Mexico weekly ledger., 1895-10-17
Wanted Her Sister.
MRS. DILLON, OF NEAR MEXICO,
CREATES A SENSATION IN
ST. LOUIS.
Went to Bring Her Sister Home But
Was Elected From the Residence
of Her Employer Claims That
Her Sister is Being Badly
Treated by the Rheas.

-
perience, as is relatedb by the st. Louis
Post Dispatch as follows:
About noon Saturday a petty, neatly
attired young m entered the
office of attorney F. A. G. MacManus
in q manner that indicated extreme
agitation. 1t was with difficulty that
she could be Gained sufficiently to
state her business, but this she finally
did in such an earnest and dramatic
way that Mr.. MacManus was deeply
impressed by her story. The lady was
Mrs. Callie Dillon, wife of Douglas
Dillon, a well-to-do young farmer iv-
ing near Mexico, Audrain county, Mo.
The story she hurriedly related to
Mr.. MacATanus, and which she after
wards told more fully to a Post-Ds-
| patch reporter, is a strange one, re-
| plete with interesting details. Mrs.
Dillon arrived in this city Tuesday
| night. Her object in coming was to
rescue a younger sister and take her
home. According to Mrs. Dillon her
| sister, Lydia Spence, 10 years old, Is
being held a prisoner against her own
wishes and the wishes OF her relatives
aud best friends by the family Of j. H.
| Rhea at 1879 Belt avenue. Mr.. Rnea
is q well-to-do business man ana as
sistant superintendent of the Missouri
Safe Deposit Vaults.
Mrs. Dillon declares that her sister,
once bright, pretty and full of spirit,
has been so ill-treated that unless she
is soon taken away from her present
home she is in danger of becoming a
mental and physical wreck. She Is
determined to get the girl away from
the Rheas and has placed the case In
the hands of MI. MacManus, who will
| carry it into the courts on Monday
morning.
When Mrs. Dillon arrived in st.
| Louis she went to the Rhea house to
see her sister. Thursday they went
to the fair and remained with a friend
| that night. 1t was Mrs. Dillon's in
tentions to keep her sister with her,
and on Friday evening they returned
to the Rhea residence to get Lydia's
| clothes. The Rheas objected to the
girl going away again with her sister,
and a row followed, which resulted in
Mrs. Dillon being elected from the
house. Half frantic she rushed into
the residence of W. F. Impey, who
lives next door, where she was quoted
with much difficulty.
Later she went to $500 Easton ave-
nue., the home of John Jack, an Easton
avenue dry goods merchant, and spent
the night. Early Saturday morning
she started out to look for Mr.. Mac
Manus, but it was nearly IL O'Clock
before she found him. BY that time
she was in a state bordering on hys-
/ terra.
a reporter found Mrs. Dillon Satur~
day afternoon at $500 Easton avenue.
She was very much agitated. Her
story was disconnected and punctuated
with frequent crying spells.
"My sister has been with the Rheas
for two years." she said, sever since
the death of Mrs. Lisear, Mrs. Rhea's
mother. Lydia lived with Mrs. Lisear
from the time she was9 years old until
the old lady died. Our father and
mother have been dead for years.
Mrs. Rhea took her, promising to
treat her as n Of the family and pay
her wages. So Lydia went with them.
Since that day the girls life has been
one of misery. They have beaten her,
starved her, given her only barely
enough wretched clothing to hide her
body and have never paid her a cent OF
wages. They have worked her like a
slave, compelling her to do the labor
of a man, although she is slight and
delicate. Not only that, but by threats
and abuse they have acquired such ar
influence over her that she is in NOR
tai terror of them. Under this strain
I IA see that the girls mind is giving
way and if she stays with them an
| other year she viii be taken to q luna.
tic asylum. 1t breaks my heart tC
think of it," and here Mrs. Dillor
broke down.
"Once since she has lived with tbs
Rheas, Lydia has visited me. l noticed
a change in her then and asked hel
about it. She told me how they treated
her, but it was not so bad then as now
I { offered her a home but they induced
her to go back. Had I known VIVA
she was coming to / would never hav'
let her leave me. Since their treat
ment of her has gradually grown
worse. They have told her that m.
character was bad, and that her rela
tives are not fit for her to associat,
with. They have even gone SO far a
to compel the girl to change her nam
to Belle Wells, SO that she would los
her identity entirely.
"From time to time during the pas
few months Lydia has written to m
telling me of how they treated her an
pleading with me to send for her.
wrote Tor her to come, but she neve
did. did not think they would kee'
her by force. About a week ago I re
eeived a letter from Mrs. Jack beggin
me to come here and take the gil
away. That decided me and I &c
ready to como as soon as l could. NJ
= husband could not come with me.
he had things might have been differ
ent.
/ got here Tuesday evening an
went out to the Rheas. They aske
} me IN and sent for Lydia. Before sh
came into the room I heard Mrs. Rhe
l~ecturing her. She seemed to be gla
to Q me, but afraid to talk to me.
could see that she was afraid of then
The Rheas made xcuse that the
could not invite me to stay there, b.
S Lydia managed to whisper to m
o they want to keep us apart
s., "on Thursday / went there and to
Mrs. Rhea l was going to take Lyd
to the fair. / could see that 81
!. didn't want to let her go, but 81
raised no objection. When / got Il
girl away from the house she con
menced to tell me about her life
that house. / resolved to v /
her go back there, and y
stayed all night with a friend on Lii
! pniu ayauua Erido~ ,sok