The Topeka state journal., 1916-04-17
GIRL TELLS STORY
Pearl HigginbOttOm, IA, Re-
lates Alleged Assault.
0ne-Armed Man, Chas. Smith.
Accused of Action.
She WENT UP TO HIS ROOM
Three Times Girl Paid Visit to
the Ticket Seller.
Mother Left Court Room in
Tears Today.
She WENT UP TO HIS ROOM

tecnth of last month, told on the wit
ness stand today. in & naive schoolgirl
manner. the story upon which the
county attorney is attempting to send
Charles Smith to the penitentiary.
Without hesitation she told the
jurors how Smith had met her at the
Best thea ter, how he had cultivated
her acquaintance ard finally enticed
her to his room at 113 West Sixth
street, where. she alleged, he attempt
ed criminal assault upon her. That
he did not succeed. she declared. was
due to the fact that a girl friend who
had accompanied her TO the house
I pounded on the door until Smith un-
locked and opened it
While the little girl told her story
without tears and with an apparent
childishness that left no trace of
shame, her mother was forced to leave
the courtroom by her tears while
the girl was describing the more inti-
mate details. The father sat through
it stoicaly.
Pearl Higginbottom is the girl who
ran away from home last winter in
company with Hazel Gardiner. a girl
slightly older than herself. Both were
picked up near Grove a day later by
Hugh Larimer, undersheriff. The
girls were dressed in mems clothing
for which they had traded at some
farm house west of town. They had
slept one night in a straw stack and
had suffered considerably from ex-
posure. When brought back to To-
peka they told stories of listening
through the night TO the yelping of
nearby coyotes and Of other frighten-
I ticing the Higginbottom girl away
from home for immoral purposes was
lodged against the Gardiner girl, but
later it was dismissed.
Charged 1t to Smith.
The Higginbottom girl told on the
stand today of the circumstances lead
ing up to her esca pade with the Gar
diner girl. Smith, she said. was the
cause of it in that he had brought
shame upon her and she wanted to
get away from it.
Smith. the defendant in the case. is
one-armed man. His age has not
vet been brought out but he appears
to be between twenty-five and thirty.
i He was a ticket-taker at the Best
! when the girl met him. Mrs. Higgin-
bottom sold tickets at the Best and the
excuse the girl gave for being at the
theater was that she went to see her
mother. She said she is in the 4A
grade at school.
The first l saw him." said the girl,
was when 1 went into the Best with
( out a ticket. l didn't have to have
+ one. He grabbed my hand and held
it I told him I had to go down in
+ front where my mamma was and he
I let go of me-
/ She then told how on other occa-
sions when she went 10 the Best Smith
would leave his post at the door and
occupy seat beside her through the
show.
How did you happen to go to his
room the first timer asked Rad Lee,
representing the county attorneys Of
flee
Why. he told me he had something
he wanted to show me and just went
+ up there she replied.
! He Locked the Door.
The girl stated that on that first oc-
T casion Smith locked the door and put
his one arm around her and kissed
I her. that she demonstrated with him
and he let her go.
Then you went back again?" asked
Lee.
Yes" said the girl Il met him
later at the Best and he told me he
was sorry he had acted the way he
! did He said he wouldn't do it again
and 1 must forget ii. He said for me
! would treat me all right and would
I show me what he intended to show me
the first time"
Her story of the second visit was
much the same as that of the first.
She said he made advances to her and
promised her all the nice clothes she
/ wanted if she would make no fuss.
Il told him 1 was afraid said the
girl He said there wasn't anything
to be afraid of but 1 was afraid and he
let me CO.
Even after those experiences you
went to his room again, did you?"
asked Lee
why. yes I did" said the girl. He
promised he would never, never treat
me again like he did the other time
and l liked him and went up to his
room again."
She Waited For Him.
That was on Thanksgiving day. the
girl testified. She stated that Smith
was not in the room when she got
there but that he arrived soon after.
Il hid behind the door to fool him
when he came in said the girl. He
didn't see me at first. I told him
wanted to see what he was going to
show me but he shut and locked the
door and acted different from what
he had before He told me that now
he had me and he wasn't going to let
me go. I was afraid of him then and
wanted to 60 away He slapped me
and hurt me and threw me down on
the bed
Unlike another prosecuting witness,
another young girl who occupied the
same chair less than week ago. Pearl
Higginbottom did not forget when
she had to tell of details. She told the
jury the story without many questions
from the attorneys for the prosecu-
ton.
Passing over the details of that vis-
it to Smiths room. Pearl told of meet
ing him later at the Best theater and
declaring to him that unless he gave
her five dollars she would tell on him.
It was the day following this re-
quest she said that she and Hazel
Gardner ran away
/ Numerous friends of the parties to
the case We're in the courtroom today
and many Of them viii he placed on
the witness stand Ed Rooney and
Douglas Mote are acting as attorneys
for Smith Smith apparently was not
greatly impressed by the girls story
today He sat through it without a
change of expression part of the time
with his attention apparently on other
ma tiers