Norwich bulletin., 1917-07-20
STATE ATTORNEY BELIEVES
 SAILOR ASSAULTED GIRL
Says Fourteen Year Old Girl Tells a
 Straightforward Story.

State Attorney Hadlai A. Hull, who has been Investigating the circum- stances surrounding the alleged as- l sau1t on a 14-year- girl in Will 1 jams Memorial park, New London, Fourth of July night, had the girl in his office Thursday morning and questioned her. The girl, whose name State Attorney Hull did not feel dis posed to make public, told coherent story, according to the state attorney, regarding the assault.
 The state attorney also questioned | a man named Bogue, who was one of the first to see the girl in her dis treSSed condition after the assault and who accompanied her home. A Mrs. | Johnson, who also met the girl, was questioned at her home in Hampstead street Wednesday night.
 The victim of the assault was taken to State Attorney Hulls office by Po- liceman w. Earl Wooten and John J. Cavanaugh. These officers have been investigating the matter, under the di- rection of State Attorney Hull since the latter began his investigation. State Attorney Hull declared that the girl told a straightforward story.
 He said that she is as innocent as a child of nine or ten years old re- garding the devious ways of the world and that she was not, in his opinion, stimulating or attempting to deceive him.
 The story as told by the girl to the state attorney is to the effect thats she
 was 1ured by sailor into a dark corn then he made an attempt to assault her by using force. The sailor forced her to the ground and placed his hand over her mouth. She thought that she was given an anesthetic, because the mans hand was wet The girl thought she might have been under the influence of the anaesthetic for at least half an hour.
 The girl was taken on board the U. $. S. San Francisco and the U. S. S Dubuque in the harbor Thursday morning in an effort to identify the sailor who committed the assault. Both these ships were in the harbor on the Fourth of July and both landed sailors for the celebration.
 The girl was eeorted on board ship by Policemen Wooten and Cavanaugh and the sailors on board were lined up on the decks for the inspection of sailors, numbering several hundred but she failed to identify her assail- ant.
 State Attorney Hull stated that the girl gave a good description of her assailant, but the description might perhaps fit a half dozen or more men in the large number of sailors on board both ships and that Identification would be a difficult matter.
 The state attorney questioned Bogue at considera ble length. Rogue said that he saw the girl immediately after the alleged assault, but he did not see the assault. The girl was undoubtedly very much frightened and on the verge of mysteries.
 His testimony was almost identical with that of Mrs. Johnson, who met the girl at a point near the walk run ming through the park from Broad sreet to Hempstead- The girls con dition was serious and she was terri ply frightened when Mrs. Johnson saw her. She and Bogue escorted the girl to her home.
 State Attorney Hull also questioned Policeman Wooten and Cavanaugh as to what they knew of the case. Both policemen declared that as soon as they heard of the story they started an investigation and they had learned much of the circumstances when the state attorney started his investiga- ton.
 State Attorney Hull said that he had no doubt but that the girl had been the victim of an assault. He was not ready to say that the girl had been actually assaulted but that 8 forcible attempt had been made he was posi- tice from his investigation.
 ''The matter was brought to my at tention," declared State Attorney Hull, and when I found that the po- lice had taken no cognizance of the alleged assault I thought it was my place to start an investigation, which did immediately. I did not care to