Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-08-31
GIRL IN COURT
NARRATEs STORY
Of DEPRAIllTl
Counsel for Defense Says Not
13-Year- Old Youngsters
d First 0ffenSe

| For the third time this year little
Elizabeth Telles, said to be only IL
years old, played the leading role in
sordid tale, when she went on the
witness stand in police court this
morning to testify at the preliminary
hearing Of Fl. A. Smith, Fa,ama fire
department captain, charged with a
statutory offense.
A former intimation chat the court
would clear the room of audience was
not carried out and every bench was
filled with silent spectators.
At noon the hearing was continued
until FTidav.
Hemmed in by a staring circle the
girl hesitatingly unwound her broken
tale of shame. Eyes of the Judge and
prosecution, the defendant and attor-
ney, newspapermen, policemen, wit
nesses and court attendants were
focused on the girl in the box during
the whole of her broken story.
Under the inaistent questioning Eli
zabeth told of meeting Smith in Dow
sett lane last week and going with
him into her aunt's house, where she
lived.
The aunt, Mrs. Elizabeth 0elhoffen,
cousin was the first witness. She told
of the girls birth in February, 1903,
of her christening in the Catholic
church and of the death Of the girls
father, Frank Telles, in 1906.
Mrs. Oelhoffen thought the mother
was still living, but didn't know her
whereabouts. There were IL children
in the Telles family, several of whom
are living now with Mr.. and Mrs. DEL
hoffen.
In the course of the hearing, when
Prosecutor Chillingworth excused the
girls tardy answers by saying she
was young and ashamed, Attorney l..
NJ. Straus for the defense charged
that the same girl had been the COM
planning witness in two more similar
cases this year and was not so young
and innocent as the prosecution pro-
fessed
Harold Padden is now under indict-
ment on a statutory charge in which
the Telles girl is said to be involved
and another who was tried for assault
ohu OottCty supOl tuO Bill HdS pCOA
discharged.
On examination and cross-examina-
ton the answers of the girlish wit
ness could hardly be heard and at
times the answer YES was only dis
tinguishable by the movements of her
lips. A court stenographer sat direct
ly at the witness box to catch her
every word.
At times Elizabeth stared straight
ahead as if she had not heard the
question which had been asked and
often 1t was repeated several times
before an answer was obtained.
Several times Judge Monsarrat in.
tervened to obtain a reply.
1t was exactly two minutes by the
clock before she answered one of the
more embarrassing queries.
At times apparently bright and in.
telligent, the witness seemed to slip
off into semi-comatose state and il
was with considerable effort that the
court could induce her to answer.
As the story of shame progressed,
her head dropped more and more un-
til il hung ON her breast and the pros
ecuticn and defense crowded closely
to catch the last few statements.
Smiths eyes seldom left the face
of the girl as he sat imrnovable at
his counsel's side.
FsiiZsheth told Of attending the Kai.
ulaRi school and being in the second
grade when the aunt took her away