The Detroit times., 1911-02-03
DYING GIRL TELLS
STORY OF ABUSE
BY FATHER
Scene Il Affecting When Prisoner,
Court, Lawyers and Jury Gather at
Death Bed of 18-Year-0ld Lillian
Pindar in St. Mary's Hospital.
Doctor Administers Oxygen To Enable
Child To Finish Testimony-Points
Accusing Finger at Parent.

WAi DO ueT ooatu pcup Aoyc~i
Lillian Pindar, q fair-haired, blus
eyed English girl. pointed an accus-
ing finger at her father In St. Mary's
hospital. Thursday morning, and
charged him with an unspeakabie Of
Tense
William Pindar, the father, stood at
her bedside, unmoved, while the
child gasped her story. story that
moved Judge and prosecutor to tears.
The scene was most affecting, from
the moment that Deputy Clerk Henry
c. Plass administered an oath TO the
dying girl. At one side stood House
Physician Briggs. From time to time,
the doctor stopped the proceedings
and administered oxygen to the child,
Several times, she collapsed aud II
became necessary TO clear the room
of jurors and court officials.
Judge Phelan, who conducted the
jury to the girls bedside, stood on
one side of her, stroking her head
and whispering words OF hope and en-
couragement to her.
The Jurors, most OF them men of
families, were moved by her story.
Prosecutor Van Zile took personal
charge of the case and curtailec the
examination as much as possible.
The hearing of Lillian Pindar's
story Of the bestial treatment she says
was accorded her by her father was
q race with death from the beginning.
DR.. Briggs told Judge Phelan, Thurs
day morning, that In his opinion the
child will never get well. Her desire
to live Is the only thing that stays the
hand OF death. An ante-mortem state
ment is OF no value in court OF
record, unless the person making the
statement is convinced that he Is go
ing to die when the statement is
made. The physicians dared not tell
her that she will not get well again.
Under the circumstances, there
was nothing to do but take the Jurors
to the girls bedside and hear ner
story from her own lips.
With the jurors gathered about her
bedside, she told her story haltingly.
but fearlessly. She said her father
has been mistreating her since she
was eight years old, when her mother
died She was 16 years old last
April Several months previous to
that, however, she became Ill because
of the treatment of her father.
She told of instances, when he
stole into her room in the dead OF
night. She said he threatened dire
things to her and even said he would
also kill himself, IL she ever revealed
to any person what was going on.
Under Attorney Curry's cross-exan,-
nation, 1t developed that the girl has
had a romance, young as she is,
inh
her fathers acts.
The names of A. H. Hunt and VIII
liam Bentz were mentioned. She
said she had been engaged to marry
Mr.. Hunt and that the wedding had
been set for next April. Mr.. Bentz
had been kind to her, she said, and
had often taken her home from choir
practice. She said that she had never
kept company" with him.
There was a yelled insinuation in
Attorney Curry's reference to the
young men and he asked her in the
next breath, II she had not been way
ward. She said she had not.
Letters from Hunt to the girl were
shown, but they we're not read. AT
mention of these, flush spread over
the pallid features and she made
patnetlc attempt 10 rise III hcE uSo'
She sank back feebly and looked ap-
pealingly at the prosecutor standing
at her side.
They stole them,' she whisp cred,
stole them from my room, after !
was sick. 1t isn't fair, 10 it?'
The court did not allow the reading
OF the girls private correspondence.
Lillian Pindar lies in ward on the
third floor of the hospital. When
the jurors entered the room, cryins
baby was taken from It's mother by
one of the nurses. Three women
patients lay In the same ward. A'l
of them heard the girls story OF
shameful abuse and they wept In
womanly sympathy during the ordeal.
Judge Van Zile promises to intro
duce testimony that will corroborate
the dying girls story. Pindar 10
short, heavy-set Englishman. he
wears a heavy black moustache.
Throughout the recital he remained
unmoved. II would have been dimcut
to guess that he knew what was go
ing on, except that on occasions, No
shook his head decisively at some &C.
cusing portion of the testimony.
The case will be resumed THURSDAY
afternoon.