Los Angeles herald., 1892-01-21
AN AGED DON JUAN.
A Case Where Little Girls
Are in Peril.
The Police Say the Law Does
Not Cover the Matter.
A Twelve-Y -Year-Old Child and Her
Aged Enticer.
Old Man French and a Specimen Let
tor Children of the Spring Street
School His Special Objects.
The Facts of the Case.

Precocity has been a feature of the
juvenile contingent of the California
population for some years. Young peo-
pie who in the east and the frigid north
would be considered children have been
implicated here, ever since any super
vision has been organized, in cases testi-
flying to great moral depravity. Yester-
day one of these cases came to light,
and the villainy of an aged rake was
thrown open to the world in company
with the precocious tendency of
young school girl. OF course, the
weight of accusation must rest upon the
man whom age should have given wis
dom. This old villain, who is old
enough to be the grandfather of the
school girl he wished to entice to his
room is, however, person who seems
to have devoted his whole existence to
excesses which would bring him under
the jurisdiction of Judge Lynch any,
where except here.
A man named French who is nearly
go years OF age, now lives at lodging
house on Spring street, below Fifth, in
the rear of shoe shop. He works at a
commission house on Spring street near
Third street. The schoolgirl who figures
in the present case lives with her aunt,
Mrs. Ellis, on Winston street, near Los
Angeles. Her name is Annie Ellis, and
her age is IL years.
Exactly what relations the aged Don
Juan had with the little girl has not
been ascertained. Annie is school
girl in attendance on Spring-street
school. From what can be learned,
French has been inveigling girls from
that school to visit him at his rooms.
With the precocity engendered by the
coast climate, the little girls have proven
ready victims to French's villainy, as
the letter given below will show.
The letter shows that French had
been in communication with these chill
dren for some time, and that he had
instilled come peculiar ideas into their
minds. To show the character of the
letters written by French to little An
ME, the following may prove an exam
pie:
Los ANGELES, Jan. Is, 1892.
My DEAR SWEET PET: did not get
your note until O'Clock last Friday,
and went where you said, but you was
not there, but dear Annie, that is a
dirty place and you know we could not
have any fun there. but / suppose you
do not like to come to room 20 for fear
some one may see you and tell the ex-
pressman or your folks, and feel 30
too, and have got new
room where no one will see or
know you, it is close by and
is nice place, please meet me after
school this afternoon on Sixth street be-
tween Main and Spring streets, and
will tell you where it is and you can
come right off; if you cannot, then come
as soon as you can. Send note by Lottie
at noon and say if you will meet me,
and if you go to the new room this after
noon or some other time. Do not have
any other girls with you. Hide away
in the closet or somewhere until they
are away off. Dear pet, please come.
You shall have what said, if you do as
you said you would. Be careful what
you say in the notes, for Lottie reads
them, and we must not let her know too
much. Do not fail to come, 1 want so
much to see you. Yours, with love,
R-M 20.
A number of such letters have been
discovered by Mrs. Ellis, the aunt
of the poor little girl Annie. The other
damaging documents containing evi
dence against French are in the hands
OF Humane Officer Wright, who is now
out of town.
The police officials, to whom the case
was reported several days ago, declare
that they have no hold on the old man
in the case, and say there is no law
under which they can arrest him. Ac
cordingly Frrnch and other men of hiF
ilk are liable to endanger the morals o.
the city's youth for some time to come
unless an effective policy is adopted by
the angry relatives of little school girls