Nine Year Old Child

Badly Frightened But

Not Otherwise Hurt.

——–

MISCREANT RUNS AWAY WHEN GIRL STRUGGLES

——–

Suspect Picked Up But Not

Identified And Is Released.

——–

Quite a stir was created along Minnesota street late Sunday evening among those who were still out at 11o’clock at night when it was learned that a child of 9 years of age had been dragged from an automobile in which she was sleeping and dragged into the alley between Minnesota and German streets at the corner of Center and Minnesota. The child screamed so that the miscreant finally released her and no real harm came to her except for the terrible scare.

Child Visiting Here.

The little girl was Elizabeth Zapf, 9 year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Zapf of Minneapolis. She was visiting with her aunt and uncle Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Manderfeld. Her parents had been here also but had returned home Sunday, leaving the little girl for a visit with her little cousin. The Manderfeld family had been driving in the car during the evening, having the children with them. When they returned to the National Cafe which they operate on South Minnesota street they found a large number of customers and they decided they had better assist in serving them and as they felt it would be late before they were thru they told the two little girls to take off their shoes and lie down the seats of the car which they parked on Center street just around the corner from their cafe.

Children Asleep In Car.

The children obeyed instructions and had removed their dresses as well as their shoes and were sleeping when a man appeared at the car and seizing the little Zapf girl pulled, her from the car and into the nearby alley. This was the story she told when she was found screaming at the corner of First South street by Mr. and Mrs. Ed. Veeck who were just returning home from an auto trip. The child was so terrified that all she could say was “A man stole me out of the car and took me into the alley.” Mrs. Ed. Wagner had heard the disturbance and she sent a couple of boys to find out what was the trouble and in a few minutes Policeman Ed. Wagner was hunting for the man.

Within a short time Mr. Wagner picked up a suspect near the Stork plant. He was arrested and when taken to jail gave the name of Otto Hoff, said he came from Wisconsin and that he had just struck town when found, having been in Mankato during the afternoon. He was examined several times by different members of the police force and the county attorney’s office and the little girl was taken to look him over but she could not tell whether he was the man or not and the police released him Tuesday afternoon.

The little girl was taken back to her home in Minneapolis yesterday afternoon. New Ulm people should remember that the man who attempted to do the little girl harm is still at large and children should not be allowed upon the streets or away from home alone after nightfall.

New Ulm Review,

July 22, 1925

————————