The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-09-03
SADDEST DAY OF HER LIFE
Terrible Discovery Made by Mrs
Obtrect, Of Nantic0ke.
SnE RESCUED HER DAUGHTER
Found Her In tho Den of the Notorious
Bob Davies In Ccntro Street
at First Tried to Hide
tho Truth.

While the thousands were enjoying
yesterdays holiday In this city there
was one poor mother who was expert
encing the saddest day of her life; and
In Alderman Millar's office was being
enacted one OF the most heartrending
scenes that one could be called upon
to witness, the reuniting of q fallen
daughter and sorrow-stricken mother
Little Lena Obtrect five weeks ago
left her home In NanticOke to visit her
grandmother In this city. After stay
ing with her aged relative for week
or so she pined for more congenial COM
pany and obtained permission to seek
work In the central city. A strange l5-
year-old girl with a pretty face and
guileless manners who goes looking for
work In this city treads a dangerous
path.
This was the case with the little Nam
ticokc girl. She fell In with human
vulture who enticed her into Bob Da-
vies' den. In Raymond court, where
she has been for nearly four weeks,
until now she Is almost physical
wreck from dissipation and riotous liv-
ing.
The child wrote to her mother fire.
quently and appended the address Of
the house in which she was staying
to all her letters. Yesterday being a
holiday the girls mother. an honest but
unsophisticated old German lady, came
to visit her. intending to give her, a
pleasant surprise. But the joyous well
come which she expected from her
little girl was wanting. Instead. at the
unexpected approach Of her mother,
Lena hid herself and told her COM
panions to get her mother away.
Rnox Che Wuo nolnu n>oct.oA
Mrs. Obtrect, although not overly
familiar with the ways Of the world.
readily realized that an effort was be-
ing made to deceive her; that her
daughter was there, and further that
the place was not a private boarding
house as described by the daughter in
her letters. Almost overcome by grief
and with her wrinkled face bathed
with tears the agonized mother wan
dered about the streets looking for a
policeman or some one else to whom
she could turn in her misery.
Alderman 'Millar's sign caught her
attention and thither she went and told
her story. The alderman In righteous
indignation dispatched his deputy to
secure the girl and a squad Of police
men to raid the house. When the
daughter and mother were brought
face to face in the alderman's private
Office there ensued n scene that beggars
description.
The little girl utterly collapsed and It
was feared for time that she would
60 into cOnvusions. The mother
seemed to forget everything but her
daughters sufferings and treated her
with compassion that clearly indicat-
ed that the daughters misfortune in
stead of estranging the mothers heart,
only the closer frightened the bonds of
maternal affection.
She was still her daughter, In mis-
fortune doubly dear
She Told the Whole Story.
When the girl recovered, Alderman
Millar had her mother withdraw, and
then privately questioned her. She de-
MED at first that she was concerned in
anything but the housework about the
place, but when the alderman harshly
accused her of lying and threatened
to serd her to Jail she broke down
completely. Throwing herself upon
the floor and grasping the alderman
by the knees she besought him piteous-
ly not to send her to Jail, promising
to tell the whole truth.
The alderman assumed a kindlier air
and advised her to tell all she knew
about the place. She related how she
was enticed there by a woman and in
duced to submit to the life which fol-
lowed for four weeks. 1t was a tale
too narrowing to be repeated. It be-
longs only In the criminal records of
the court. and It is to be hoped that 1t
will before long be heard in the shape
OF evidence against the fiends who
could be guilty Of such hellish work.
The girl was turned over to her
mother, who took her home.
cara Weichel and three other mis-
guided wretches who were caught in
the raid were fined for being inmates
OF disorderly house. Further pro-
ceedings will follow when the owner of
the dive can be apprehended.