Los Angeles herald., 1905-10-14
GIRL SOLD into
SLAVERY, SHE Says
MERE CHILD TELLS TERRIBLE
STORY IN COURT
Jermana Rodriguez Accuses Woman OF
Taking Her From Mexico and
Disposing of Her to Miner
for sos

"She told me that she would take me
out into the big world where every
thing was pretty and everybody would
like me-" said little Jermana Rodrl-
guez, a young Mexican girl, on the Wit
ness stand in Justice Pierce's court yes
terday, as she gave her evidence in
criminal charge brought against MRS.
Juana Guerrero of Chatsworth Park.
The child is Is years of age and num-
dreds of miles away from her home ana
parents, and her hands. scarcely larger
than those of a baby, clutched nervous
ly at a small white silk handkerchief
while her mouth twitched pitifully and
tears appeared in her soft dark eyes.
The charge against Mrs. Guerrero
was that she had taken the child from
a woman named Sista Hernandez ana
then had sold the little girl to quarry
man named Pedro rodriguez lol lii
moral purposes.
Fearing she would be beaten If she
told, the girl lived with Rodriguez Tor
more than a month before she was
taken away by a kind Spanish famlly.
She later filed complaint against the
Guerrero woman, who was examined
No One to Aid Her
There was no one to help or sympa-
thjze with the little girl and she sat be
side Judge Allen, who represented the
district attorneys office. and watched
the witnesses as they were called to the
stand.
In the juvenile court room, across the
street, thirty or forty women, very well
dressed and representing various chart
table societies of Los Angeles, sat and
Wondered over whether this little black
or that little white boy had his face
properly washed or his hair properly
brushed, but none came near the dis
tressed little waif in the Justices court
haar for the care OF
Judge Allen in securing a temporary
place for the child to stay she would
have been thrown on the charity OF the
city yesterday.
Jermana was called to the stand as
one of the first witnesses yesterday ana
gave the following testimony:
81 was playing in the plaza of chi
huahua a little more than year ago
when 1 met the Hernandez woman. MY
father had a fruit store several docks
away and with my little brother l had
slipped away and we were playing on
the benches of the plaza when Sonora
Sista came up. She looked at me and
then at man who was with her and
she said: She is very pretty and We
will take her. She then asked me If
would like to take fine trip out in the
country and I told her 1 would If she
would let me take my little protner
home. She said that 1 must go with
her at once, so with my little brother
I left Chihuahau and came to Chats
worth Park.
II was then given to Sonora Guerrero
and | helped with the housework. one
day Mrs. Guerrero, her husband ana
Pedro Rodriguez, the quarryman, were
all very drunk. They were drunk for
three days and all that time L stayed
in nv room. On the evening OF the
third day Mrs. Guerrero met me in the
corral behind the house and she had a
long knife in her hand You must go
with Pedro, she said, and 1 was scared
and cried. She went into the house still
threatening me and 1 felt awfully
lonely. 1t was out in the country and
l had no money and no friends.
'And while was sitting there Pedro
came out and he said for me not TO
cry and he took me to the mouse.
At this juncture the little girl was so
overcome with her grief that it was
several minutes before she could finish
her story.
Sold for $65
1.-THE next morning Mrs. Guerrero tolo
me that she had received 500 from
Pedro for my sale while she was drunk
and that 1 would have to go with him.
and went, but later escaped with some
of my friends"
Rodriguez then took the stand. He
is a sduatty, thck-set man with a
broken nose and long jaw. He had a
little yellow mustache and he cheWed
one end of it while he talked of his
connection with the little girl. He ad-
mitted having taken her to live with
him and told that he had protected her
with his fists when one of his country
men tried to make advances to her. lie
said his code of morals did not clash
with any of his actions, and the court
sent him away.
The evidence was deemed insufficient
and the woman was released, but under
the care of the district attorney there is
a soft eyed little Mexican girl, far away
from her home and absolutely without
any friends.
1t is hoped by parties interested in the
case that some Los Angeles woman
will take the little girl as a house
maid and provide home for her.