The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1904-04-28
RESCUE LAMONI GIRLS
Des MOines Police Rescue Two Girls
of Lamont, Who we're Lured into
a DisreputdbIe House.

mad been enticed by promise of remuner-
at:8e and honorable work. Alluring
statements. pretty speeches and a prom
Use of gold in return for slight work"
brought pretty Myrtle Talman and her
no less beautiful sister Anna to Des
| Moines last evening from Lamont, south
ern Iowa, city of Christian homes.
Reared by a mother who is a devout
member of the Latter Day Saints church,
the two girls trusted implicitly John
and Emma Dickerhoff, who are now
under arrest charged with enticing the
innocent maidens into house of ill
fame.
The story Of deception is concisely
told by the older. Miss Talman, who was
taken under the shetering wing of
Chief of Police Jones this morning. The
frightened young woman says:
"Anna and are the daughters of Mrs.
Margarget Tolman of Lamont, Iowa, Our
mother is a member of the Latter Day
Saints church and good woman, and
she has reared us to respect the right.
We are poor and have been compelled to
work out as domestics to earn living.
| worked for some time for prominent
people il Mt. Ayr. My sister has
friend who was married to Mrs. Dicker-
hoff's brother, man named Drisco, who
formerly resided in Des Moines. Mrs.
Drisco told us some time ago that Mr..
Dickerhoff procured employment for
young girls in Des Moines and we wrote
to him to see what he could offer. He
answered Immediately that he had been
taken in by several girls; that he had
spent money for railroad fare and that
the girls would not come. He said he
was in need of a couple of good girls
and that he would come after us at
once. So we prepared to come to Des
Moines.
1--WE were offered good wages. My
sister was to get So per week and her
board and was to receive 81 per day.
when | asked what sort OF work was to
do MIR. Dickerhoff said it would be some
lthing easy and that would have plenty
of opportunity to rest and read and that
might go out often to theatres and for
buggy rides"
1--WE believed implicitly in Mr.. Dicker-
hoff and came with him, arriving in Dcs
Moines last evening at 6:10."
| II didn't like the looks OF things when
we We're ushered into the house at 314
East Court avenue" said the young lady.
''There were two girls sitting in the
front room very gaudily dressed. had
no idea what bad resort looked like,
but feeling came over me that at least
Mr.. and Mrs. Dickerhoff must have some
very loose associates. We were given a
nice supper and told that we need not
go to work until the next day. Every
few minutes men came into the front
room and talked with the girls there.
The men bought cigars, and sister and |
agreed that there was probably nothing
wrong. We thought that the fellows
just dropped in to get smoke.
"Well, after supper there seemed to
be nothing to do. We wanted to help
do up the supper dishes, but Mrs. Dick
erhotf saide that the niger would do
that. About 8 o clock Mrs. Dickerhoff
came in and asked us girls if we didn't
want to go to the theatre. Of course
we did. We began to feel happier. This
going to theatre was the first fulfill
ment of the promise that had been held
out to us to get us to come to Des
Noines. We went to the Mirror and
enjoyed the show SO much that we for
got that we were in a strange town and
surrounded by things that seemed SO
strange. But after the show the girl
who went with us stopped on the side
walk and talked to several men. Three
men followed us down to the house. The
woman who escorted us drew back and
talked to one of the men. The other
two came on behind, following us girls.
| AS we had not been introduced to them
we did not talk to them.
| "Arriving at the house we were ad-
mitted. The men followed, to buy
cigars, as supposed. Mrs. Dickerhof,
to our surprise, asked them into the
parlor and everyone sat around the
comfortable asking about the show.
"One man asked me if there was any
beer for sale in the house. answered
that l was a stranger and had little to
do with the house; that had just come
up from the country to work. The man
laughed at the other two boys and wink
ed his eye in a wicked way.
'"The awful truth did not dawn upon
me until after the girl who had taken us
to the show ran up stairs with one Of
the men. Mrs. Dickerhoff told my sister
that she should go with another man
and the last fellow grabbed me by the
arm and said: Come along my beauty
II went hesitatingly up stairs. At
the top of the stairs met Mrs. Dicker-
hoff."
81 demanded to know. what kind of a
house was in"
| "Mrs. Dickerhoff said not to get fussy;
that was expected to make the eve
ming pleasant for the young man and
that ought to forget being country
girl and understand that now was in
city"
"That was enough for me- said Miss
Tolman this morning. II made up my
mind that sister and must get out of
that house at once. ran down to the
lower floor calling to my sister to come
after me. To my surprise | found that
she had already pinned on her wraps
and was hunting me. We gathered our
wraps together as quickly possible
and left the house,"
Out upon an unknown street at almost
the midnight hour, friendless and alone,
her maiden modesty insulted and her
better feelings aroused to the highest
pitch, Miss Tolman struck bravely for
liberty from the yoke of shame which
would have been fastened upon her.
| Not; knowing that she had fraversed tha