South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-10-27
Clayton McCloud De
clares Girl Struggled But
Was Powerless to Resist
Man Who Dragged
Her Away.
MOTHER BLAMES
FIRST HUSBAND

The first real clue to the murderer
Of little Hazel Macklin was discovered
Tuesday morning.
A full description Of the man who
met the girl at the Springbrook park
stop: his and the girls actions for
period Of five minutes after the meet
ing had taken place; and evidence
that the 15-year-old victim had resist
ed the man when she realized her
danger, is the essence of a statement
furnished by Clayton McCloud, All E
south St. Tuesday afternoon.
The police department has been at
IL loss FOR even the semblance Of a
clue 10 work upon since the girl was
found in a vault iu Island park last
sunday afternoon, after she had lain
there since the night of Aug. lS. Inc
fiend who strangled her and afterWaro
concealed her body remains a mystery
and an enigma, but il the story OF
McClOud is true the first thread OF
network OF theory has been secured
and the really important angle OF the
case will be made clear.
Mother Blames Macklin.
The case was trauspOseu and reset Dy
a dozen different innovations Iuesday
rnorning The mornings work was
featured by the arrival and subsequent
questioning of Mrs Dora Alspaugh'
who was not reluctanb In placing the
indirect blame for the giris horrible
tate TO the lax care of her former nus
band and father OF the g1rls Ira Mack
lin Of indiana HarDor.
He in turn stated that the mother
for seven years mad made no eHOrt 10
locate her daughter or IN tact any
other of their four children ON th1t
account and because ne was unable 10
care for them suitably in his own
home. ne had found them homes with
other people. The four children are
scattered from the western coast TO
The police look upon the conflicting
stories told by Mrs Alspaugh ana
Nacklfn as the result of fanny quar-
rels and spite. The reluctance OF the
Nilers, aunt and uncle OF the SIAM
girl. 10 acquaint the authorities anu
tho girls parents OF her IaIe II "laO
Heres NLcClOud's story.
NcC}oud's story and that or ms
,-ife Viii be told to the police depart
meut Wednesday morning, according
To- his statement Tuesday afternoon.
This is the story he told reporter OF
rhe NeWs-Ilu4es,
wife was attracted TO the girl while
she was still in the street car.
We lived in Mishawaka then ana
were going home on the night OF
Aug. 10 on the z or the T;15 o'clock
car in the evening. The girl had
boarded the car just ahead of us at
the interurban station and had seat
ed herself beside woman IN the
car All this comes back TO me as
i look back over the events which
occurred that night and which
completely mystlned my wife and
me.
The girl did not remain seated,
IT seems to me, after she had come
into the car Instead she seemed
lost and every time the car stopped
would ask the conductor If that was
the place she was 10 set Off 1 do
not know whether the woman she
was riding with said anything TO
her or not.
Big Man Meets Girl
when the car stopped at Spring
brook park the girl stepped off at
the front OF the car. Ny wife and
/ were seated ON that side and near
the front We saw a big man ap-
prOaCh the car from the other side
Of the car tracks and approach her
as II ne were expecting her. She
seemed afraid and stood there FOR
fully a half minute. Finally the
man stepped up TO her and Clasped
TO free herself and made as II to
step back into the car.
The man said something and
still cIaspinE her arm walked down
the southeast side or the street with
her. AS the car started my wife
and 7. feeling from the actions OF
the girl that something was wrong
stepped out on the rear OF the car
and watched them until they were
out or sight They went as far as
Ernsperger ST.. the street upon
which is the SpringbrOOk bridge
and started down that street
Drags Girl Along.
'All the while the man was al
most dragging the girl along. and
she acted as II she were afraid and
did not want To go with him II
Just seemed that she was lost and
did not know which way 20 turn
The last We saw OF them they We're
on Ernsperger ST.
Woman Sheds No Light
Mrs. owen Wamsley. 522 Sarah ST.
Mishawaka. was located by Sergt
Barnhart as the woman who had rode
out 10 SpringbroOk park in the same
seat with the girl. She was ques-
toned by Barnhart but had nothing %
say that would cast any light upon the
girls reception at the park. she stated
however. that the girl had appeared
nervous while on the car and had
spoken 10 the conductor tWO or three
times before the park was reached.
Mrs. Wamsley could recall nothing
unusual Ia the girls getting of the