The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-05-18
RITA MARTINS SAD STORY.
A YOUNG GIRLS TERRIBLE
EXPERIENCE.
Examination of Charles Harlan for
Alleged Fiendish Assaults
ON Her.

~.
The pitiful spectacle was presented
in Justice Henry's court yesterday OF
young and modest-appearing girl De-
ing kept on the witness stand ZOE
many hours and forced to repeat over
and over again the hunliliating details
of shocking outrages committed on her
about ten days ago, according to her
testimony, by man named Charies
Harlan
The substance of the girls charge
against Harlan was first published in
the Record Union" a few days since.
Her name was then suppressed, out
of consideration for her feelings, but
since the matter has reached the courts
and it has become necessary for her,
in the interests of justice to go on the
stand, in, the presence of many persons,
and relate the complete story of her
wrongs at. the hands of the accused,
there is no further occasion for secrecy.
The injured girl is Rita Martin. 1t
is claimed that she is less than IT.
years of age, and her childish appear
ance and manner seem to verify the
claim If the story that she tells in
such a traightforward, convincing
manner be true, the crime was one of
ever disgraced this community.
The brutal character of the outrage
transcends that. of ordinary cases of
the kind, the victim having been sub
jected to indignities that cannot even
be limited at in print and are absolute
ly revolving to all but the most de-
graded natures.
AT the preliminary examination of
Harlan yesterday District Attorney
Baker was the prosecuting attorney,
and William Henley attorney for the
defense. Mr.. Baker asked that the
original complaint be dismissed, as the
girl had been since found to be under
III years old, and a new complaint had
been filed.
Attorney Henley objected on the
ground of want of jurisdiction, but the
court overruled his objection and di-
rected the defendant to step outside
of the courtroom, so that the new
warrant might be read to him, which
was done. despite Henley's objection.
The girl was called to the stand, and
testified that on the day in question
defendant asked her to take ride in
buggy with him. She at first re-
fused, but finally consented to ride with
him as far as her home. Instead Of
taking her there, however, She said he
drove out over the levee to the sand
pits, made her git out of the buggy
and assaulted her. She resisted, but
did not dare resist too much, for fear
he would beat her. She stated that he
assaulted her twice, threatening, when
she resisted, to tear every rag from
her
The girl testified that he then took
her back through the city and down
on the Riverside road, where, to ac-
count for the mud on their clothes, he
told an acquaintance they had been
upset After this he took her on a
side road and again assaulted her, and
when she cried for help he told her
she had better keep quiet or she would
attract tramps and be worse off He
finally took her home, she said, where
she told a girl friend and her mother
what had happened, and showed them
her condition, and they advised her to
have Harlan arrested.
She was severely cross examined all
the afternoon by Attorney Henley, but
he was unable to shake her testimony.
The case was continued till 10 a, m
to-day. Only officers of the court and
persons directly interested in the case
are allowed to be present