The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1909-09-07


| fits and went to work as bootblacks,
leading the usual gypsy life of those
picturesque little arabs who were at
that time one OF the distinctive fea-
lures OF Chicago streets. They worked
first In the south end Of the business
| districts and later, as they became ac-
| quainted with the other bootblacks,
roved all over the downtown district.
seeking refuge when night fell in the
box cars out along State street, in
Wabash avenue livery barns, in lofts
or wherever they could sneak In un-
noticed.
One evening Pearl saw wagon load
Of watermelons standing near the
the corner Of State and Harrison
streets. Several OF the melons had
been taken from the wagon and were
| piled upon the sidewalk When no one
was looking she stole one Of the
melons and ran down Harrison street
with the heavy load Before she had
gone a block a policeman caught her
and both she and her sister were
taken to the Harrison Street police
station.
After the two girls we're arrested
and sentenced to boys school their
sex was discovered and they were sent
TO the reform school for girls Old
beyond their years by virtue of the
varied experiences they had passed
through. 1t was not to be supposed
that they would tamely submit to the
vigorous discipline of the school for
any great length of time without en-
deavoring to make break for liberty.
Yet TO the surprise OF the officials who
knew their history they remained for
three months apparently contented
aud tractsbIe without evincing any
desire to escape from confinement.
But one fine morning the surprised
and disgusted matron awoke to find
that the birds had flown The two
girls had made rope of the sheets
and nightgown and lowered them
selves from a window.
Pearls sister climbed down first and
without accident Pearl followed, but
being the heavier Of the two she cot
q fall that almost Knocked her sense.
less. Instead OF tying the nightgown
at the lower end OF the rope she had
fastened one sleeve TO the bed. Her
weight ripped on the sleeve and she
fell ten feet to the ground. This acci.
dent did not prevent her, however.
from discarding her dress until she
could climb the high, wire-bound fence
and help her sister over.
When the girls escaped they has
tened away from Chicago as soon as
they could secure two suits OF boys
clothes. They made their way over
the Northern Pacific railroad to Hell.
ens. Mont, and later to Victoria. 3.
G. They remained in Victoria for
three months and then started back
to Chicago. beating their way in the
most approved tramp fashion by easy
stages. the round trip being the most
remarkable ever accomplished by two
girls of their age. Upon reaching Chi
cago. the younger ore. who did not
possess such an iren constitution as
her sister. became ~ as a result OF
the hardships shp had gone through.
and soon grew very homesick. When
she had In some measure regained her
strength Pearl sook her back to their
Canadian home.
BY this time the elder OF the two
sirls had become confirmed tramp In
everything but appearance. The long
journey twice across the country had
but served TO increase herrstrength
and excite her longing for fresh ad-
ventures. Her parents knew she would
not long remain at home unless she
was placed under restraint. They
sent her TO boarding school near
Montreal where special arrangements
We're made to have her carefully
watched.
She was closely guarded too. hut
she found way to elude her euard.
ians. She met a man who lived in the
town where the school was located a
Harry Bordeman. and before she had
been at the school four months She
eioped withshim
AZ that time Pearl Hart was 1g
years old. She and Bordeman came al
rectly to Chicago where. however, she
remained but short time. Following
a quarrel with him one day she dis.
appeared. She went to Trinidad
Col, but later came back to Chicago
and became reconclled to Bordemau
They remained In the Windy CITY
during the Year OF the Worlds Fa,r
after which another quarrel with her
husband caused her to again nav 4
visit west. She returned to Trinidad |
and later went to PHOENIX. Ariz. she |
had not been in Phoenix week when
she met Bordeman at boarding 1
house. reconciliation followed andJ
the two lived together until the be-
Of the Spanish war. when
Bordeman enlisted IN McCord's regi.
ment and left the territory.
When Bordeman left his wife she
again donned male attire and went TO
Mammoth, Ariz., where she hired out
as cook In mining camp on the
banks Of the ella river. It was at this
time that she attained that degrees cf
skill with firearms which afterwards