The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-06-24
FIENDISH
Crime Is Alleged To Have
Occurred At Utica
Attempted Criminal Assault
Made On Girl
Who Is Said To Be But Eight
Years OF Age
Calvin Belt Arrested And In
Jail In Newark
Girl Said To Be In A Serious
Condition
Newark Advocate)

Not for years has the usually quiet
village of Utica been so worked up
as it was Tuesday night, when the
story was circulated that one of its
aged citizens, Calvin Belt, painter
and paperhanger, who is sc years old,
had been. guilty of abusing the little
7-year-old daughter of Mr.. F. S. Pre-
vost, well known blacksmith of
Utica.
The story spread like wildfire after
DR.. Lewis had made an examination
of the little girl Tuesday afternoon.
The child Immediately gave the name
of Calvin Belt, and related story
which has never been surpassed for
fiendishness in the history of the coun-
ty. So wrought up were the citizens
of the place that there was danger
of lynch law being invoked to satisfy
the cravings of the populace. Some of
the more conservative Of the people,
however, caused the arrest of the man
by Marshal Clark Morris, who spirited
Belt out of town and brought him to
this city, where he was safely lodged
in the county Jail.
Wednesday morning the father of
the child came to Newark and an af-
fidavit against Belt was prepared by
Prosecuting Attorney F. B. Smythe,
which was filed by Mr.. Provost in
Mayor Herbert Atherton's court by the
father, who has little family consist
ing of his wife and two other children,
Grace, aged A, and Minnie, aged 1
year.
An Advocate reported met Mr.. Pre-
,vost, father of the child, Wednesday
morning, Immediately after his arrival
in the CITY, He said that the particu.
lar assault which led to the arrest of
Belt, who is married and has family
of grown up children, was committed
on the 18th of June. Mr.. Provost said
that Belt had been paying suspicious
attentions to the child since last fall,
but that he had never thought any
thing of it 4 until his neighbors told
him to watch him. Mr.. Provost says
he then kept a watch on the man and
one day detected him beckoning to
the little girl. He told Belt at that
time that he never wanted to catch
him in that part of the town again
and gaveNhim reasons. Belt told him
there was nothing wrong, that he
would not think of anything of the
kind, as he had family of his own
Mr.. Provost, however, told him that
he didn't like his actions, and that he
wanted him to keep away from his
daughter and since that time he has
kept at a distance.
After DR.. Lewis made the examina
,tion Tuesday afternoon, Mr.. Provost
consulted Lawyer Moore, who advis
ed him to see Prosecutor Smythe
which he did
When Belt was brought before May
or Atherton Wednesday morning al
10:30 o'clock and the affidavit was
read to him, ne plead not guilty to the
charge, and said he wanted hearing
as sopn as ne could get an attorney
and that he, was more than confiden
that he could prove his entire limo
cence of the grave charge agains
him.
Mayor Atherton, considering th'
seriousness of the case, set the tim
of the hearing for Friday morning a
10 o'clock, and remanded Belt to tn
county jail in default of $4,000 bai
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