Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-07-28
ENTICING GIRLS TO RUIN.
A scamp Who AIIured Country Girls
to Philadelphia Houses OF Prosti-
tuition.


tuition.
Frank Pierce Pidcock, fashionably
attired and insinuating young man,
who has for some time lived at No.
1902 North Seventh street, was on
Saturday arrested by Detective Fox, in
this city, charged with enticing Laura
Lewis, young girl of less than 10
summers, from her home in Lambert
vile, y. j., to notorious house of i'll
fame on Wood street. Pidcock was
taken to Flemingten and locked up in
Jail, and the girl. who had been but
two days in her gilded cage, was taken
home by her mother. She is a very
pretty and well developed girl, and
was perfectly bewildered by the new
life into which she had been so unwit-
tingly thrown. She says she became
acquainted with Pidcock about year
ago, and that he has been writing to
her for some months past, telling her
that she could better her dull country
life by coming to Philadelphia and
getting work, and seeing the city.
Gradually she was led to imagine that
great things might be in store for her
in Philadelphia. Finally she agreed
to meet Pidcock at the Lambertville
depot and talk the matter over. So far
won over, the rest was easy. The de-
lights of city life were depicted to her
in glowing colors; she was promised
protection, and, all unmindfnl of the
trap set for her, she consented to leave
mother and home to make her own
way in the great metropolis. Pidcock
even allowed his victim to pay her
own passage to Philadelphia, and the
pair left Lambertville on the. night
train. arriving here at 9 o'clock. 1t
was comparatively easy for him to in
vent a story to hull her suspicion of his
purpose, and she at last agreed to go
to his boarding house as his cousin,
and as such she was taken care of by
the landlady and given q comfortable
room. This was Saturday. On Sun
day, as the young girl states, she was
induced to enter Pldcock's room, in
the boarding house. The downward
course having thus begun, the descent
was easy. He persuaded her to walk
with him down Wood street, and when
they arrived at one of the most noto-
rious houses he told her to go in and
ask the landlady to take her as "a
boarder." "Mention the name of
Frank Pierce" said he, "and it will be
all right" She did so, and although
al first the woman was doubtful, when
the name of "Pierce was mentioned,
] she said: THAT'S all right; come to-
\ morrow"
The duped and outraged girl had no
other recourse, and the next day she
was installed as one of the inmates of
house of prostitution. She did not,
however, remain there long. Her
mother, who is an energetic woman,
| had traced her to Pidcock's boarding
house, and Detective Fox found means
| to compel him to disclose her hiding
| place. She was at once taken from the
| place and returned to her mothers
arms, without any further harm than
that which had come to her through
Pidcock himself The affair Created an
immense sensation at Lambertville,
/ where Laura was well known, and
prominent citizens CT the place, who
suspected that Pidcock had enticed
other girls from the town to live bad
lives in Philadelphia, at once interested
themselves in bringing the fellow to
justice. Lawyer Charles A. Skillman
and Esquire Hoen obtained a requisi-
ton for his arrest upon charge of OBJ
duction and seduction, and he was
taken into custody on Saturday.
1t is charged by the Lambertville
people that Pidcock is regularly engag-
ed in the business of procuring young
gitls for bad purposes. Some time ago
young lady of that town, Miss Cole.
who was looked upon as one of the
handsomest and brightest girls there,
was induced to 60 to Trenton and enter
a house of ill-fame, and her intimacy
with Pidcock just previous to her dis
appearance was marked and comment
ed upon. Lately he has been in cor
respondence with pretty young girl
there, and urged her to come to this
city, where, he is said to have said, she
"could do better than in that dull
town" She did come to Philadelphia,
but her mother came with her. Pid-
cock has been released or bail, and is
now trying to compromise the case.
He is said to have proposed to marry
his victim, but her mother says she
will not permit it, as she believes the
fellow would at once desert her, and
that he only wants to get her in his
power again to save himself from get
ting into p1ison.-PhiIGdelphia Record.