The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-25
COULDN'T HIDE SHAME.
Girl Gives Birth to Child in an En-
pIoyment Office.

A young unmarried girl, whose name
is being concealed and who lives in
North Topeka, sick and faint, knocked
at the door of the American Employ
ment agency on the third floor of the
Jewell building at the northeast corner
of Sixth and Kansas avenue, Thursday
evening about o'clock and asked If
she could be sheltered for the night. A
Q. Harris, who runs the agency had
never seen the girl before, according to
his own story, but he admitted her and
provided blankets with which she made
a bed on the floor. About 3 o'clock in
DR.. H. B. HogebOOm was called. He
stated that the birth was premature
Both mother and baby were removed to
the Crittenden home south of the city,
where the child died Friday afternoon.
The woman will recover. 1t is the prac-
tice of the home to shelter such in
mates from publicity and the name was
not given out. Mr.. Harris says that
she disclosed her identity to him, but
that he had forgotten it.
incidentally, Mr.. Harris absolutely re-
fused to talk about the matter. 4
never saw the girl before. She told me
her name, but it has slipped my mem
ory. But I won't talk about it, for I
know nothing. He got up and started
to walk out of the Office. Did it hap
pen in here ?" was asked. Wont say
a thing" Ibid the child die?" Wont
answer" Mr.. Harris absolutely refus-
ed to talk about the affair. He finally
walked out of the office and left the
reporter sitting there alone.
From other sources, however, the
story was obtained. 1t was learned that
Mr.. Harris slept in his office that night.
He is married and lives with his wife
on Lime street. He himself it is said,
did not let the girl into the Office when
she came at s o'clock. A young man
who always sleeps at the Office did
that. Mr.. Harris was uptown late on
business on Thursday night, and decid-
n SlaRn.
Mr.. Harris felt sorry for the girl, ac-
cOrding to the story which was told by
others, and for that reason the girl was
permitted to remain She was sick and
penniless and absolutely unable to go
any further. The reason he did not
talk, according to others, was because
such occurrence as this one always
couples to itself unpleasant nOtOriety.
Those who share offices in the same
building with Mr.. Harris, speak high
ly of him.
The girl lives in North Topeka. Be
yond that no information could be OBJ
tanned. She has been at work in a
restaurant over there it is said. Her
appearance was very neat and clean,
and she is quite pretty, and not more
than 20 years of age.
Coroner Hogeboom stated that he
would not hold an inquest over the dead
child. NO he replied when asked
1T is one of those cases where I felt
sorry for the woman. She wished to
have the matter hushed, stating to me
that her parents are respectable. She
did not go home according to her story,
because she did not wish to throw any
stigma upon her people. To all appear
ances she seemed a very nice young
woman and I felt sorry for her. She
was removed to Crittenden home and
the baby died yesterday afternoon. She
will be cared for out there"
Dr.. HogeboOm did not disclose any
matters pertaining to the affair until
he was apprised that the story had al
ready been given out from other
sources. Even then he said very lit
tie