Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-17
LITTLE GIRL
OvERCOMEBY
BRUTAL MAN.
Cruelty Treated and
Left SenseleSs
on Floor
Assailant Strikes Her
Unconscious with
Blow of Fist
Ransacks Poor Little Home but Finds
Nothing of Value to Pay for
His Savage Treatment of
the Child

Hurled to the floor and rendered
senseless after a desperate struggle
with an unidentified assailant in her
parents home at 1886 Lucille avenue,
Margaret Ward, IA years Of age, was
bound hand and foot and gagged while
her assailant ransacRed the house for
valuables, and when he departed was
left in her helpless condition. She was
found by her baby brother nearly two
hours later and finally released to tell
her story to the neighbors and police
when the miscreant who had attacked
her had escaped.
Margaret Ward is the daughter of a
teamster and her father works hard
all day long. Besides herself there are
two children In the family, Clayton, a
boy, aged 8 years, and a baby of one
year. The mother is usually employed
during the day at Bishop & Co.'s can
merry Consequently the little house
which is their home is left during the
day to the sole care of the girl.
Yesterday morning the father do
parted for his work at his usual hour.
The mother, however, remained at home
for the morning to do the family wash
ing. Shortly before noon she finished
this and then departed for her work in
the canning factory. Before going she
and Margaret and the boy, Clayton,
had their luncheon and the girl was
given Instructions obout bringing in
some OF the clothes which had been
hung out to dry.
Sees Man Watching House
A short time after her mother de-
parted Margaret noticed a man walk
ing up and down the street in front
of the house and several times he
walked alongside of the house and to
the rear noticing the clothes hanging
on the wash line.
Margaret became frightened after a
while at the mans actions and, going
to the telephone, sent word to Mrs
Henry, their nearest neighbor, and told
her of the man and the fact that she
was afraid. Mrs. Henry replied with
some consoling words and told her to
go ahead and pay no attention to the
man.
Half an hour after this according to
the story of the girl, she sent her lit
tie brother, Clayton, out to play and
started to put the baby to sleep. She
had just laid the infant down on a cot
In the kitchen and was thinking of go
ing into the yard to bring in some of
the garments hanging on the line when
she heard a step behind her. Before
she had time to turn and see who it
was that had entered a cloth was
thrown over her head and she was
pulled violently backward and hustled
across the room toward the doorway
leading into the bedroom adjoining
She twisted and turned, graphing with
her assailant, at the same time trying
to call for help. Her screams were
buried in the folds of the garment,
which was pulled tightly over her head.
She struggled on, however, and once
through the cloth sank her teeth into
the arm of the man holding her,
Brute Strikes Girl
"You - hussy, take that!" was the
savage cry as she bit the fiend who
held her. and the next moment she re-
ceived heavy blow on the head. The
brute had struck her with his fist
With all her senses awhirl the girl still
struggled and was hit again and again
until she sank Senseless to the floor.
Her inert body was dragged into the
next room and left there while the man
deliberately went into the yard and cut
down the washing which was hanging
out in order to secure a piece of the
rope. He returned to the house and
bound the girl hand and foot with the
clothes line and taking the garment
from her head forced a dirty handker-
chief between her lips and bound it
back of her neck, gagging her cruelty.
From the appearance of the house
afterward it is supposed that he ran
sacked the house from front to rear,
going into the bureau drawers, trunks
and boxes and closets, tossing every
thing about in topsy turvy fashion, evil
IDENTIFY in search of valuables. None
was found, however, as the family has
only the little home and the efforts of
the father and mother to keep it going.
Baby Sleeps Peacefully
In the meantime on the cot in the
kitchen the baby slept. During all the
terrific struggle of the girl and her
assailant the infant had not awakened.
Now, however, something disturbed it's
slumbers and it awoke with a wall |
the daily attendant, came not |
and its cry became louder. While it is
only matter of supposition, it is be-
ieved that the crying of the baby |
alarmed the man, for he left the house |
md disappeared no one knows where.
The baby cried on and an hour after |
t had sobbed itself to sleep little Clay |
.on, tired out with an afternoons play. |
,ame back to the house.
He searched for his sister and finally |
saw her bound and still senseless body
IN the floor in the middle room. With
/ great cry of fear and his heart in his
mouth he turned and ran from the
louse to the only friend he knew of,
he grocer where they bought ther
supplies and from whom each time he
Continued on Page Three) !.