The San Francisco call., 1908-03-02
LIE DRIVES
GIRL TO TRY
TO End LIFE
Tiny Circus TnmbIer, Ward of
Salvation Army, Seeks
Peace of Death
Orphan Rescued After Earth
quake Tells FalsehOOd and
Is Conscience Stricken
Dixie Blair Writes Pathetic
History of Life and Then
Turns on Gas

ThrOush the discovery of the at
tempted suicide of little Dixie Blair, a
Salvation Army ward, yesterday there
came to light new story of Peter Pan,
with a girl instead OF a boy In the part
the pftisuI tale of a girl scarcely more
than a child afraid to grow up and
using all the arts of the sawdust ring
and the stage to keep up the deluslon
that possessed her benefactOrs.
For 1t befen 10 year old Dixie Blair,
child actress, circus tzmbler, to expert
ence for the first time in her short life
the tenderness of a mothers care and
to store up in her Trusting heart for
all time the love that had been be-
slowed upon her then by woman she
had never seen before. That was just
after the earthquake, when the future
seemed to hold no promise for her.
Yesterday. with the memory of that
day still before her. yet moved with
the sensitiveness OF a little child by
the troubles and pangs that had been
hers. she decided to leave the anguish
of the world behind her for the eternal
love that she believed would be hers
in heaven. Leaving behind her the
pathetic history of her past life. the lit
tie giii went into a room in the rear OF
the Salvation Army headquarters at
1912 McAIlister street. turned on the
gas. and consigned herself gently to
the sleep from which she hoped there
would be no awakening
LAST WISH DENIED
Yet even that last wish was 10 be
denied her. Detecting the odor OF gas
Nels Funch. a member OF the army, at
10 o'clock yesterday morning broke
into the room where the girl was
sleeping in the paleness OF death He
lifted her fran body and put it in an
ambulance and at the central emer-
gency hospital the surgeons. after hav-
ing worked three hours, brought back
the breath of life
Dixie was taken to her home at 1909
Ellis street. where she had lived with
Mrs. J. Jorgenson-
Hers was sad story. 1t was the
story of a little girl in whose life
there had come but two things OF re-
deeming brightness-one was her love
for man OF humble origin; the other
was when she met Mrs. r. H Petersen.
Salvation Army woman. at the relief
station at Harbor View. The girl was
tired and bedraggled and the woman
had little enough for herself; but she
put her arms around the wee lassie and
promised to shield her from harm.
From that day there was a change in
the girls life. She told the woman.
who became as a mother to her. that
she was Is years old and passed on as
the black eyed and innocent child she
looked to be.
That one simple act OF deception wor-
ried her so much that yesterday she
decided TO take her life
She became a Salvation Army ward
For year she lived in greater happi-
ness than she ever had known. But
there came a day when her foster
mother moved to Melrose. where she
now lives. Dixie remained in San
Francisco and entered the home of Mrs
Jorgenson.
Two weeks ago she decided on s'1i-
eide Saturday night she went through
the falling rain to the old familiar
spot at Harbor View. Then in the
darkness she returned to the Saliva
tion Army headquarters Inc on OF
the back rooms she stayed all through
the long night, thinking OF the past
Then as morning dawnsd she nerved
herself to the act.
Everybody has ticket; it'H
punched for some port. you know