The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1892-04-28
JESSIE HOWELL
Who Wanted to Elope With a
Twelve Year Old Boy
Tells n Very Fishy story to the
New York Police.
THE STORY OF THE ALLIANCE GIRL MOI
CREDITED IN THE EAST.

An Account OF Her Arrest and What
She Told the Polioe..-Interesting
Reading.
The New York World has the following
regarding the disappearance of little
May Howell from Alliance, as exclusively
reported in the NEws.DEMoCRAT on
Wednesday:
Little May Howell of Mount Union, o.,
who was picked up at the Grand Central
Station Wednesday by an officer of the
Society for the Prevention OF Cruelty to
Children, still sticks to her original story
although q special dispatch TO The World
from Alliance, Ohio, contradicts all her
statements, aud makes the little Miss out
to be one half of would be eloping
couple. The other half, who is twelve
years old, fell into the hands of the police
before he got out OF town.
When found Wednesday, May told this
story:
been on visit to my uncle, Richard
Johnson, at his house, about five miles
from Brooklyn. l don't know the name
of the place. A few days ago q letter
came from mother in Ohio, saying she
was sick, and for me to come back. Uncle
brought me over to the city and almost to
the depot, when he told me 20 co there
and wait, aud he would ,otne aud buy my
ticket and send me bome. | have not seen
him since, and =. ant to go to mother
I'm afraid she miRhi die"
The child had 81 %, which she said was
given to her by sym pathetic people in the
railroad station.
The World on hearing the girls story,
telegraphed to its correspondent in Ali
ance, o., and Wednesday night Mrs, How.
ell was informed th9t Ter da auSnter was
alive and well in this city. II was glad
news 10 the mother who had not hea rd
Uli ghf INN fisH Va FaaIf If..I
Jessie at home, since Monday afternoon
last, when sue disappeared.
According to the story that comes from
Ohio there Is much more romance in Jes-
sizes story than she is willing 10 admit,
For some weeks Jessie, VINO Is thirteen,
and Charley Vnsper, wno is twelve, had
been very ultimate, Charlie Dragged to
his boyish associates about "his girl" and
Jessie tn ked gushingly 10 her girl friends
about "ner beau Not much attention
was paid TO the young peoples affair CT
the heart until Monday afternoon when
the climax came.
Charley played truans from school and
Jessie, after breaking open her brothers
trunk and securing about S14 met him.
Charlie had scrapyG together money
enough to briug the opers' common
purse up TO SlS. With this they expected
to reach Cleveland.
About O'Clock they we're seen making
their. way to the train. A policeman
watched them aud their actions led him 10
question the boy, whom he detained. Jes.
sie escaped anu Charlie told the whole
story OF the proposed elopement.
'JesSie has been going astray for several
weeks said Mrs. Howell yesterday "and
when she returns home l will place her in
the Reform School,
Mrs. Howell is a widow. Jessie is rather !
small for her age. She was dressed when |
she lcft home in "A short dark gray dress
~ 4FLF faFa 4 7 8f,sa
green cape. She also wore black stock |
ings, fine shoes and overshoes,
as soon as the Worlds telegram was |
made known to tbs mayor and chief of |
police Of Alliance, word Was a once sent
TO this city to hold the child, Mcfarland, |
chief Of police, leaves for New York this |
Sup,, Jenkins at ths office oi the Society
Tor the Prevention OF Cruelty 10 Children
said last evening:
I'VE are not surprised at any stories
told US by the children VITO are brought
here. We put no credeUce in the III until
we have investigated. However, we will
see what the girl has to say tonight"
linen the superintendent sent for Jessie. |
her dress and appearance were identical
with the description received from Ohio. |
The superintendent first asked her 10 tell
him her story again. The little girl looked
1im squlrely in the face aud related her
experience substantially as she has before.
ut was just month a ago. said she,
that l left home with my uncle, Richard
Johnson, who lives near Brooklyn. After
We left the train we crossed big river on
md soon crossed another big river. After
hat we rode on the street cars to where
ny uncle lives. A few days ago my uncle
eceived a letter stating that my mother |
Vls sick and wanted me to
ome nome. packed up my things and
We started for the depot. When we got TO
he Grand Central depot my uncle left me
elling me TO wait until he came back,
That is the last saW 90 90 I'm"
SuperintendeD,. 3enkins then questioned
ne glrl e&refIily. Finally she admitted
l haL ner name was Jessie May and that
ne .ad omitted to state her first name.
'..e said she knew no little boys in her
and added with some dig
atty, II don't associate with boys, any
Her brother, she said, had no trunk, so
she could not have broken into 1t and
stolen bis money.
ut is, probably one of my mothers
light mind and often says things she does
not mean," and little Jessie shook her
cad savagely. Finally she corrected her
former story as TO where she got the |
money found In her pockets, by saying her
mother gave her part of 1t before leaving
home.
Superintendent Jenkins does not be-
lieve the girls story, but will do nothing
until an officer arrives from Alliance.
How she reached New York no one but
Jessie can tell, and she doea not seem in.
clined to just now, Perhaps when Chief
gets here she mny be more
CAUSE OF HER LEAVING.
An Alliance special says: Marshal
Mcfarland left on train No. this after
noon for New York to bring home Jessie
Howell, the runaway girl. Later devel.
opments In this case are of a startling |
character. 1t is reported on good author
ty that the main incident moving the girl
TO run away was that sh6 was taken out to
a wood near the city on Sunday, the day
previous to her departure, by three boys
and so shamefully mistrsated that she
was carried home in an exhausted condi-
ton. IL is said tl.at II is from shame and
remorse over this dlsRracrful affair that
she left home OH Monday.