Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-23
A CHILD HIS VICTIM.
W. G. Hughes Attempts to De-
bauch a Little Girl.
Little Lille Smith Of Riverside
Found in His Company.
Oficer johnson and Constable Glenn epts
Do q Good Piece OF Work.
Tho Story OF the
Crime.

One of the most scoundrelly attempts
to lead a young girl astray that ever
in this city was unearthed
yestered by Officer johnson and Con-
stable Clements, and the fellow safely
landed in the city Jail, with strong
proofs as to his guilt, at IL o'clock last
night.
The man is W. G. Hughes, a painter
OF Riverside, and his victim a pretty
little girl from the same city, who gives
her name as Lille Smith, and is pupil
oflthe Riverside high school.
During the afternoon Hughes, who is
a short, compactly built man with sum
Drowned completion, went to the New
Arlington lodging house on Commercial
street and applied for room. Mrs.
Hack, who was in charge, asked him if
he did not want two rooms, and he re-
piled that he did not. She then re-
fused to give him room, and he went
away. The officers happened to be in
the vicinity, and their suspicious being
aroused they made inquiries of Mrs.
Hack. Then they followed
the couple, the chase lasting
all the rest of the afternoon
and into the night. Hughes took the
girl first to the old Vienna buffet, on
Requena street, where he had some
drinks, the girl supposedly drin king
soda water. They came out and went
on cable car to Westlake park. After
coming back. the fellow tried to get a
room at two or three lodging houses, but
failed, even going to the Natick house
on First street. He made several trips
to the old Vienna buffet, always accom-
panied by the girl, and drinking at each
visit. His motives were more distinctly
intimated shortly after dark, when he
took his companion to the Palace, at the
corner of Spring and First streets. They
remained there for short time, and
after going out, the officers found torn
card upon the floor in the stall he had
occupied. Upon it was written in lead
pencil, the words: s'Two sodas, we'll
Spiked" which had been the directions
he gave to the waiter.
ROOM SECURED.
After wandering about the streets for
short time longer Hughes and little
Lille went to a clearinghouse on South
Broadway, No. 11S, where he applied for
and got one room and entered into pos
session of it. He left the child there
two or three times and went to the old
Vienna buffet, where he took aboard
fresh supplies of liquor, but returned
finally abent 80 O'Clock. The girl
was by this time in bed. He folio we'd,
and shortly afterwards the officers
pushed in the door, which had been
secured by chair, there being no key
in the lock. Hughes appears to be a
man OF about 40 years of age, and he
was found in bed with the little high
school girl. He did not seem to be
much concerned after the first surprise,
and accompanied the officers to the sta
ton without betraying any agitation.
A HERALD reporter questioned him
when he was first brought in, and he
said that he had taken the girl down to
Redondo from Riverside, starting yes
terday morning. When asked how old
she was, he replied:
she was II, another time 16, and an
other IA. But ahe's old enough"
Seeing the disgust on the features OF
the bystanders at this remark, he con-
tinued:
81 say, hope you won't put this in
the papers. Well, if it has to go let it
rip. I'll have to sell my Gladstone lot,
1 guess, before am out of this"
Continuing to walk around the Office,
he came over to where the reporter was
standing, and upon being questioned
said:
81 have been married man, but my
wife is dead. have two sons, and have
lived at Riverside five years. I am
pretty well known there"
He was asked if Lille Smith has a
mother.
eyes, she has, and I'll tell you it's a
loose thing, the whole business. The
mother, Mrs. Smith, everybody knows
what kind of woman she is. This girl
is loose, too. But I'd rather you
wouldn't say much about that. Let her
down easy, will you? Why, there's a
man down at Santa Ana that pays her
grocery bills. Mrs. Smiths, mean"
While the scoundrel did not directly
say that he had accomplished his de-
signs. he was so caught that he could
not deny his intentions, and nearly
everything he said was an attempt to
create the impression that the mother
and child were bad lot, and that she
had come with him willingly enough.
The girl was neatly dressed, wearing
large schoolgirl hat. She has dark
hair and eyes, and quite regular fea-
lures. Her clothes were child's clothes
in length, reaching to the tops of her
shoes, and she looks just as thousands
of pretty little schoolgirls in Los An
geles, seeming, if anything, nearer 12
years old than IA. She told the reporter
consecutive story of her trip, saying:
II was IA years old last February.
Yesterday Mr.. Hughes asked my mother
if he could take me to Redondo. Ihave
known him for two or three years. NV
mother told him she did not object, if
he would come back on the 3 80 train;
that she did not want me to stay longer.
He promised, and we went to Redondo.
We came back all right on the train,
but when we reached Los Angeles
Mr.. Hughes said we might as well
20 up in the city for awhile and we
could catch the train. / have never
been in Los Angeles before. We went
up to the city and had some dinner. l
had some soda at dinner. That is he
said it was coda, but it tasted funny
and it made my head swim like every.
thing. Then we missed the train, and
Mr.. Hughes said we would get rooms.
He went to that place, the Arlington,
and asked for room. l told him he
should get two rooms that he knew
would not sleep with him. When he
told the lady one room, she would not
let him have it. and we went away. We
went down to that saloon in the cellar
and had drinks. I drank soda water.