The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-05-21
D[COYED FROM BELGIUM
Story of Horrible Outrage Told
by Pauline Lemajeur.
HER LIFE THREATENED
Forced to Live a Life of Shame in Butte
Her Case Was Taken Up by the
Belgian Minister - School
meister the Fiend.

Through the persistent efforts of the
Belgian minister at Washington the
facts in connection with one of the
most outrageous cases of procuring
ever heard of have been brought to
light. The victim is a pretty Belgian
girl named Pauline Lemajeur, who,
like Camille Marcelline, was enticed
into leaving her home in the old coun-
try and coming to Butte by alluring
promises OF lucrative position only
to be betrayed and her life ruined. The
alleged fiend incarnate is Jean Gerald
Schoolmeister, who is now in Spokane
or Seattle with another victim. The
story is shocking one and makes
Victor Legrasse appear decent beside
the scoundrel Schoomeister.
On the 9th of April the Belgian min
lister to the United States wrote from
the Belgian legation at Washington to
Chief of Police Mulholland asking him
to investigate a matter which had been
called to his attention by his home
government, the case of Pauline Lena
jeur, who was said to be detained in
a house of prostitution here against
her will. For some reason the letter
was consigned to the waste basket and
never answered.
N Yesterday Mulholland got the fol-
lowing curt note from the Belgian le-
cation: Il beg an answer to my letter
of April on the case of the girl
Pauline Lemaje ur." The note was
signed by a secretary Of the legation.
Determined to have some notice taken
of the matter the minister indicted
note to Father De Siere of st. Patrick's
church. These letters had the desired
effect. Detective Murphy, a S soon as
his attention was called to the matter.
knew who the girl was and at once
went down on the row and found her
in one of the little dens in the Little
Terrace in Mercury street.
Detective Murphy took the girl to
headquarters. where she told this story:
"She said that 10 months ago Jean
Gerald Schoolmeister came to Belgium
on visit. He knew her people and Wis
tied them. He told elaborate stories
of America and said if she would come
to this country with him he would get
her a position in a hotel, where she
could earn $40 a month and her living.
This looked like a small fortune to the
humble Belgian peasants and they
consented to let the girl come. She
sailed for New York with Schoolmeis
ter, but the first night out she discov-
cred she had been duped.
Schoolmeister purchased tickets for
himself and the girl as man and wife.
She learned that night that he expect
ed to share her stateroom. She was
unutterab bly, shocked and, of course, re-
belled, but the scoundrel brought
sailor he had bribed to the stateroom
and introduced him as the captain of
the ship. In her Ignorance she did
not know the difference. The assumed
captain threatened to throw her over
board if she made fuss. Her ruin
was sealed.
Arrived at New York, Schoolmeister
threatened to kill her if she attempted
to expose him. She was terribly afraid
of him and submitted to all his ar
engagements. He took her in a hack
direct to a train and they never stop
ped till they reached Butte. On arriv-
ing here the brute took her direct to
den on the row and repeated his
threat to kill her if she appealed to
the authorities or if she refused to
engage in the business he had in store
for her She was too terrified to think
of opposing him. The first night she
only earned $40 and because of her
failure to make more Schoolmeister
gave her a terrible beating. There
after she followed his directions meekly
still some months ago, she spanked up
courage to write to her people not
withstanding the mans threat to kill
her if she did so. Her people took her
case before the authorities of the Bel
gian government and through the for
eign office it was brought to the atten-
ton of the minister to the United
States.
AS such things generally go, much
time was consumed before the matter
finally received the official attention of
the minister at Washington, and now
nearly another month and half have
elapsed since his first inquiry was
made. In the meantime, it is learned,
Schoolmeister has imported another
girl from the old country Upon her
arrival he deserted the first girl, and
taking the new one, went west some
q weeks ago. The couple are now sup
posed to be in Spokane OR Seattle
4 When asked why she did not appeal to
the authorities when Schoolmeister
left, the girl said that soon after she
came here Schoolmester brought in a
man one night whom he presented as
a high official and who told her the
OFFICIALS stood in with Schoolmeister
and his friends and any effort on her
part to expose her situation and get
saway would result in her being worse
treated than she was by Schoolmeister.
H Being unfamiliar with American Gus
toms and accepting the pretended of
ficiars statement as true, she had no
treason to expect any assistance from
1.-THE authorities, and as she knew no
one else to turn to for help, she de-
cided to remain where she was till the
efforts of her people materialized.
The girl is comely, and though only
is years old, she looks much older, as
1.-THE ravages of the life she has been
forced to lead are written indelibly in
her face. During her stay here she
has learned to speak fairly good En-
glish, and she told her story in a SIM
Z pie, earnest way, which made a mark
ed impression on her hearers that She
was telling the truth without eXag-
geration. Her delight at the knowl
edge some one had at last come to
her rescue was Enthusiastically sincere
and she expressed the hope that she
would soon be on her way home to her
native land. Police Magistrate Sullivan
listened to the story. At its conclu-
sion he went to the headquarters of the
Associated Charities and procured an
order for the girls admission to the
association home. In the meantime
Detective Murphy went with the girl