The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-12-08
FOUL ISLANDER.
1t Drives a sumner County Girl to the Very
Brink OF Watery Grave.
A dispatch from New York last nigh

A dispatch from New York last night
says;
Last night Belle Knowles, a tall. well
dressed young woman, asked an officer the
way to the river. He told her and then
followed. Before she reached the river be
stopped her and to him she said: Pm go
ing to drown myself. | don't want to live
any longer
The officer took the girl to a police sta
ton and later Captain Westervelt took
| her to his home where she was cared for
by his wife. The girl proved to be a
daughter of John A. Knowles, a wealthy
ranch owner of Belle Plaine, Sumner
county, Kan. She is II years of age and
for year and half had been attending
| school at Marlboro, Mass. She fell in love
with a young mau and to this was due her
contemplated suicide. She claimed to be
innocent of all wrong. Her father has
been telegraphed for"
Captain Knowles of Sumner county is
an honorable man and his entire family
and friends are all respectable people.
Those who know the young lady will not
for moment doubt her own statement
| that she is innocent of all wrong.
The general Associated Press dispatch
above is followed by special dispatch
which probably gives the true facts in the
case. The special dispatch is dated New
York, and is as follows:
If Belle Knowles had been a bad girl, or
even deep girl, she would never have got
herself into the trouble which, to her
young eyes, seemed so dark that death was
the only escape from it. II she had not
been so young and inexperienced, instead
of wandering about in East 136th street
Tuesday night looking for the river, she
would have been in her bed in Marlboro,
sleeping soundlv, and preparing to face
and live down the scandal For il seems
that 1t was the scandal-mongers who drove
the girl away from the little town, to
wander about in search of some sure and
easy death. Miss Knowles partly con-
fessed to Captain Westervelt her story,
which set forth that in the absence of Mrs.
Day, with whom Miss Knowles was
staying i'll Marlboro, some young men of
the town brought in wine, and then, after
the girls had drunk little, which little
was far too much for their inexperienced
heads, the young men turned down the
lights and the young people engaged in
that old-fashioned small town and country
game Of "postoffiee," with the rules of the
game suspended for the time Miss
Knowles says that dothing worse than
this happened, and people familiar with
the life of small towns will believe what
this girl of II says. But the gallant young
men, or some spiteful persons, spread the
story the next day, which was last Thurs
day, and when Miss Knowles went out
into the street she found herself disgraced
The wine had been too much for the good
people of Marlboro, and they were prepared
to believe the worst. So Miss Knowles
fled from the whispering and tittering,
the winks and the smiles, and came
down here to kill herself 1t appears
that she had been most vigorously restrin-
cd a few lar pl
with whom she stayed until that time,
were BaptiSts of the strict school, and held
dancing and most other amusements to be
plain manifestations of hoof and horns
devil. Singing in the choir and attending
church festivals were about the only dis
fractions she had. When her aunt, Mrs
Leland went over to Worcester to live |
with her son, the girl was less restrained, |
and had opportunity to dance a little and |
go about with the young men of a faster |
pace than the church circle afforded. She |
did not understand the warnings which !
the good people gave her against these |
young men, whose attentions were pleas
Ing to the Inexperienced young girl. When |
she did come to understand it was |
too late. and, in complete de- !
spair, which would not have come |
TO her had she been less innocent, she at
tempted to carry out her foolish plan
Of killing herself. Late on Sunday night |
Capt. Westervelt, who had kindly taken
Der to his own home at 235 West 130th
street, got word that DR. Leland, her
cousin, and his son had come down from
Worcester to take her back. Capt. West
,rvelt did not tell her until at breakfast
morning. The girl who had
oeen gradually recovering her spirits, grew
white and could eat no more. She felt
hat to face these two would be the first
aking up of the old order of things which
hirty six hours ago she had thought to
ay down forever. A few hours later her
citations came, She was glad to see them,
md told them that she bad completely
hauged her mind about suicide. But [
must no, go back to Marlboro. "she said."I
will 20 with you to Worcester and then
want to go to my father" Captain West
rvelt took her to the Harlem police court
& 10 O'Clock and she was At once dis
missed. Yesterday afternoon she and her
.insman took the train for Worcester
;aptaiu Westervelt says that she was ex-
eediugly communicative on the subject
f her own affairs, only making brief
nswers to direct questions. He says that,
Though in appearance she looks to be %
er mind is simple, the uudeyeloped mind |
t a couutrv girl of her age Size will in
crit considerable property when she I
ONES of age, and her father. John | :
movies Of Sumner county, Kan, has ,
* and valuable ranch. 1t is probable |
hat she will return there in d few days.