It was every parent’s worst nightmare in June 1906, Miamisburg – A young girl playing in an alley near the Hoover & Gamble machine shop was grabbed by a strange man. Harry Martin from Indiana placed his hand over her mouth and started down the Big 4 track carrying her in his arms. Luckily, her friend saw the abduction and screamed for help, rousing the young girl’s mother, Mrs. Pricket.
Mrs. Pricket called for help and a growing crowd of Miamisburg residents was able to quickly overtake Martin as he fled with the girl. He dropped the girl and ran but was pursued by the mob halfway to West Carrollton and captured.
Martin was preparing to jump into the river but, anticipating his actions, a man from the crowd threw a bottle at him and struck him on the head, leaving a severe gash. Martin was in a state of shock from which he did not recover until after his arrest.
The child was taken back to her parents, suffering no physical injury but was traumatized by the incident. Martin was a 29-year-old man, deemed a degenerate by the papers. He was partially intoxicated when he was arrested and claimed to not remember even seeing the girl. Standing before Mayor Reiter, Martin hesitated as if deliberating before entering a plea of guilty. He was bound over to the grand jury and his bond was $1000. He was placed in County Jail in Dayton.
Dayton Unknown 