Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1902-06-10
A DASTARD'S DEED.
A Little Girl Of Eight Years
Assaulted in the Woods
Near Schofeld.

Shortly after dinner yesterday Ruth
AnVoorts, daughter of Henry Anvoorts,
resident of Schofield, and playmate
named Clara Kiehl wandered out to the
fringe of woods skirting the village
when they were met and accosted by a
stranger. The man talked with them
FOR few minutes, when, by presenting
pennies to the former girl he enticed
her away from her playmate into the
woods. When once in the bushes he
began taking liberties with the girl and
succeeded in sitting the girls cries, but
in the struggle he tore her clothing IN
shreds and seriously injured her. After
leaving the girl the fellow went out to
and through the lumber yard and dis
appeared down the railroad track.
The girl walked home bleeding profuse-
ly from wounds inflicted by the mans
fingers and to her parents related her
story. She is naturally bright girl
and was able to give complete de-
scription of her assailant even to de-
scribing tattoo mark on the fellows
wrist. The news was soon spread and
it was not long until every available
man in the village and quite few from
Wausau joined in a search for the cul-
prit. Word was sent to Mosinee and a
crowd started from that village work
ing this way and late in the afternoon
the fellow was caught between the two
lines of searching parties. He was
brought to Schofield, taken to the little
girls house where he was identified,
and then hustled to the county Jail.
There the prisoner gave the name &C
John Murphy and claimed Halifax as
his home. He at first denied the charge
against him, but later on covered and
confessed his guilt. 1t was learned that
for short time previous to Memorial
boy he had been working at the stone
quarry at Granite Heights, and it is
said was driven away from that place
on that day for being too friendly
toward little girls. There he worked
under the name of John Mason 1t
does not matter what his name is he is
a tough looking character, and perhaps
is the perpetrator of many another
crime.
The evidence against him was too
strong, for in addition to the girl identi
flying him, pieces of colored paper were
found in the vicinity of where the deed
was committed, which correspondent
with that wrapped around package
4. he carried in his pocket and which he
had used to wipe the blood off his
hands
Last night the villagers of Schofield
gathered in groups discussing the af-
fair, and the feeling was 50 strong that
someone telephoned to the county Jail
that crowd was coming up from Scho-
field to lynch the man. Turnkey
Phelps being there alone with the sher-
ifs family at the time, locked every
door IN the building and put padlocks
on the cell doors and hid the keys in the
basement, but nothing materialized.
A medical examination of the girl by
DIR. A. w. Trevitt disclosed the fact
that she was not as badly injured as
was at first supposed, and facts were
also given and admitted by the girl
which proved that the charge OF rape
could not be preferred against the man,
but only that of attempted rape, for
which there is penalty of from one to
ten years confinement in the states
prison.
The scoundrel was brought before
Judge Silverthorn this afternoon and
pleaded guilty and was sentenced to
serve ten years at hard labor in the
Waupun prison-the fulllimit. he will
be taken there tonight.