The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-16
SIDE LIGHTS ON A CRIME.
Peculiar Social Conditions in Which
Two Common Criminals Lived.
New York Sun.

New York Sun.
Almost as interesting as the main facts
of the crime, said a New Yorker to a re-
porter, are some of the curious social re-
lations and habits which the murder of
William Gieldensuppe developed The story
threw into view some surprising situations
which are so foreign to a persons ordinary
experience in life that they seem scarcely
credible. One of these features was the as
ISOLATION of Martin Thorn with the men in
the East Side saloon in which he was in
the habit of playing p1nochle. The men
knew him we'll, knew that he was a barber,
were intimate enough with him to chah
the man over his appearance and manner
but had no idea where he lived or where
he worked nor did single one of them
know his name. 1t seems incredible that
an acquaintance should have existed so
long without any one of those men having
asked Thorn's name or learned it in some
manner. The men had been meeting at
least several nights a week for year or
more. But not one of these men knew
ThOrnS name.
Another curious feature of the case is
the isolation of the woman arrested, Mrs.
Mack. She appears to have been almost
entirely without woman friends, and the
two or three that have figured in the case
have not been intimate with her to any par
tlcular extent She seems to have lived en-
tirrly without female society, and while
she was mot a woman of openly immoral
life, she seems to have seen nothing of
women of her own class Or of any class.
Evidently she has no relatives here, and
her complete isolation is to me- one of the
striking features of her participation in
the affair. Another extraordinary habit
that the case revealed was the one of using
an undertaker's shop as a livery stable.
Who would ever have thought OF going to
an undertaker's to hire a surrey or any
thing else but hearse, yet Mrs. Mack did
it as if it were more or less usual among
the people of her class.
The WomanS story that her lover had
urged her repeatedly to commence an
aVoWedly vicious life seemed to, indicate in
a way the manner in which women of her
class become actual violators of the
law from having been merely more or less
irregular in their lives. Neither the woman
lived together and both worked hard Be
tween them they managed to save some
money. Doubtless they We're looked upon
by their peighbors with no particular dis
favor. although it may have been known
that the man and woman were not married.
The profits of keeping Il house of i'll fame
appealed to the man. and he tried 20 per-
suade the woman to open such establish
ment. After having had the toleration at
casts who even in the lax society around
them, could scarcely have expected the
slightest recognition as decent people. The
police, in speaking of Mrs. Nacks case,
said that the change from semi or at least
from apparent responsibility to open Grim
inality was most often accomplished in just
this way.
Another episode in the case which must
have surprised everybody who read of ii
Woodside was rented. If the stories told
of that are true, the house was simply
handed over when the offer was made. and
no questions apparently were asked in ref
erence to the character of the tenants or
the purpose for which II was wanted.