The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-01-12
Yrs. Loffie Hobbs, Widow,
Assaulted By Stranger
YOUNG LADY ESCAPED
Telephone Operator On Her Way
Home Struggles With Her
ASSaiIant

Late this afternoon, the police OBJ
tanned evidence that Convinced them
that they had the right man locked up,
the man who attacked Miss Fannie
Strand and insuIted Miss Eliza Studt
and her companions.
Miss Strand this afternoon saw the
prisoner and heard him talk. She.
positively Unidentified his voice, his cap
and his clothes. She was not famil-,
lar with the appearance of his face,
so she could not say as to that.
Several other witnesses positively
identified the prisoner as the man
who insulted Miss studt and other
ladies.
intends to have Mrs. Lottie Hobbs
come and see the man, although there
were things that she said in her de.
scription that do not correspond. The
chief thinks she may have been mis-
taken about some Of her statements,
having only seen the man in the dark,
and also being very nervous and ex-
cited
One successful criminal assault
and another attempt at a like crime,
probably by the same fiend in both
cases, occurred in Mankato last
evening within about two and
half hours. The first victim, whose
case was the more serious, was
Mrs. Lottie Hobbs, a widow, aged
fifty, living at 1873 Hubbell avenue.
The second was Miss Fannie Strand,
employed as long distance operator
at the local office of the Northwest
ern Telephone company. and living
at 194S Seventh avenue. The first
assault occurred between 7:15 and
1880 O'Clock in a dark spot near the
Poplar street crossing of the 0mas<4
ha and Northwestern railroads., on
the side of the bridge towards the
main part of the city The second
was on North Front street near the
Coughlan quarry. This attack was
about ten o'clock in the evening.
The descriptions, as far as they
were given, seem to indicate that in
both cases the assailant was the
same man. Mrs. Hobbs says she
was attacked by a young man about
twenty-four years old, of light COM
pleXion, smooth faced and wearing
a long overcoat. Miss Strand said
her assailant was young man,
little taller than herself, wearing a
long black overcoat. She could not
give much of a description.
Elderly Lady Knocked Down.
Mrs. Hotb BIS, at the time of her
attack, was going on her way to
church. She said she saw the man
standing on the sidewalk, a few feet
from her. He approached her and
told her to go with him. She said she
would not and he struck her She
screamed and he knocked her down.
Three times she screamed, and each
time she did so, he struck her again,
knocking her down. When she
could rise no more, and was in a
dazed and half-stunned condition,
he accomplished his purpose, ac-
cording to the victims own story.
After he left, she struggled to
her feet and managed to get to the
residence of Frank Schuman near
by There she told her story and
was cared for. The matter was re-
ported to the police and two officers
set to work on the case. The spot
where the attack took place was
examined and quite a number of
hairpins were found There were
evidences of a vigorous struggle.
Mrs Hobbs was still at the Schu-
man residence this morning.
Young Lady Escaped.
Miss Strand was going to her
home and was walking along the
hill not far from the car line, when
I,n h4~ ri xx,,fh
word, struck her. She offered him
her pocketbook, but he said that was
not what he wanted. He knocked
her down, and she rose to her feet,
only to be knocked down again. He
took hold of her and endeavored to
drag her down into the lower ground
of the quarry. but she thinks her
foot caught in something. delaying
him. At this moment he seems to
have seen another man approaching
and fed
Miss Strand staggered to her feet,
somewhat dazed. and made her way
to the home of Rev. d. A. Challberg,
the new Swedish Baptist pastor, near
by. 1t appears that the man whose
approach frightened off the fiend,
did not come to the scene of the
attack at ALL 1t may be. that he did
not realize that anything of the kind
was going on.
Was Taken to Her Home.
Adolph Lundin. the contractor,
living in the same neighborhood,
soon took the girl home with his
horse and buggy. The girl was soon
examined by physician, and was
found to have suffered no serious
injuries. Today, however, she re-
manned in BID.
Mrs. Hobbs this morning was
found to have been very badly
Continued on Page Four. *