Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1905-08-05
Family Drama With One
Scene Laid in Phoenix
Bangor Girls Make Two Trips Across
the Continent as the Result of
Trouble Between Parents.

ment was true but the duration of her
visit was much shorter than had been
expected, for she has gone, and she
did not go alone. And neither did she
come alone. She had on hand an en-
terprise that very much concerned her
family affairs namely the securing of
little sister from the custody of their
father who had obtained her in a very
irregular manner, according to the
stories of both girls. and the same ir-
regularity was employed in taking her
away from him. 1t was the easiest,
the safest and perhaps the best way
Miss Rose was accompanied by a gen
tleman who was prepared to resort to
other methods involving the processes
of the law, if necessary, but it wasn't.
And now the t-io are on the way to
their eastern homes the little girl who
was the subject of all the shrewd man.
ipulatiOn on both sides, sweet and in
nocent and happy, in the thought that
she is going to rejOin her mother.
The father, Joseph Piper, formerly a
citizen of Bangor, a business man of
good reputation and of considerable
means, has been unfortunate from one
cause or another and is now engaged
n part of the time, in the somewhat
lucrative but less pretentiOus business
of vending tamales on the Phoenix
streets. Whatever his motives were
for the parts he has played in the fol-
lowing story there is no effort to in
terpret them now for the interest in
the story lies in the experiences of his
sixteen year old daughter who for
sometime has made her home with Mr..
and Mrs. Mealey of this city. And
while her adventures are not unparal-
Ieled they have been to say the least,
very unusual. The Arizona end of the
story is now most likely a closed in
cident and as it has at last come to
light runs in the following manner:
About three months ago Mr.. Piper
appeared at the photograph studio of
NJ. w. Mealey with a little girl more
than usually prepossessing with beau
tiful brown eyes, black hair and of
modest and refined manner. he was
small of her age and evidently mex
perienced in the ways of the world. The
father introduced her as his daughter
Lulu and asked if the photographer
could give her work. He was told
there was nothing she could do unless
she desired to enter as an apprentice
and learn the business. A few days
later the child returned alone. The ar
tist questioned her closely and asked
her where she was living. on being
informed he was very much surprised
for he did not consider the locality
proper one for a person of her years
and condition. Then he went to see
Mr.. Piper and got his permission for
Lulu to live at his home until better
arrangements could be made.
Hardly had the girl taken UP her
residence at the Mealey home when it
l.
ed and very much afraid of her father.
Being urged to tell more about herself
she confided to them the fact that she
had just arrived in town the morning
of the day on which she first appear
ed at the gallery She said she had
been taken partly by persuasion and
partly by force. from a happy home
with mother and sisters in Bangor.
Maine. on the second day of March,
this year. by her "auntie." a sister of
her father. She was hurried on board
boat and taken to the home of her
aunt in Dorchester, Mass, where she
was kept for some weeks under a sur
veillance almost equal to prison life,
forced to use an assumed name and
warned not to attempt to cOmmuni-
cate with any of her family or former
friends under pain of some terrible
punishment. In the course Of a few
weeks a ticket was provided for her
and her aunt placed her on a train for
Phoenix, repeating her injunction Of
| the necessity of silence and threats OF
punishment if it was broken, and tell
| ing her that her father would meet
her in Phoenix and provide a good
home for her He did meet her but the
| hon-e he took her to- was a cheap lOdg-
| ing house, the resort of some good peO-
pie end some who are not so goO%.
Her meals were provided in the cheap
est of restaurants repulsive to one who
had hitherto lived only in cultured
surroundings. The danger of COM
municating with her mother was fur
/ ther impressed upon her and, she says,
with threatening emphasis
Though her story seemed strange
and unbelievable the Mealeys at once
! induced the girl to communicate with
her eastern relatives, promising to
protect her against her father in the
event he made her trouble. She did
/ So further correspondence ensued in
which her story seemed to be
verified, and a few days ago her
oldest sister, Miss Rose Piper, arrived
! here for the purpose of taking Lulu
home. She came quietly, avoiding
publlclty Tor She uesIeu " SeI POo
| session of the child without her father s
| knowledge for reasons that appear la
| ter in the story as told by Miss Rose,
and which briefly is as follows:
The family home is in Bangor, and
has been for many years. When Rose
was A little girl, her father, Joseph Pi-
per. was a well known and highly re-
sDected business man. About twelve
1 ,,ears ago she saws he met with re-
! verses that threw him into the bank
r11ptcv court and the conditions were
/ such that he thought it~best to go
| away and did so. He secured di-
| vorce from his wife without her knowl-
edge and in a maner the daughter Sc
Continued on page 8.