The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-16
ONE MORE CHANCE
This Woman Begged It of Judge
Pollock and Won.
Hrs. DOttie brewer Given Chance
She Asked.
HAD SERVED A YEAR.
Was Rearrested as She " as Leav-
ing Prison.
Formerly a Church Worker,
Again Is Converted.
lad SERVED A YEAR.

ReaTrested in the very shadows of
the penitentiary doors as she walked
out Of them; reindicted before the fed
eraI grand jury on her own confession
Tor the same offense for which she had
Just served one year, Dottie brewer.
once a noted Kansas religious worker.
with home, husband and children at
Fredonia, Kan, Well thought of and
highly respected-now poor broken
down, sick, friendless, homeless, .penni-
less, with the shadow of sin across her
ll1e' penitent and miserable, stood be-
fore Judge Pollock of the United States
court at Fort Scott on Wednesday
awaiting sentence.
Clemency is a delicate power for
magistrate to exercise, but in this in
stance the court suspended Judgment,
and gave the woman the another
chance" for which she begged. Tech
nically her case was continued to the
May term and the prisoner allowed to
go on her own theoretical
~, If her behavior warrants it, the case
will be dropped and the charge against
her dismissed.
For several years Mrs. brewer made
her home at FTedonia where she mar
ried and had three children. She work
ed hard in church circles and took great
Interest III religious aIIalTSs her nus
band died, and in the rude language
of the street, it is said that the woman
went Ito the bad" She was at work
in a Coffeyville restaurant when she
offended against the government. A
letter containing a money order for $40
came to the place for one Of the room
ers. She took the money order, went to
work at another place, adopted the
name of the person to whom 1t was
sent and in that way got it cashed at
Z - or
last spring. The federal officials were
notified by the rightful owner of the
money order and finally arrested Dot
tie brewer. She was indicted and plead
guilty and was sentenced to one year
in the federal penitentiary-
Just before being taken to prison
she confessed to Deputy Marshal
Frank FIenniken, of Topeka, that she
had intercepted another sletter with
the aid of a man by the name OF
Alexander at Chanute containing a
draft for SAYS and five $40. notes. She
went to her old home at Fredonia and
there cashed the draft at one of the
banks The draft had already been
endorsed and the bank officials did
not hesitate in paying her the money.
The notes were destroyed
Already having been indicted,
arrested and convicted of one offense,
the second and more serious one could
naturally not be taken up at the time.
She was taken to the federal prison
to serve the year for which she had
been sentenced and her term expired
last September. As she stepped out
of the prison doors she was at once re-
arrested and taken into custody by the
federal officials.
Her case was taken up by the fed
eral grand jury at Fort Scott on Mon
day and she was brought before the
Jury. There she confessed the whole
story of how she fraudulently OBJ
tanned the S475. She frankly admitted
She said that she had reformed; had
given up her evil ways, and was once
again Christian woman. She told
the Jury that she had been saved a
second time Her every action, too,
indicated sincerity She hummed old
gospel songs while waiting about the
/ court and was in every way well be-
haved. Despite her apparent phys
/ fcal breakdown, her lonesOmeness and
/ destitution. she seemed cheerful and
bright One of the postoffice inspect
/ ors who worked on the case, as he
saw her exclaimed: why, that wo-
man converted me to Christianity ten
years ago, and I have lived a Chris
4 tan life ever since
The grand jury returned plain I'M
] vanished indictment against her, how
ever, to the effect that she had wrong
/ fully obtained United States mail and
/ obtained money therefrom
| She was taken before Judge Pollock
! on Wednesday and the whole story re-
/ lated to him. The prisoner told him
4 that she had reformed, that she was a
good Christian life And the court
/ gave her the chance she begged for
! "Observe good conduct and be "A good
z1.ss.