Smyrna times., 1923-03-14
CONFESSED CHILD ASSAILANT
HELD FOR GRAND JURY HEARING
HARRY HACKENDORN PLEADS
GUILTY TO ASSAULT ON GIRL
The Little Ten Year Old Girl Was At
tackled in Woods on Way to Oak
Grove School Near Wilmington

tackled in Woods on Way to Oak
Grove School Near Wilmington
Harry Hackendorn, % years old, of
BOXwoOd road, near Richardson Park,
pleaded guilty to a charge of felon-
eOus assault upon Avis Martin, 10
year-old daughter of Mr.. and Mrs.
Tracey E. Martin, of Watson and
Cleveland avenue, Colonial Heights,
when given a preliminary hearing be-
fore Magistrate Gluckman Thursday
afternoon. The alleged assault occur
red shortly after 8 o'clock Thursday
morning in the lower end of Tatum's
woods, near Elesmere. Hackendorn
was arrested by Constable Whiting
ton at Elsmere Junction of the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad after he had
been recognized and detained by Mag
istrate Binder, of Elsmere. The ac-
cused was taken to the Office of State
Detective Moore by the constable and
turned over to him.
COnfesses to Girl He Was Assailant
Early Thursday afternoon Hacken-
dorm was taken to the Martin home
and taken before the child. He i'm
mediately broke down and admitted
that he was the man who committed
the assault, exclaiming, Little girl,
I'm the one" State Detective Moore
then asked the girl if Hackendorn
was the man and receiving an affir-
NATIVE reply, remarked, ''that is
enough" and taken the prisoner to the
police station in Wilmington. He was
taken before Magistrate Gluckman
about 3 o'clock Thursday afternoon
and was held without bail to await the
action of the grand jury, which will
probably be reconvened Monday morn
ing. The penalty for this crime in
this State is death or life imprisOn-
ment. When arraigned before the
magistrate, Hackendom did not seem
to realize the seriousness of the
charge against him for he seemed per-
fectly at ease and answered all ques-
tiOns put to him in a straightforward
manner. The young man is the father
of three small children, the oldest
three years old and the youngest
three weeks old.
Stops Girl in Woods
According to the story told by the
little Martin girl she was walking
along the trolley tracks near the end
of the woods on her way to attend
school at the Oak Grove school-house,
when she was accosted by Hacken-
dorm. The latter is said to have asked
where she was going and receiving the
reply, "to school," stated he had a
little girl and asked if she would take
his daughter to school with her. He
then asked her to go to his home.
Avis followed him into the woods and
the assault followed. Little Avis said
her assault led her to the end of Wat
son avenue after committing the deed
and then ran along the tracks of the
Philadelphia and Reading Railroad
Company toward SilverbroOk station
on the same railroad. The child made
her way home, a distance of four OF
five blocks and related her experience
to her parents, who called DR.. c. w
Hughes, the family physician, anC
also sent word of the attack to State
Detective Moore. Detective Moore ar
rived on the scene within short time
and while able to secure but a meagrC
description of the man, the child being
in an hysterical condition, he began l.;
hunt for the man. DR.. Hughes reach
ed the Martin home shortly before II
o'clock. According to Mr.. Martin, tn,
physician found that the child haC
been feloniously assaulted. The child
nervous system had been racked b!
her narrowing experience and she wa
ordered kept quiet.
To Investigate Another Charge
When seen last night Constabl
| Whittinghouse stated that Hacken
dorm, whom he knows well, confesse
} the crime to him in the presence o
( Magistrate Binder while all thre
l were in the railroad station at Els
mere. He also is alleged to hav
made several statements to the cor
stable that will be Investigated rela
tive to an incident that happened seV
eral months ago.
> HackendOrn stated to the constabl
that he had a position at the fbr
plant of the American Vultanized F
bre Company at Maryland avenue an
Beech streets, Wilmington, but di
not like it and went to the BaltimOi
and Ohio Railroad shops at Wilsmel
Thursday morning and secured a pos
tion. He was to go to work at thrt
o'clock Thursday afternoon. He fo
merly worked for the company as
guard during the railroad shop striE
and was considered a model employt
by his superiors.
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