Hitch-hiking in The Java Herald
Re-presented by Bernd Wechner

Here's a curious article I ran across on the web that is taken from the August 21, 1930 edition of The Java Herald, South Dakota. It is old enough to feature among the earliest of references to the word hitch-hike, and is a curious story too. As far as I can tell it was unititled, I pulled it from a set of extracts compiled by Linda Johnson, with no clue whatsoever as to their intent. 
 
Clara Hillerud, a 19-year old Lake county girl, was found unconscious on the George Johnson lawn at Brookings last week Sunday. Miss Hillerud claimed that she had been drugged by two young men who had picked her up while she was hitch-hiking her way from Lake Campbell to Brookings. She with her two sisters had been at the lake and she was expected to help cook for threshers the next day so she started home on foot, hoping to catch a ride. When the two men came along she accepted a profferred ride. Soon after entering the car she was offered a drink of pop. She accepted and soon become ill and the men drove about the country hoping that she would revive. She had no recollection of how she came to be on the lawn in front of the Johnsons. She stated that the men did not harm or attempt to molest her. She was taken to a hospital and after several days was able to return to her home.