Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-04-04
SCHOOL TEACHER
TELLS OF ASSAULT
Miss Nellie Meehan of Starksboro
Positively Identifies Hahn
Great Interest in Trial.

Rutland April 3.-Nalentine Hahn.
whose name appears on a number OF YER
mont jail blotters especially in Ch!ttenden
county, was placed on trial in Rutland
county court to-day on the charge Of
making an assault with Intent to commit
rape upon Miss Nellie Meehan Of Starks-
boro. a teacher In Il little country school
house at Sudbury on November 6. 1911.
The outrage interested people far and
wide and many residents Of the town
armed themselves and for days assisted
the officers in their search for the
assailant Of the girl. Hahn was not ar
rested until sometime In December. GER
tain boasts he made as to what he would
do II he were an officer bringing sus-
picion upon him. He had been working
in lumber camp In the vicinity. Miss
Meehan positively identified him to-day
the man who attacked her.
There has not been n trial OF n case
except a homicide which has attracted SO
many spectators 70 the local courthouse
as the Hahn case to-day. Because Of the
Young womans family history and GER
tain features of the case disclosed by a
Boston detective there was strong sus-
nothing but an halluclnation, but this
was entirely dispelled when the young
woman told her story to-day. She has
entirely recovered from the nervous
breakdown which for weeks followed the
attack and stood long cross-examina-
ton we'll. Joseph G, Jones and Ernest H.
O'Brien Of this city are counsel for Hahn
and States Attorney Bert l.. Stafford OF
Rutland Is prosecuting.
Miss Meehan was on the witness
stand the greater part OF the day.
Her story Of the attack was as fol-
lows; II am 81 years old and have
taught school nine years having
been at Sudbury only since last Sep
temoer. The morning OF November A
last r.. h. Farnham. with whom
boarded. drove me to the schoolhouse,
leaving me there while he went after
some pupils On entering noticed
that window had been broken, some
OF the glass being on the foor and
window sill. There were also burnt
matches on the floor AS this was
Monday morning thought some one
had been in the building Sunday and
! started to build fire without giving
tho matter moro thought on going
for fuel to the shed into which a door
from tho main room opened | found
man there and he grabbed me by the
left shoulder forcing my left hand
into my mouth. saw him grab a
broom which stood against the wall
and raise IT as IL to strike. That Is
the last l remember until | reganed
my senses and found myself lying on
the woodshed floor"
Miss Meehan could not swear that
tho man. whom she was positive was
Hahn who was sitting beside his at
torneys. struck her with the broom
but II was found with the handle
broken In three pieces Her clothing
was torn badly. her hair had been
pulled down" and her combs broken.
Soon after she regained consciousness
Mr. Farnham returned TO the school
house and drove her home, She was
IN bed two weeks after the occurrence
Miss Meehan told OF coming to Rut-
land some weeks later ana picking
Hahn out from among nine men in
tho county TAIL as the one who as
saVitaA ~