Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-28
A FAITHFUL LITTLE GIRL.
She Jumps After Her Father to Almost
Certain Death.

The little girl Who jumped Oh the train going
out Of Philadelphia yesterday afternoon to fol-
low her father was picked up for dead and
taken to the hospital, whore she 10 still alive.
On the train coming In the child returned to
consciousness and was able to tell her name.
Az she was being put into the hospital ambu-
lance Ut the P6weiton avenue station, she
raised one hand TO her head and gaspsd out the
word, Mamma" Stephen Beck, her father,
was picked up dead. He was o native of the
Grand Duchy of Baden, and was born in 1919
He came to this country about forty years ago
and, after wandering around from place to
place, settled ct Believilie, St Clair county.
III, whore he was both . farmer and a small
merchant He was fairly prosperous and
managed, by thrift and economy. aided BY his
wife. to gather together small fortune. Bat
trouble came into the family and early in last
July decree In divorce was entered against
him on his wife's petition. Among the papers
found on his body was receipt signed by +. A.
McConaughy. attorney for the hbeilant, &C
knowledsing the payment Of 81, 05O, in full sat
isfaction Of the amount awarded her by decree
of the court Whether the custody Of the
child was awarded to the father or whether he
had kidnapped her and was fleeing from the
divorce courts Jurisdiction. as well from
that Of the criminal court, is only matter of
surmise. Circumstances, however, uphold the
belief that Lena was an unconscious II wiling
comrads IN her fathers fight
On Beck's body, among other papers. was o
receipts for s825, signed Turner & Holder, this
money evidently having been given by Beck to
procure bail bond that would insure Beck's
appearance at the criminal court OF st. Clair
county to answer an indictment for felonious
assault with intent to commit rape. The fact
OF the indictment and its character we're spe-
officially set forth in the receipt. and there is
no doubt that Beck had fed from home in
Ordar kv Of bia rrtv
Beck was dressed roughly and had some thing
OF the appearance Of tramp, yet he had in
his possession over S5, 900 in money and drafts,
passport from the Secretary Of State, papers
showing that he had been naturalized, and a
socond-class cabin ticket for himself and
daughter on the steamer Normania OF the Ger
man American packet line. Among other
papers was q slip marked '2721 Do Kalb, Hotel
Buck" There Is no such address in Philadel-
phia, but there is a De Kalb avenue in Brook
Ign, NY. II may be that he has friends there
The drafts found on the body were drawn by
the Fourth National Bank of St. Louis to
Beck's order on the Mittiedeutsche Credit
Bank OF Frankfort-au-Maim, Germany, and
were for 2o.6s4 marks, or about e5,121 in our
money ths soz currency ~ in his possession
In the meantime Lena is being tenderly cared
for at the hospital At times last night she
was conscious, and was able to tell that she had
a brother and sister somewhere" but exactly
where she could not say. The physicians en-
terrain little hope Of her recovery.
A dispatch from Bell0ville says Beck lived at
Mascoutah. ILL.,, and was we'll known in st.
Louis. He was quite wealthy and leaves a
large family of grown up children and several
divorced wives In st. Clair county, Ill. At the
time Of his death he was fugitive from JUS
tice and the crime with which he was charged
was especially revolving. He recently sold his
farm for $6, 900 and Unidentified his bondsmen
with cold cash. He turned all his other affairs
over to grown son. and a day or two ago,
with his youngest daughter, started for Ger
many.