The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-04-05
SHE DESCRIBES ASSAULT
Sudbury School Teacher Identifies
Valentine Hahn


Valentine Hahn
Rutland, April 3.--Yalentine Hahn, !
whose name appears on number OF
Vermont jail blotters, especially in
Chittenden county, was placed on
trial in Rutland county court today
on the charge of making an assault
with intent to commit rape upon Miss
Nellie Meehan of Starksboro, a teach
er, in a little country schoolhouse, at
Sudbury on November 6, 1911. The
outrage interested people far and
wide and many residents of the town
armed themselves and for days as
sisted the officers in their search for
the assailant of the girl. Hahn was
not arrested until sometime in De-
cember certain boasts he made as
to what he would do If he were an
officer bringing suspicion upon him.
He had been working in a lumber
camp in the vicinity Miss Meehan
positively identified him today as the
man who attacked her
There has not been a trial Of
case except homicide which has at
| tracted so many spectators to the To-
| cal courthouse as the Hahn case to-
/ day. Because of the young woman's
family history and certain features
of the case disclosed by a Boston de-
/ tectiye there was strong suspicion at
one time that the assault was nothing
but an halucination, but this was en-
tirely dispelled when the young wom-
an told her story today She has en-
/ tirely recovered from the nervous
breakdown, which for weeks follow
ed the attack and stood a long cross
examination well. Joseph c. Jones
and Ernest II. O'Brien OF this city
are counsel for Hahn and States At
torney 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: Il am q years old and have
taught school nine years, having been
at Sudbury only since last Septem-
Der. The morning OF November
last, Il. 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 floor and
window sill. There we're also burnt
matches on the floor. AS this was
Monday morning | thought someone
4 had been In the building Sunday and
I | started to build a fire without Civ
2 ing the matter more thought Or
going for fuel to the shed into which
t door from the main room opened
i | found man there and he grabbed
p me by the left shoulder. forcing my
n left hand into my mouth. saw hin
+ grab broom which stood against IN,
v wall and raise II as II to strike Tha
$ is the last / remember until | regain
o ed my senses and found myself lyinl
r on the woodshed floor"
Miss Meehan could not swear tina
d the man. whom she was positive wa
o Hahn who was sitting beside his at
G torneys, struck her with the broom
s but II was found with the handle bro
ken in three pieces Her clothing
was torn badly her hair had bee
pulled down" and her combs brok
en-. Soon after she regained conscI
BUSINESS Mr. Farnham returned to To
schoolhouse and drove her home. Sh
: was in bed two weeks after the oC
currencc.
Miss Meehan told OF coming to Rut
d land some weeks later and pickln
d Hahn out from among nine men Il
4 the county jail as the one who as
e saulted her.