The Parker post., 1917-07-14
GAFF ESCAPES
FROM OFFICERS
NEEDLES PHYSICIAN, ACCUSED
OF HORRIBLE CRIME, ARRIVES
IN PARKER AND ELUDES CAP
TURE.

DR.. John Gaff, wealthy and prom
inent Needles physician, accused of
assauiting Marie Rodriguez, a 13-
year-old Needles girl, fed from that
city last Saturday night in an auto
mobile and arrived in Parker shortly
before the arrival of the early morn
ing passenger train Sunday He at
tempted to cross the Santa Fe rail
road bridge at this point, but was
stopped by the guards. He related
a pitiful tale about some people get
ting stranded in an auto a few miles
out on the Needles road and that he
desired to secure help at Parker to
go to their assistance. But the tale
didn't work with the guards, who
told him he could flag the train at
brennan siding and ride across the
bridge, which he did
s Upon the arrival of the train here
the fleeing doctor bought a ticket to
Phoenix, and so far nothing has been
heard of his whereabouts, except that
he was seen in Phoenix last Mon
day. Constable Roberts received a
telegram from the Needles officials
Sunady. morning, too late to inter
cept the fugitive He wired Phoe-
nix and Wickenburg officers, how
n tho ~,
either of those places.
1t appears that the Needles ply
sician was putting up a strenuous
defense against the charges made
by the little Mexican girl, at a pre-
liminary examination which was held
last Friday. The young girl stated
on the witness stand that the doctor
had kept her prisoner in his home
and office for seven days and nights,
and that she had been assaulted af-
ter the physician gagged her with a
handkerchief on the night of June 20.
She declared the doctor had made an
improper proposal to her after he
had taken her to his home She said
she attempted to run from the house
and was seized and gagged and knew
nothing more until she awoke later
in the night in the doctors bedroom.
She had nothing to eat for two days,
she said. The third day he put her
under the house, she declared, fear
ing that some one might come to the
office
DR.. Gaff attempted to explain the
reasons for the girls presence at his
office by saying that, the girl had
rushed into his office only half an
hour before her mother came, and
appealed to him for protection against
her step-father. He steadfastly de-
MED the crime and declared that an
attempt was being made to black
mail him.
Last Saturday, however, the Off
GERS searched the home of DR.. Gaff
and found the trap door which the
girl had described. She declared
that the doctor cut the hole in the
floor by boring holes with an augur.
Inspection Of the room identified on
the girls diagram did not reveal the
trap door. An officer then went un-
der the house and found the holes,
and quickly showed it up. Officers
waiting inside the house saw the car
pet give, ripped it up and found the
door just as the girl had described
il. Gaff had filled the holes with
plaster cast. and had screwed it
back to the floor with nine big
screws.
Realizing that his defense was
shattered after the finding of the
trap door, the doctor fed Needles
late that night. He left note in
the car which he was forced to alb
andon on the California side of the
Colorado river asking that the car
be taken to a garage in Parker and
notify Attorney Frank B. Daley of
Needles. who would pay the storage
charges.
DR.. Gaff forfeited $500 bail He
had probably been advised that his
bail was to be increased after the
officers discovered the trap door 1t
is believed that Gaff has gone to
Mexico