Los Angeles herald., 1910-04-30
Conf FESSES
HE STRUCK GIRL
Eta LumSden, Victim of Youths
Attack, Still Unconscious
in Hospital

without finching, without trace of
emotion, Frank Allen, 15-year-old son
of w. S. Allen, yesterday confessed to
having attacked Eta Lumsden, IA
years old, at the home of her parents
at 1899 East Forty-fifth street. The
girl is in a critical condition.
Young Allen was placed under sur
veillance Thursday night by Detectives
Ritch and Roberds when traces of
blood were found on rack where he
had hung his cap in his home. Despite
questioning by the detectives, he main
tained he knew nothing about the brut-
al assault.
Yesterday morning he was taken to
central police headquarters, and before
Captain of Detectives Flammer, De-
tective Ritch and Probation officer
Mclaughlin he made a confession of
how he had attempted to assault the
girl and later fractured her skull with
an ak.
He was taken to the juvenile depart
ment of the superior court before
Judge Wilbur, and after a consultation
was taken to the county jail, where he
will be detained pending the outcome of
the injuries inflicted on the girl
WAS sPRINKLING LAWN
The Lumsden girl was attacked about
sprinkling the lawn in the back yard.
Mrs. Lumsden, when her daughter did
not come into the house, went into the
back yard and saw the girl lying un-
conscious on the ground. She was re-
removed to the Good Samaritan hospi-
tai, where until late hour last night
she was in critical condition. She
has not regained consciousness since
the attack.
Young Allen talked freely of his
crime in the county Jail yesterday. He
told of every incident connected with
it but discredited the statements of the
detectives who arrested him that there
were blood stains on the hat rack in
his home. II never use that rack any
way" he said. "If there is blood on
that rack they put it there.
81 don't know why 1 struck the girl
except that she suddenly angered me.
We were standing in the garden talk
ing together. She rejected my advan-
ces and l struck her hardly knowing
what l was doing until l had reached
the street Then it came before me.
[ did not try to get out of the city
because my conscience would bother
me. | want to atone for my sim My
only grief is that the shame of this
will rest on my people. The fact that
my sister has a brother who has done
ALLEN VERY NERVOUS
Allen was extremely nervous and
started at the slightest soundk He
glanced about the room. Pale and hag-
gard he was waiting for news of the
girl whose death he looked on as his
own. Aside from his own interest he
appeared to have no sympathy for his
victim. Asked if he feared the con-
sequence of his crime he replied that
facing her mother and father in the
courtroom was what he dreaded most
of all.
Allen was placed on probation by
Judge Wilbur nearly two years ago,
after he had been found guilty Of
stealing things from one of the public
school buildings. He made regular re-
ports to the probation office and some
idea of the grip that the probation Of
ficers obtain on the minds of the
young may be seen from the fact that
it was to probation officer that Allen
confessed.
Detectives had endeavored for sew
eral hours yesterday to secure a con-
fession from the youth, but he stead
fastly refused to confess to anything.
Probation officer Mclaughlin was
called and he asked the boy if it was
true that he had struck the girl.
NO COMPLAINT OUT
No complaint was sworn out against
Allen yesterday for the reason that it
was thought best to wait and see if
his victim died. All afternoon Deputy
District Attorney Donnell kept in
touch with the hospital but late in the
afternoon the girl was still alive.
A peculiar feature of the case is that
Judge Wilbur showed an indisposition
to place the case in the hands of the
district attorneys office, preferring
era nd i11rV