Roughly Dressed Man

Accosts Hazel Meine On

North Franklin Street.

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SEARCH MADE BUT

NOBODY IS FOUND

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No Harm Done to Girl Except Making Her Extremely Nervous.

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Quite a stir was created in this city Friday afternoon when nine year old Hazel Meine, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Meine, arrived at school and told her teacher that she had been attacked by a man while on her way to school. The teacher immediately notified Mr. Meine and Superintendent Andreen, the latter notifying Chief of Police Harmening. A search was started at once but no one was found nor had anyone else seen any strange character in the vicinity where the attack occurred.

Happened After Noon Hour

The Attack was made shorty after one o’clock. Little Hazel had complained of a headache and stayed at home a few minutes later than usual and as a result walked to school alone. The Meines live on Center Street near Jefferson Street. The girl states that when she got to Franklin and Center Street she noticed a man standing in the center of the road. He had a red handkerchief tied over his head and apparently wore bedroom slippers with badly worn socks or no socks at all. He had no coat on and Hazel was scared. She started to run and the man headed her off and as she reached the east side of Franklin street near the Kral home he grabbed hold of her left arm and started to drag her into the street. She started to cry and the man let go of her saying that “he would get her that evening.”

Runs To School

As soon as the man let go of her she ran to school as fast as her legs could carry her. She at first said nothing to her teacher. Miss Louise Hensel, but the latter noticed that she was crying and asked her what the trouble was. She then told her story. After the police and Mr. Meine had arrived, a search was made of the entire vicinity, hospitals and other institutions were called up to see if any demented patients had escaped but no trace could be found of the party who made the attack. The little girl was very nervous and at first her story was doubted. In the evening her father again asked her about the episode and she stuck to the same story saying further that the man appeared to be black with dirt and that he had many pimples on his arm. When asked why she did not run home she said that she was afraid he might get her again. The story traveled rapidly around town and came to the ears of different parties and that evening a party living in the south end of the city called up Mr. Meine and told him that her daughter had been out with a friend the night before and that they came across a man walking on North Broadway at about Eighth North. It was about 9:30 in the evening and the man had no coat on and had a torn shirt. It was so dark that the girls did not get an accurate description of him but their attention was attracted to him by hearing him talk to himself. Whether this is the man who attempted the assault is not known but the police are on the lookout and are making all endeavors to catch the guilty person.

New Ulm Review,

December 12, 1925

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