The Detroit times., 1911-11-29
GIRL ATTACKED BY
F|END AS She LIES !
ASLEEP IN HERHOME .
Eleven-Year-Old Elizabeth KreII
Victim of Brutal Assault In
Early Morning.
TOWEL OVER CHILD'S
HEAD PREVENTS OUTCRYl
Marauder Makes Entry and Exit
BY Window; Drops Watch
When Leaving.

Preventing any outcry, by pressing
a folded bath towel over his little
victims mouth. a fiend who crept
into the open bedroom window OF
pretty little Elizabeth Kren. 11-year-
old daughter OF Michael Krell, of No.
l42 Hancock-ave. east, brutally as
saulted the child, early Wednesday
morning. She is in a serious condi-
ton.
Her parents and three brothers
were all sleeping In nearby rooms
on the ground floor OF the two-fam-
lily nat. and shortly after midnight,
believing that they heard someone
In the house, Mr. Krell and the eId-
est boy, Harry, searched all through
the apartment, with the exception OF
the clothes closet In the little girls
room, and II is thought that that was
he prowler's hiding place while the
search was In progress. Elizabeth
was awake. during the search. and
her room was visited by the search
ers, but she said that she was all
right, and had heard nothing. Two
hours later they were awakened by
her screams, as she regained con-
seriousness after the fiends attack.
They found the back door wide
open, but 1t is not likely that the
prowler left by that means, as there
is the print OF mans hand on the
brick. just under the window sill OF
her room, seeming to prove that he
| left by the window, and escaped
through the back yard and to an al
ley, opening only short distance
away, on Brush-st.
A cheap watch. dropped by the
assaulter, in his flight. lay near the
back steps, along the route he would
have taken from the window to the
alley.
Propped up on pillows in her moth
ter's bed, little Elizabeth told or her
plucky but unavailing struggle with
her assailant. whom she could not
see In the darkness, but who she be-
Ilieves was short man, because as
she fought with him, while he press
ed the heavy. folded towel over her
mouth, she tugged at his coat sleeves
and his trouser legs.
Il was awakened wheH he pressed
the towel over my mouth said the
little girl, pretty. darll-eyed child,
with dark. curly hair and decidedly
sweet face. II tried to scream, but
couldn't. / tried TO fight him. L
know that | was unconscious for a
long time, and when ] came TO,
called for the folks and they came"
Shortly after midnight, Mrs. Krell
: awoke her husband and eldest son,
Harry, a student in the Central High
school, declaring that she thought she
heard someone in the house, and al
so smelled gas. They searched all
through the house. but found the
doors all locked. and no leaking gas,
though the window in .Elizabeth's
ROOM only few feet above the
ground, and easily reached by an ad-
joining low fence, was open. In all
proba ability the prowler was in the
icbset while they searched through
house Later, he opened the back
door and left IL open as means OF
hurried escape in case of necessity.
Following the alarm when the lit
tie girl recovered consciousness. the
police were notified and several de-
Electives and two flying squadrons
were sent to the scene. Dr. w. ].
Wilson, Jr, No. 216 Theodore-st., at
tended the little girl.
The Krell family had lived in the
house only seven weeks, coming here
from Toledo. where they had resided
for 20 years.
! Mr. Krell is member of the firm
of Krell Bros, manufacturers of bar
rels, which has been established in
| Detroit for seven years, but Mr.
Krell's brother has been in charge,
! locally.
Elizabeth attends the Trowbrldge
school, and her father believes that
someone had followed her from that
district though the little girl was
never accosted on the street, nor
/ does she know that she was ever fol-
lowed by man.
! With the watch dropped by the AS
Isaulter as their only clue, the police
intend 10 use il TO the limit, and have
had IL photographed, in the hope that
| II may be identified by some acquain-
tance OF the owner 1t is an ordinary
cheap watch of New England make.
and except from The fact that II has
large figures on the dial. is no differ
ent from the ordinary run OF cheap
watches.