William Alexander, “Charge of Rape Dropped Against Eastside Man,” Indianapolis Recorder, July 15, 1961, p. 1, 2 – Transcript || Annotation || Archive
A pre-rape charge was dropped against a 50-year-old white man this week and a new one, assault and battery with intent to gratify sexual desires, was filed against him after a 10-year-old Negro girl told police that the man attacked her on a bench in the Peoples Temple Christian Church, 975 N. Delaware.
The man, Herbert Johnson, is also accused of molesting the child after he convinced her to get in the back seat of a car owned by Mrs. Alice Moten, 57, of 1253 Roache.
A 9-YEAR-OLD WHITE girl also charged that Johnson molested her after luring her into the car while she was playing in the parking lot behind the church.
This child’s mother said she did not immediately notify police because she wanted to talk with Rev. James Jones, former pastor of the church, who is director of Mayor’s Human Rights Commission.
Johnson was apprehended at his son’s home at 833 North Park after Rev. Jones found a jacket at the church with papers identifying him. Rev. Jones said Johnson was not a member of Peoples but that he ate at the church’s free restaurant which is open to the public.
Johnson appeared in Municipal Court 3 last Saturday.
He is being held on $7,500 bond. His case is continued until Friday, July 14.