The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-29
MOTOR NAN PATTERSON
Chicago Women Refuse to Sign Peti-
ton for Her Release.

Chicago, Dec. 29-But one woman,
either in woman's club or professional
circles of Chicago, yesterday extended
sympathy for Nan Patterson, whose
trial in New York on the charge of
the murder of Caesar Young has at
tracted wide attention, and took her
side when told of the plan of Mrs. G..
T. Stone of Cleveland for an immense
petition asking Judge Davis to quash
the indictment against the girl.
A dozen leading club women and
attorneys repealed the idea, on the
ground that either they had not read
of it, and consequently were unac-
Quainted with the facts, or were not
in favor of interfering with the course
of the law.
Attorney Ellen Gertrude Roberts
will gladly sign such a petition as Mrs.
Stone, who is the woman responsible
for the voluminous petition sent to
England in behalf of Mrs. Maybrick
several years ago, suggests, and her
grounds for so doing she explained at
length yesterday afternoon.
THE circumstances are such that
this young woman is being unjustly
treated, to take the most charitable
view toward the prosecutors" she
said. ct am not in favor of Nan Pat
terson being punished. I have several
reasons for my feelings, and among
them are the remarkable beauty of
the girl and her profession as an ac-
tress.
"She was a girl taken from school
and put on the stage, and in her youth
was probably attracted by such a man
as Young, who lavished money and
favorS upon her to such an extent that
her head was turned. Young had
wife. She was a dutiful, good woman
and loved her husband. 1t does not
seem possible that this young girl
alienated his affections and deliberately
cfo iY1f0 I11a
occupied. It would be ridiculous to
think that she led Young away from
his wife. AS a matter of fact, he pick
ed her out and with his lavishness won
her heart. In the end she probably
loved him.
"It is the same old story of why
women SIM Whether Nan Patterson
shot Young I do not know. Nobody
knows. None will ever know. He
might have been afraid her affection
was cooling and shot himself. At any
rate, the girl is more sinned against
than SHINING.
1.-The girl is not an adventures; she
is not a bad girl. She was simply an
unfortunate victim of a weak, foolish
man. I believe that in the second trial
she will be cleared unanimously, but I
will willingly sign any petition for her
release and think it a good thing to
start discussion of the subject
Attorney Catherine Waugh McCul-
loch, while she is not in favor of the
petition and mas no SynpaIn1eS Tor the
girl in this particular case, is opposed
to the conviction of the girl as a gen.
eral proposition.
"I do not believe the government has
any right to try, hang or tax women
in states where women have not equal
rights as citizens" she said. UNLESS
women are given rights of citizenship
and are a part of the government with
all privileges I can not believe it con-
sistent that a government in which she
is given no part may attempt to correct
her under laws made for the correction
of persons participating in the govern
ment. In this case I have no SYM
pathies to offer; it is only question
of right and wrong, and do not feel
that I would sign any petition of the
kind Mrs. Stone has planned
Miss Lucy Page CASTOR of the Anti
cigarette league had read some of the
trial proceedings, but she believed that
there. was a. more valuable field for eff
fort in the stamping out of human
vices than attempting to interfere with
the ends of justice, even though a wo-
man was concerned.
ASK me something easy" she said.
'T could not say at the instant wheth-
er or not I favored such a petition. 1t
would not seem to me that women
would be justified in the attempted in
reference with the courts and the laws.
and the courts would probably pay no