South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-08-05
FORM POSSE TO
COMB MILLIKEN
FARM FOR MAN
Body Of Child, II, Found Gag
ged and Bound IN Marsh
Land Near City.
BELIEVE TRAMP GUILTY
Girl Attacked While Picking
Berries-Police and Club
Men Search.

While picking blueberTtes n the
George ". NnlHken marsh. four
miles west OF this city. an 11-year-
old girl. whose name Is being with
held, was made the victim OF the
most vicious criminal assault ever
perpetrated in the history OF S..
Joseph county. The assault occur
red about II O'Clock Thursday
morning. and 1t was not discovered
until four hours later, when a. farm
hand found the little girl lying IN q
clump Of weeds with her mouth
gagged and her hands tied behind
her back. Her clothing was torn
TO shreds and sh5 had several body
bruises.
News OF tho assault spread rapid
~ and soon a posse OF more than so
enraged citizens began to scour the
vicinity Of the aIlhken marsh and
the South Bend Country club. The
police were notified and Sergt sam
Tel Koczorowsld and Onicer AIcIn-
tyre were detailed TO the scene 10
aid IN the hunt for the criminal
Sheriff Lew Duck and Dep. Sheriff
Dick Taylor also responded 20 the
call.
Believe Tramp Guilty.
The child was Immediately re-
moved 10 her home IN this city ard
doctors were summoned 10 take
charge OF dressing her injuries. At
a late hour last night Il was report
ed she was stin in a semi-hystericai
state. but the physicians believe she
Will recover fully from the effects OF
her unusual exrerience.
According TO the incoherenG story
| her parents and friends were able To
| gather. the assailant was a t1anr
who alighted from a New York Cen
trail freight train. Before the child
was aware Of the Impending DANCE.
the tramp "a said TO have seized her
and carried her several hundred
yards across the field where the as
sault took place.
That the child had battIed in vain
against her assailant was evidenced.
the farm hand said. by the condi-
ton Of her clothing and the bruises
she suffered IN attempting 70 make
her plight known. Her fight to re-
lease herself from the manner IN
which her assailant had bound and
left her caused the child 70 become
so weak that she was nearly ex-
hausted when found.
Search for Child.
The little girl and her mother-had
been picking blueberrtes on the Nil
. Hken farm for several days. and
when she failed 20 appear at noon
fer dinner. her mother and the 9th
er farm attaches became alarmed
and a search followed. Nearly every
foot OF ground on the farm was
traversed in an effort tC find her. but
she was not discovered until 3
o'clock In the afternoon.
Despite the fact that The posss
was rapidly formed and a thorough
search countryside made, TO trace
| Of the assailant or his identity couII
be learned. The thec-y OF the po-
lice and others who aided IN The
1 search IS that he boarded one OF the
/ several freight trains that pass on
( the New York Central tracks near
+ by. Another theory is that SO rnu-h
time ELAPSED between the time OF
| the assault and time the child was
found that the assailant could have
walked either 70 South Bend or New
Carlisle.
The police working on this the
/ DRY imme diately dispatched word OF
tho assault 70 neighbOring towrs.
| but IN the fact that practically no
description OF the man could be OBJ
tanned, Il IS unlikely the officers IN
other points viii be able 20 assist 20
[ any great extent in his capture. they
said
Believe Attack Planned.
stu another theory contended by
/ persons working on the farm g that
( the criminal was one who knew the
lay OF the land" and had appar-
emily planned his deed. They claim
! a suspicious looking character has
! been wandering around the farm
for the past few days. and they be-
I neve this man was the one who
/ committed the assault.
TO bolster up this contention.
they said, az this particular hour o.
/ the day the little girl, who IS SAID %
I be OF foreign parentage, was work
I Ing alone IN that section Of the field
/ while the other workers were 1t-
/ tending 20 their duties near the
/ house and barn. They say the as
sailant rad evidently had knowledso
Of this procedure and timed his At
tack accordingly.