The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-18
CHILD TAUGHT TO FAKE.
PUPIL TRIUMPHS OYER HI MAS
TIERS or YELLOW JOURNALISM.
she Wrote u Suicide Letter, Got Her Picture
In tho Paper with the Usual NInudiin
Twnddlc. aud Then Wa Found In the Cci.
Inr NnrH lln,rrr nni ulnn Enr arnnLInr

she wrote u suicide Letter, cot Iler Picture
In tho Paper VIII the Usual alnndiin
Twnddlc. aud Then Was Found In tho Cci.
lar Very Hungry anu Ripe for spanking.
Yellow Journalism is back OF tho trouble
which ll-ycar.old Florence Cox caused In the
household at 81 Abingdon square yesterday.
The Child's mind has been so poisoned by tho
trash which she has rcad in the evening editions
of tho yellow journals that she decided finally
to become IL heroine OF their type and get her
picture In the papers. So, on Monday niEht sho
disappeared, leaving u note which announced
her intention of drowning herself In Jersey
City. after which rather anphibian threat she
went down cellar and hid for twelve hours.
What happened to her yesterday when her fam.
lily found her was not of a nature to encourage
future hcroics,
For some months Florence has been a devotco
of the two niant.criminal newspapers pub
lished In this city. She would sit up nearly all
night porting over the diine.novcl fiction which
Is printed as fact in their columns, and studying
the pictures OF crime. criminals, and suicides.
Nothing that her family could do would stop
her. and tho natural result OF her study along
those lines was an ambition TO see herself in
typo. Not long ago she showed to one of her
schoolmates at tho Eighteenth street grammar
school a newspaper picture Of a young girl who
had committed suicide.
YOU win SEQ my picture like that pretty
soon, Nollie, she said.
What are you going to do r. asked her
friend: ..,um
ana you won't see me any more. I'm tired OF
ininding the baby and having TO do what they
tell inc at home; When they see 1t in the papers
about me they'll be sorry"
Others OF her schoolmates have heard her talk
In the same way. Indeed sho spoke 40 often OF
his his is sn" why yn Florence sn"s " desii "oI'i to 0, a Isl rSar"R IN
reality. About midnight on Tuesday her father.
Charles Cox, heard her moving about In her
room and called to her. As sine did not answer
he supposed that she had gone back to bed.
When he went to call her in the morning sho
was gone. She had left this note for her step
mother:
Ny owS DEAR, LOVING MAMA: | am going over to
the Fourteenth street ferry.
Tala can have my basket and Dunpy my Amber.
The quilt / was making for my dear mammals
Christmas.
Your loving daughter. FLORENCE.
lula and Dummy nre the household names of
her little sisters. Naturally there was great
alarm IN the house, and Mr.. Cox went directly
description OF his daughter, which WAS sent out
In the form OF a general alarm. Then came
Florence's triumph; for the evening yellow jour.
nal which was FIRST on the ground did just
what she hoped and expected OF it. 1t printed
column Pa SssSa"s Of II her n SUPPOSED Pos dP, saigiGe, G Sone in a
It's most m1udiln style, IT 9poied her last
"AS ta "'aN'> - t'S l''' 49, N''S ~ -.
istence;' it spoke on her terrible resolve" and
told how sho wrote out her tragic message
and then " folded 1t up and went out into the
night" 1t asked tearfully: Did she go to her
death 3
She did not. She went to the cellar and hid
behind o barrel. In the course Of time her ex'
istencc there became tedious. While her father
was making inquiries all over lIoboken and
Jersey City, Florence came up quietly. wrote
another note, and dropped it in the mail box;
About noon Mrs. Cox. returning from q tour Q:
inquiry among the neighbors. naturally fruit
less. found the note. Ii read:
DEAREST MAMMA: l cannot die without you. Come
before l starvc. FLORENCE.
1t did not take Mrs. Cox very many minute:
ter was not on the other side of the North River
or any other river. She began IA Systematic
search OF the house. When she got TO the cellar
she heard a snitfie and a voice said:
Here / am. Como and get me.
What are you doing there y demanded Mrs
Cox. wrath succeeding to her relief at finding
that the child was safe.
starving" said Florence in heartbreakine
tones. Take me home to die"
She was taken home. not to die. but to repent
and. when a Sun reporter called there yesterday
afternoon, was in enforced retirement.
"Whatever got into the child | cant mag
Inc" said Mrs. Cox TO the reporter. "lier heat
is completely turned by the tTSsh and picI nre,
tried our best to keep them away from her, bu'
she gets hold Of them. and they I'LL her braiI
with all sorts OF wild ideas. Until she took Il
sible u child as you could wish, but lately sh,
has got queer notions about running away
shes sorry enough now added Mrs. Cox. " ant
whcn, her father gets ZONE she'll be sorriei
still
Has she seen her picture in the paper yet =
asked the reporter.
helpit' replied Mrs. Cox. II ever hear Of he
SO much a., looking at on" NJ those papers again
-" Mrs. Cox broke OFF significantly.
The police have been noticed OF Florence