The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-15
VAS NOT TO BLAME
Was Too Shy and Ignorant TO
Hold q Job
But She Had to Work Out ana
Met Evil Influences.

What a sob, thrill and smile" bou-
deir novel might not Bertha M Gay
have made and entitled 1.-The Blame
MispIaced,'' had her sympathetic
hand touched the story OF the beaHtl-
f1I little Bohemian girl, SOPHIA
Pieutka. who was yesterday taken 10
BeIoir by the police matron. SOPHIA
Pientka is the I4-year-old girl VINO
was brJ1taIIy held in the shadows or
the Third Christian church from carry
ufRhtfaU until 2 o'clock in the morn
ing BY three toughs the night OF May
5th. and released then only when po-
lice officers were seen driving toward
the place OF torture.
The rescue came only as result
of a. heart rending scream, which the
girl made when the grip al her IAroae
was released in the supposIuon lnaL
she was too exhausted to uIer
sound, attracting the aIIenton o.
neigh Dor, who Immediately relepnon-
ed the police. At the approach OF IhS
officers. the toUghs had ned, leaVlns
the girl sitting on the church steps
and leaning for support against Lhe
church door. The girl was taken Lor
care 20 the police matrons warn, o1l
the villains were neer apprehendeo'
nor systematically searched Tor De
cause all blame was placed upon the
girl The reason for this was that Sne
was supposed to have peeh dD4s 70
create a sufficient disturbance At Cne
early hour she was led along by the
man as she described TO the matron-
to have attracted aid, and also Tor me
reason that a person in passing the
church said he had heard her plead
ing: Don't. John don't, don {, Wnen
she might have screamed lnsIe4U U
waiting until > O'Clock
though rHH blame should
be shifted as IL was. II must De sh41l-
ed again The parents OF the glrl ana
two small brothers came 10 IopekA
several years ago direct rom the
fatherIand. bringing all the thrlrE OF
the Bohemian peasant and the AN
ge of that province without the
least knowledge of either English or
German. which would have helped
them here Like others they were
bent uuou quick prosperity In this new
land but 50 seriously handicapped
without a word in common with sur
rounding people they we're early dis
at1sred and resolved TO save money as
fast as possible and return 10 rne
land they left and buy their fathers
farms Pjeutka works about the
SAINT. Fe Yards and saves religiously
every cent he can. The children were
started to school. but even before So
phia had learned enough English to
understand when addressed the Iru-
school and get to work TO help get
back to the old country. The girl Sc
cured 4 position as hOuSeu1a1d but did
not know how TO work knew norn-.
ing of the American methods was
afraid to eat realizing her short
comings in manners very keenly, and
was 80 shy that she could not hold
the place. She demonstrated with her
parents to go TO school. but they got
her another place TO work Her sue
cess was no better than formerly
Thus it went until she was employed
at the house Of a Iaborer whose wife
kept the girl merely 10 accompany
her to forestaII suspicion when she
went out for immoral purposes at
night. leaving the girl at a nearby
place 20 take home again with her
When the parents learned of this in
huence upon their daughter they took
her home, but soon sent her out again
demanding that she make some mon
ey to help their home going fund.
The end was that the girl was
found On the church steps after telling
her people that she was going back TO
her employers for the night when she
had told her employer that she would
spend the night at home. That the
young girl was so pitifully susceptible
Is accredited largely BY the authorities
to the fact that the grill knew but d
few words of the language and was
ignorant of any ideals or worthier life.
After telling her story IN the police
station. Sophia wanted to see her
mother. but the parents both refused
TO ever see her again even when it was
decided to give her a guiding hand at
BeIoit At the last they allowed one
of the little boys to come to her and
to say goodbye. and he told the matrou
that they wanted her kept three years.
That IS a date when they expect to be
IN Austria on their old worn out farms
so they have prac ticaIly cast the poor
girl out from all home connection
after being almost directly responsible
for her downfall. Furthermore, the
close dsted parents have gone so far as
10 sell all the clothes she left at home.
She had a little white dress and slfp-
pers which she cried for when she
learned she would be taken away.
wanting to appear respectable Even
these had been sold when she herself
had bought them At the news. the
girl simply hung her head sobbing,
and said nothing.
The trip to Beroit was heartily en-
toyed by the girl getting her first
view Of a little broader life and at
sight Of the beautiful home at BaIoit.
she began trembling at its proportions
and sErank to her escort in sinapIe
its trials and excusa BILE failures NAV
be OWNED from her hesitating gtep
and beseeching look as she said to her
escort, Il can never eat in place like
that"
It is believed that Sophia Pfentka
in the course of a few years training
will acquire ideals and a broader viazT
which VIII mark an advance in the