Evening journal., 1905-08-17
HERALDED:
DEATH PREFERRED
Pretty May Messick of Lau-
rel Steps in Front of Ex-
press Train
LUTHER (, HEARNE UNDER ARREST

Agent Frank Stout Of the S. P. c..
c. returned from Laurel today bring
ing with him May Messick, az. four
teen and one-half years and also a
story Of the young girl which is un-
usually pathetic.
Mr.. Stout said today that he had
received a message at midnight Tues
day night that he was wanted in Lau-
rel, Delaware as soon as possible to
investigate a case there. Yesterday
morning he boarded the first train az.
proceeded down the State as request
ed. Upon his arrival Mr.. Stout learn
ed that the case in question was that
lof pretty fourteen and one-half year.
lold May Messick. who had been be-
trayed by young man and who pre-
ferred death TO having her shame
heralded TO her townspeople.
According TO the statement made
by the girl she had been intimate with
Luther +. Hearne. a young man aged
7years and who after she had re-
jected his approaches several days ago
threatened to expose her to his friends.
The threat the girl said Hearne had
carried out and had branded her as a
lewd character.
ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.
This, Miss Messick said, drove her
nearly TO distraction and she deter
mined TO take her life rather than face
the sneers Of the public. On Tuesday
the girl had been found wandering
along the rievr front in a pitiable con-
dition and was taken to the home OF
a friend. In a short time she became
calm and later. on Tuesday evening
she again became detected and leaving
the house went to a druggist and
purchased five cents worth Of laud-
.anum with the intention Of killing
herself.
Hearing OF her purchase Miss EN-
ma l.. Doyle, of Laurel went TO the
girl and induced her to give up the
drug and exacted promise from her
that she would make no attempt at
suicide.
Still later on the same evening Miss
Messick slipped from the house and
went to the railroad station about the
time that the express train from this
city was cue. AS the express came
lthundering down the line I'm the dis.
tance May stepped between the tracks
and deliberately in the trains path.
Several persons who were STANDING
about the station saw the girls rasl
act and called to her 70 beware. Afte
lhesitating an instant she sprang from
the tracks and running past Culber
Hearne and Handy Waller young mel
who were at the depot at the time
lagain took her stand between the rails
DRAGGED FROM THE TRACKS
state Detective James Hawkins anS
Magistrate o. w. Clapham of Laurel
were at the depot at the time Of the
loccurance and hurriyng to the cir
dragged her from the tracks just II
time for her to escape death. Sh'
was taken to the Office of Magistrate
iClapham and was later cared for owe
might by Mr.. and Mrs. Plus Wolf. To
day she was brought to Wilmington
and placed in the Delaware Industria
School For Girls. She stated to Agen
Stout and Detective Hawkins thai
until some time ago she had beer
living with her father George Mes.
sick, about four and one-half milel
from Laurel When her mother diel
her father had REMARKED twice ant
her stepmothers had been so un.
kind to her that she was unable t
live at home and had as consequence
left and had lived out as a servant
HEARNE HELD FOR COURT.
Acting on the girls story Agen
Stout swore out warrant fol
lHearne's arrest and had him brough
before Magistrate Clapham for :
hearing. Mr.. Stout states that thu
young man did not deny the girls
lstory and Hearne was held under $500
bail for his appearance at the Septem
ber term of the Sussex county court
which convene at Georgetown. Th'
lcharge is that of using a female chilC
for immoral purposes The pen
alty upon conviction is from one L
seven years Imprisonment.
Hearne was released on bail thi
Afternoon. Joshua Marvel, grandson
of the late Governor Marvel, becoming
his hondcDnan