GIRL'S DESPERATE STRUGGLE

NZ Truth, Issue 1237, 15 August 1929, Page 3

GIRL'S DESPERATE STRUGGLE

Grim Ordeal On Lonely Road When On Her Way Home ESCAPED SCREAMING FROM ASSAILANT

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Wellington Representative). Leading- on from the tram terminus at Karori, towards the old golf links^ there is a lonely stretch of road. The.lobality is ruraL m appearance and there, are few houses m the neighborhood. * It was there that a youhgf girl returning home from work one evening was attacked by a youth, who attempted to commit a v serious offence. " ' , ""

THE outcome of the affair was the appearance before Mr. E. . Page, S.M., of a young lad, Henry Ernest\ Schirnack, to answer a charge * ' of assaulting, with intent to commit a serious offence, a seventeen-years-old girl. • ' . 1 He was also charged with assaulting another young woman 1 and with having stolen the sum of £16, the property of one Olsen. ' ' ' Scnirnack, who is a stockily-built youth of morose and^ unintelligent appearance, is a member of a well-known ' KarorL family <and has been- employed as a farm laborer for some time. At the hearing of the charges against him the accused was represented' byMr. A. J. Mazengarb who, at the close of the proceedings; 'intimated* to the i court that he intended having his client medically examined. The girl ' who was assaulted stated that she was nearly seventeen years of age and was employed m ' the city. She lived with her parents m South, Karori, the family home being about threequarters of a mile from the tramway terminus. ' '" On the night of the assault the girl said she had been working until 9" p.m. and she then went with, some friends to have supper. It was not until 10.20 p.m. that she, reached the tram terminus at Karori on lie,r way homo. ' As she walked along, the road she noticed a motor-car drawn up to ■ the Side of the road and as she passed it the driver of the car called out: "Do you want a ride home?* 1 She answered that she would not enter the ear- as she did not know who was m it. ' ' The man' at the wheel said: "Don't vnu remember me, I am Harry." She then recognised the driver as , being Harry Schirnack, whom, she had met on one or two occasions and she "got into.> the. motor-car. They drove down the road past* her home and the girl showed the accused where he could turn the motor. This he did and they drove ,back again, once more -passing the girl's place of abode. - „ She asked him to stop the car which he did, but .followed heir out when she left it. The distance they stopped from the house would be about two hundred yards and Schirnack said he would walk 1 back thig distance with her. "He caught hold of her wrists and she called out "Don't be silly." , The accused, let' her go\and. she started once more towards the house. The

Missing Money

man;vhowevei% again caught up with h^r^and placed his v! hand over her 1 , TttOUth.' i '-.-;;i, : '..;' X . ■'•■,■■.■.--■■:.'■■. ■■■"'.■'.• • x VI was uh'able to getaway from him, although I ; tried ';■"'■ hard"; '■-■ to do so. I seemed , to. 'be: dazed after^that and the; next' thing I .remember was that I was on the ground,!' said; the .girl. . * ' I y. ; ; She then described; how Schirnack appeared to see spmeone coming, along the; road. 'iT.f'.'?* -■:'■ ■'■ , ' ; '.ji-' .■''.. ; . ';' •■-i : - ; "There was a! .cow moying by the. fence and. 'perhaps, he it was dad,'<vshe; saidy/ l ';' w.C" V- :: > ' V :■:}'■•■ .•; .The giirl tpok'-'aclyantage' of .''■\''3ch.irnSck F s. ! ''('tempor.ary;V ! 'foa'*' and • sprang^to^ ;her- feeti; ShieJ ran . to- ,; ; '( i : ''Vards.hdmy''ißlßr l eiairhing / ''a:8. she went ."! and as the result bfvyh'at she told her people the /police were ipformr-/' . ed of the happening.! ■■'■'■■, '-; :''•,■ A young \ '-. domestic . ' ■> who ' works"-' at Karori, told an exti;abr dinar y story to the court; ; v '^ -, -_ /.-.: : v '■■'.:.:■■'-,] ;". /A, young, man m a ' motor-car had stopped her in-,.Hplmw.opd-'.A.yen.ue and asked for a certain address, she said. •The domestic,' answered: that- it.. -would be- a longv way up the street. , 'She turned to..walkawayi; when , she was struck' violently on ihe jawj She stag-, .germed, but^.did not fall, ari;d ran spream- ■''"" ■■. Irtgr to ithe. house " where she is employed/ /■''•.'■•■'.■■••, '■■ ':'.'i.- : -', ."•■; 'Cqnstabie , Ha 1 1 interviewed Schir-, ; nack . iij connection ,/•' -,:.■-■ 'With the complaints ;the: police i had \ received ; regarding Jiisconduct arid , he made statements admittirig^the. charges ;.brpught against him; Some months ago, a sum of; money was missed by a young man living Avith Sohirnack's parents .and . when- told that he was suspected of halyirig: taken the money-^^ 16— Schirnack;- admitted to Constable' Hall that he; stole, -it. This formed the basis of the present thefti charge : against the 71'ccused. .:.; : Mr. Mazengarb addressed the court on; the^ question pf the suppression /of the accused's, name. < • v : ';,'. : . •Counsel s'ajd the application was made on: behai'f; pC . the young man'si relatives, who Avere well-known res}tlents of the. city. When ' Schirnack had been . flrst remanded on< the present charges the Bench had- ordered sup'r pressiori atvd counsel asked for 'a' i:e-niew-al of that order. 'Mr. «Mazengkrb also intimated; -, to the court that his client- would plead guilty. •• .The magistrate' suggested to the t 9hief-detective'that,:in his opinion,. the serious 'chjarge; against ■ Schirnack- m" regard to; the younger girl should be red uced" t o one or less ser i busness, and m this ; view. counsel' • and police concurred; My. Page thereupon committed the accused to the Supreme Court fp.r^sentencet' .-.-.■"-.