The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-13
sixteen-Year-Old Stella Rivers Was
Habitue of the Dive Kept by
Adam Mctzler.
GIRL NOT ENTIRELY TO BLAME
SAYS SHE WENT TO THE PLACE AT
PROPRIETOR's SOLICITATION.
Police Have Information that Other
Young Girls Have Frequented the
Den-Judge's Sentence.

A pitiful story of depravity was un-
earthed again yesterday in the Juvenile
Court when sixteen-year-old Stella Rivers
arraigned on the charge of being an
incorrigible. She was taken from the Adam
Metzler saloon, corner Missouri and Pearl
streets. The girl, on the finding of guilty,
was sentenced to the Reformatory until
she has reached a legal age.
With the case of Stella Rivers there are
three other cases that the officers of the
court are now interested. The officers now
feel that Stella Rivers was not entirely to
blame, but that she was victim of cir
cumstances. produced largely by her home
conditions.
The girl was arrested Sunday and charged
with being an incorrigible. Her case in
Juvenile Court was postponed to allow the
probation officers to find witnesses. Yester-
day morning when the case was called 1t
was learned that the girl had been habitue
of Metzler's place for the past six months.
The girl, on the stand, admitted she had
been at Metzler's place and had gone there
at the proprietor's solicitation.
GIRL IN SHORT DRESSES.
Stella Rivers, at her appearance in court
did not give out the impression that she
was a degenerate. as some of the recent
wineroom victims had shown. Her cheeks
were rosy, her face full her dark brown
hair hung down her back giving her the
appearance OF one several years younger
She stood before the Judge in her short
dresses and told straightforward story
of her downfall Her first accusation con-
cerned a young man of nineteen years,
was present i'm court for a short time, but
soon left Remaining another young
man of rural appearance, who told Judge
Stubbs that he really loved the girl and
would be willing to marry her. He said
he had met her at Metzlers place two
months ago and had become infatuated
with her. The girl had taken kindly to his
attentions, but the influence of the first
young man had gained on the girl too
strongly and she said she was unable to
resist him.
In telling her story yesterday she brought
out the real story of her arrest. She said
she accompanied her first acquaintance to
Metzler's place Sunday night and each
drank beer. She refused his advances and
he left her. The next she knew two po-
licemen walked in the room where she was
sitting and placed her under arrest 1t
developed that her escort had told the po-
lice that the girl in Metzler's place was
his sister and she would not leave the place
The young man then went TO the girls
home and told her parents he was sorry
that the girl was under arrest When the
Judge sentenced the girl to the Reformatory
she turned pale and almost swooned. The
Young man who had stood close by her be-
came nervous and seemed unable to con-
troll himself. The mother of the girl was
present in court and wept bitterly
III was learned during the trial that three
other girls had frequented Metzler's place
and were also under age. One of these
girls was on the stand. The officers of
the court did not modest her at the time
but will probably cause her arrest within
a few days. The girl Is said to be fifteen
years old
Superintendent Taffe said last night that
a warrant for the arrest of Metzler had
not been issued, but that the policemen
had been notified TO watch his place and il
the facts alleged were found true to take
him into CUSTODY.
Judge Whailon. of the city Police Court
Yesterday said that if Metzler or any other
saloonkeeper was arrested on wineroom
charge and the charge found to be true
he would give them all sentences similar
TO the one received by Griswold Tuesday
.'.rhe limit of the law will be given to all
persons guilty OF permitting girls and wo-