The Topeka state journal., 1916-06-10
Little Genevieve Jacobs Identi
fies Prisoner as the Man
Who Tried to Entice Her Into
Vacant House.
-FOUR men STANDING IN LINE
She Points Him Out Without
Any Hesitation.
County Attorney VIII Start a
Case Against Him.

1t was a dramatic half minute that
followed the question, put by w. E.
Atchison, county attorney, to 9-year-
old Genevieve Jacobs:
Can you pick out the man who
tried to entice you into the vacant
house %
The little girl was in her mothers
lap. Her father was by her side. The
child had been crying and was still
quietly sobbing. Before her were four
men lined up for Identification pur-
poses by Mr.. Atchison and Hugh
Fisher, judge of the court of Topeka
Among the men was P. H. Bonner,
dressed Just as he was when he was
arrested by the police a week ago.
There are four men in front OF you
Genevieve,'' said Mr.. Atchison. NOW
look at them and see if you can pick
ont the one who tried to entice you
into the vacant house.
The little girl lifted her eyes just
enough to see the four men and nod
ded her head. Bonner was stanolns 1t
with one arm crossed over the chest
His expression was a blank but ms
mental state was indicated by the
rand heart throb which lifted his arm
perceptibIy with each pulsation.
eff you are sure, point your ringer
at
lie girl lifted a trembling arm and
pointed It directly at Bonner, the ac-
cused man. Bonuer's arm dropped.
How was he dressed?" the girl was
asked.
ssJust that way
what did he have on his heao
"A gray cap
Bonner, put on your hat" said
Atchison.
Bonner withdrew his cap from be-
hind him and placed it on his head
And the cap was gray.
The Same Cap.
''Is that the cap he wore?" the girl
was asked
She nodded.
Previous to the Identification the
girl and Bonner had been questioned
IN separate rooms. The little girl
could be persuaded to tell nothing for
half an hour. She sobbed on her
mothers arm and refused to talk. Ed
Rooney, who is a ncighbor, took the
girl in hand and in time was able to
get a coherent story from her.
p Genevieve stated that she met Bon
ner on the street not far from her
home and that he stopped her and
asked her if she had any brothers She
said he then asked her to go with him
and that when she did not reply he
opened a gate leading to vacant
house and urged her to go in with him.
linen WnaI you 90 WdS dSh0u
= 'I ran home and told my mamma" "
she replied
The mother stated that the girl
came home and told her the same
story she recited this morning, except
that she added at that time that the
man had yellow gas bills in his hands.
When asked about that today the girl
reiterated that statement.
Says He Never Saw Her.
In another room Bonner denied pos
itively that he had ever seen the girl.
He admitted having distributed gas
bills in that section of the city on the
morning in question, but declared he
saw no one except a grocery boy driv-
ing a wagon.
Bonner is charged also with expos
ing his person to two little daughters
of Lawrence Perine Immediately fol-
lowing the meeting with Genevieve
Jacobs. He denied having seen any
of the three girls. Ed Rooney told the
county attorney that a neighbor wo-
man whom he could produce as a
witness, saw Bonner expose his per-
son to the girls and chased him down
the street; that she picked up two
small boys and told them to follow the
man and not lose sight of him: that
they followed him to the old Turner
Hall property and returned saying he
was lying down in the grass.
Ten minutes later the police arrest
ed Bonner just east of the Topeka Oil
company's offices. in the immediate
neighborhood of the Turner hall prop
erty.
VIII Start a Case.
County Attorney Atchison stated at
/ noon that he would start case
against Bonner, charging attempted
white slavery although he is not at
all satisfied with the evidence secured
to date. Judge Fisher will take Bon
ner out to the neighborhood of First
and Fillmore today and see if he can
refresh his memory. Bonner is on pa
role from the court of Topeka, having
been released by Judge Fisher after
he was sentenced to six months in the
county Jail for forgery. The probable
tiles are, the Judge said, that he would
revoke the parole late this afternoon
Genevieve Jacobs is the daughter OF
Mr.. and Mrs. Joseph P. Jacobs of "a
North Western avenue