South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-11-18
F IND NO TRACE
Of NEGRO YOUTH
Police Question Several SuS-
poets But Girl Fails to
Identify Them.

No trace has been found by the
local police of the negro that as
saulted Helena GRIPPE Sunday night.
Several suspects were brought be-
fore the girl but she could not iden-
tify them as being the man who
committed the crime. A report of
the assault was given the day po-
lice force but no report made to the
night shift. The first information
that either the night patrolmen or
plain clothes men received was what
they read in the evening edition of
The News Times.
"He is probably out of town by
this time"
That is the way Chief Of Police
Kline Monday explained the failure
of the South Bend police TO appre-
bend the negro who assaulted 10
year-old Helena Grippe, 1875 n.
limerick 81, Sunday night, after
forcing her at the point of a knife
to accompany him to a secluded spot
near the Michigan Central freight
house across the street from the
girls residence.
The assault upon the girl by the
negro, and a description of the as
sa:lant were reported to the police
Sunday night, but no trace of the
negro had been found by the au-
thOrities Monday. Chief of Police
Kline Monday explained the failure
of the police to arrest the negro by
saying that the girls assailant had
probably left the city by this time.
Report Assault.
The girl and her father. =. A.
Grippe, reported the assault to the po-
lice shortly after the crime had been
committed Sunday night. A detail OF
police were sent out to search for
the negro. but he had not been
found Monday.
The girl was returning home. &C
cordIng TO her story TO the police.
She was walking east on z. Colfax
av. when the negro, who she said
appeared to be about Is or 20 years
old, and very light in color, appear
ing TO be about five feet, six inches
freight house. and placing the point
OF a knife blade at her throat. COM
manded that she go with him and
remain silent.
The girl was speechless with
fright. She went with the negro who
continued TO threaten TO kill her
with the knife. A dark spot at the
end of the freight yards was reach
cd. Here the crime was committed.
The negro still continued to threat
en- the girls life if she said anything
about the assault which was COM
mitted less than a quarter Of a block
from Colfax av.
Girl Tells Eathcr
Trembling with fear, the girl re-
turned home. She told her father
what had occurred. Mr.. Grippe hur-
riedly donned a few clothes and
FASTENED with his daughter TO police
headquarters. A report was made TO
Sergt. James Cutting, and policemen
were sent TO search for the negro.
He had not been found Monday.
Although still uncovered from
the shock, the girl pluckily told the
police her story, and she was able
10 give a good description of the
negro. The father was almost over
come Hatless and with shirt open,
Mr.. Crlpe swore vengeance against
the assailant Of his girl. His voice
trembIed with suppressed emotion
and he continually wet his lips as
he jerked out the story and made
threats against the negro.
A watch OF all outgoing trains in
an effort to find the negro was re-
ported by the police.
Mrs. Dorothy Sable. Ssncome av..
was the victim OF an attempted as
ssult by an 1S-year-old negro boy
early last week,