lt.!e town of Ute, on the Sioux
,;,y branch of the Chicago, Milwaukee
II 81. Paul railroad, is in terrible state
element over series of foutraees
ia, have been perpetrated upon Lena
HAHN. aged 20, daughter of one of the
mast influential families in the county.
n. ease Is u parallel of the famous Emma
R,nd mystery, of Taylorville. Ill.
Two weeks ago last Monday Miss Chaplin
n alone in the house of her uncle, Mr..
awards. two miles north of town. About
oor two men called and asked for dinner.
hey came in to wait while something was
siny prepared for them, and Immediately
lied Miss Chaplin, and, under penalty Of
cath. tried to make her tell where her
nrle kept his money. Failing in this they
pok her to nn adjoining shed aud tied her
crude manner and left her gagged
mill she WAS discovered several hours
fterward. One week ago Tuesday night
attempt was made to abduct her when
he stepped to the back door,. She WIS
eix,d in the hallway by the same two men
al was being carried off when she man
bed to give a half stihed scream
hat brought the assistance of her
pcle and three hired men from the house.
[erabductors escaped without recognition.
ii,lay there was stock and grain sale on
.e Edwards farm. 1t is said that there
ere 800 men present, who were gwen a
arecue dinner. At o'clock Miss Chaplin
tared to return a basket of dishes Dor
mel of neighbor quarter of mile
way. Immediately after leaving the house
le was seized Ivy the same men and carried
carly Il mile up the creek, where the
'oundrcls shamefully abAsed her in their
forts to make her tell where Edwards had
ut the money and the notes Of the days
Die. Failing, they gagged her and tied
Ell TO the roots Of a tree under the over
aLGng bank of creek. When she was
bisscd and search commenced. the broken
shes and the foot prints of the men who
AT dragged her away led to her discovery
mc hours afterwards.
The young lady is very intelligent and
a, zen teaching school for the past two
ears. SHE is ACCOMPLISHED and we'll elu-
sted. Her uncle offers heavy rewards
pr the arrests. -Four hundred men are
curing the country to-day
ute Special. 1871
There is no abatement in the interest
Sakened by the mysterious assaults upon
enie Chaplin. but the utter absence of
NY reasonable cause tends to increase the
|Nstcly. The young lady is still suffer-
b. seriously from the dreadful assault of
hnsday night. Three weeks ago to- day
Flien the first assault was made. Miss
hapin had an excellent opportunity to
Penetrate the elaborate disguise of the men
nd get an accurate description of them.
here We're several men employed at the
awards farm and at the time were en-
aged i'll farm work Il short distance from
he house where Miss Chaplin was alone
Flth the eighteen months old baby of her
INIT The two strangers We're standing
b the doorway before she was aware of
heir presence, and roughly demanded
omcthing to eat. After Miss Chapln had
Informed them they cou d have their de-
hands il they would wait until it was pre-
jared and the men came in from the field.
lie was startled by an oath and the re-
mark. What's the matter with having it
bow frightened at the roughness and
profanity she started to run from the
house, but was seized and stiHed by the
lutch of one of the men upon her
hyoat. The man who held her she
leseribes rs being about 35 years
'Il. medium height, and weight about 40
pounds. He Wore false beard that came
- his waist. His dress was not that of Il
Famner but more like that Of prosperous
business man. He had heavy gold ring.
with what she thought was diamond set.
Fn the little finger of his right hand. His
Ents and shirt were white, and highly
lmndried, and he wore a heavy gold watch
Fllaln attached to II fine gold watch. which
lse frequently consulted while he held her
b prisoner and before he and his confed-
crate left the house. In Il belt under his
coat, but over his vest, hung two heavy
c@librcd reyolvers. and carelessly tucked
under the belt i'll front was long naked
knife. Miss Chaplin was ordered upon
pam of her life not to make any noise and
70 tell where the money was kept i'll the
house. She protested that there was
nothing of value about the place that she
knew OF. While the one man held her the
other searched the premises. The fellow.
VII" appeared to be a young man, she
never got a fair look at. he keeping away
from her and avelting her face whenever
he passed near her. This has created
The impression in Miss Chapln's mind
that he is some one with whom she is
PERSONALITY acquainted, and that he feared
detection. After breaking open trunks an(
eMptying bureau drawers upon the tlool
and finding nothing, her captors took thu
'rnoriZed girl into an adjoining shed
'lsea for the storage of cobs. and tied he
with clothesline to the studding of thu
budding. Her hands were drawn tight,
behind her and the rope given turl
around her neck and then run around thu
sfndding and the girl was drawn to the
wall sideways in q leaning posture across
an upright barrel. She was gagged b,
having towel drawn tightly across he
month and tied behind. In this way sh'
was left and her assailants left the house
Unable to give the dinner signal for tn
men to come in from the field they re
NAMED at work until 2 O'CLOCK when tn
terrific screams of the baby attracted at
'eA'on and brought relief. Miss Chapl'
was unable to speak when released.
he second assault, a week later wa
equally mysterious. 1t occurred at half
past in the evening. Supper was jus
h!'hshed, and Miss Chapiu's uncle AM
, ,lie hired men we're sitting at the table
MISS Chaplin had arisen and taken dr1nl
:" ' water and stepped to the door to rms
olt her mouth Nh, instant she aDDearel