The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-04-30
MOORHEAD GIRLS
VICTIMS OF CRIME
CHARLES ROSS OF FARGO FACES
TERM OF TWENTY YEARS IN
STATE PEN AS RESULT OF AL
LEGGED DEPRAvlTY Their
BOY IN CASE ESCAPED.

An unusual case of youthful deprav-
! ity was disclosed in the Moorhead po-
| lice court this morning. Before JUS
tice Wade, Charles Ross of Fargo, who
gave his age as IS years, was charged
with serious crime against the per-
son Of Clara Smith, 10 years of age.
The girl is an orphan and a pupil in
the public schools of Moorhead. The
alleged offense was said to have heen
committed in a box car near the Great
Northern depot in Moorhead. early
yesterday morning. Under the stat
utes of Minnesota the alleged offense
is felony and the defendant was held
to the grand jury which will be in
session next week.
In connection with this case there
was another offense on another young
girl, Edna Marsh, daughter of Mr.. and
Mrs. Louis Marsh of Moorhead. In
this instance the youth in the Use
evaded the police and is believed to
have gone west. This offense was COM
nitted at the same time and place.
Every effort is being made to effect
the arrest of the party who is known
to be Wilmar Morgan, who has rela-
tives at CasseIton.
The state was represented by Coun-
ty Attorney Johnson and G. A. Nye
appeared for young Ross, whose moth
er and a friend were in court and
heard the dreadful stories told by the
young girls, both school girls.
The girls left school as usual on
Thursday afternoon, but instead of
going home they sauntered over to
Fargo. Later the" returned to Moor
head, visited a candy store on Fourth
street north, and whiled away the time
until evening when they returned to
Fargo, met Ross and Morgan on the
street and got into conversation with
the boys. About early dark the
quartette went into Island park, spent
over an hour there and then returned
to Moorhead going to the high school
where some more time was spent on
the front steps. Then all four took
stroll towards Dilworth and when
nearly there they turned back headed
for Moorhead. Nearing town the
girls expressed themselves that they
were afraid to go home so late. Sug-
gestions were made to turn into a box
car and remain there, till morning.
TIL boys assisted the girls into the car
anu dllCL Laughing anu letlhtH6 lOi
more than an hour the girls told the
court that the offenses were commit
ted.
The confession of the escapade was
made, by Clara Smith, to Mrs. NJ
Nicholson of Moorhead with whom she
lived and a report was made to the
police and the arrests were made, the
girls as witnesses. 1t is thought that
Morgan left on the brakebeams of
a car on a west bound train and eff
forts were made to Intercept him at
Casselton, but they were futile. Two
men were detained later at Valley City,
but they proved themselves TO have
been employees of the Mint restaurant
in Fargo and besides they were older
than the youth wanted The father
of the Smith girl was killed at Dill
worth early in the year and she
cried piteously when questioned as to
her parents. Ross faces a very seri-
Gus difficulty as the judge in his dis
erection can send him to the peniten-
tiary for twenty years.