A CAMBRIDGE SENSATION

Waikato Times, Volume 86, Issue 13082, 17 January 1916, Page 4

A CAMBRIDGE SENSATION

YOUNG GIRL ASSAULTED. On the afternoon or .Monday, loth inst., a dastardly attempt was made by a young man to indecently assault a young girl, agod 12 years, the daughter ot a settlor in the neighbourhood of Cambridge. Fortunately it was not successful, and it is very probable that the culprit will yet lie arrested. The girl was riding homo along the Thornton road, and was passing the corner of the road near Salthurst, where a road that leads to what is known as Carter's flat junctions with the main one, when the man, who was standing near a bicycle that was lying on the ground, asked her if she would help him to catch his horse, which was down on the Hat. At first she demurred, but she afterwards consented, thinking that he probably wanted her to round his horse up in order that he might catch it, wl i h he would have hut little chance of doing on foot or on the bicycle, the ground on the flat being somewhat rough. He asked her her name and she told him, and he said, "Mine is Wilson." There is a somewhat steep hill leading down to the flat, and when part of the. way down it he asked her to dismount, and he tied her horse up to a bunch of fern. A little distance down the hill there is a gravel-pit, where he said he had left his saddle, and he led her into it, pretending to go for the saddle. Not seeing the saddle the girl became frightened, and was about to retreat, when the man caught hold of her and attempted to assault her, placing Ins hand over her mouth. The girl struggled and screamed, and then the man said if she would not scream and would not come out of the pit until he had time to ride away lie would at once go. She, being almost in a state of collapse, consented, and kept her word ; after which she rode home as quickly as possible and told her father. Ho at once communicated with Constable Cloary, and they both went in search of the culprit. Fortunately for the man they could not find him, or lie would have met his deserts, for the father, who had a revolver with him, would undoubtedly have shot him. A man who was attending to some pigs down on Carter's flat saw all that took place outside of the pit, but was too for away to hear the screams. We learn another such attempt was made on a. girl in the Feneourt district some little time since, but it was not reported to the polite. There is not the slightest doubt but that the girl can identify the man, and the police have evidence that is very conclusive.