The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1909-03-26
POLICE ARE
AMAZED
abandonment of Young
Girls 60 Life of Shame
Is Appalling.

Matilda Schroeder is the latest VIC
E&t1n of the shocking moral conditions
sxsaioh exist In this region. At the age
71f IA she is under arrest at the Ham
lErond police station on the charge of
SEeqaenting wine room in e. D.
(Erick) Bailey's saloon, 4s9 Chicago
Euvenue. East Chicago.
While that is the specific charge, the
confessions she has made to the police
indicate that since last November when
she first strayed from the paths of
virdue. in the company of a certain
Hammond young man. she has had
wider experience in vice than many
girls twice her age.
Today before Judge w w. Mcmahon
IN the city court, thin. sad faced wo-
man raised her hand at the command
Of the judge and swore that her daugh-
ter, the child that she had brought into
the world, was incorrigibIe and to the
best of her knowledge frequented wine
rooms in company with dissolute per
sons.
One Chance to Save Girl.
1t was hard task for the poor wo-
man. who lives on Doty street. but she
realized that only the reform school
viii save her daughter from the COM
plete ruin to which she was doomed if
she remains in Hammond among the
vicious associates she found here
In telling the sad story, which lead
70 the necessity for such drastic ac-
tion the mother said: My daughter
was a good girl until sne came to Ham
mond from St John, where she had
been staying with relatives. Here she
fell in with such girls as Annie Smith
whom have been sent to the reform
school, and they took her to wine rooms
where she met men and started on the
way to her ruin"
Matilda Schroeder is different kind
of bad girl from Annie Smith. An
ME Smith was wild and abandoned. She
was bad and she did not care who knew
ct. She haunted her wickedness in the
faces of the police officers and 9th
ers at the time of her arrest and seem
ed to take a particular delight in see
ing how utterly abandoned she could
be, She told of brushes with the cops"
and the stories OF her career Of IL
cense and immortality she told were
shocking. She was proud of them.
Ru4ned by Associates.
Matilda Schroeder is a bad girl, but
she is ashamed of It She admits that
she was lead away from the paths of
virtue by the Smith girl to whom she
was attracted bece use of her positive
ness of character. Annie Smith was
the leader of the whole tribe Of IA
year-olds, whose escap apades in wine
rooms. dance halls where liquor is
sold and In skating rinks have been
the talk of those who are a part of a
certain strata of society in Hammond
From what can be gathered from the
experiences of these girls, so many OF
whom have gone wrong in Hammond
the skating rink is their legitimate
form Of amusement. the next step is
the low dance halls and the last step
ping stone TO ruin is the wine room.
Matilda Schroeder is now willing tc
testify against several young men II
Hammond, who can be frequently seer
on the street corners and in the loose
" conducted pool rooms in the city
and II a case can be made out agains
one of them in particular, who ha'
given the police a great deal of trou
Bile. he will be sent to the penitentiars
on the statutory charge.
Others Yet URcaughf.
There are other girls who are jus
as bad as I am" said Matilda schroe
DER TO the ponce THIS AlUIuiHEt 11tNAA
Murlock, Minnie Dodge and Tillie Crap
are part of the old crowd which ex
listed before Annie Smith was sen
away"
They frequent wine rooms" sh
continued and their actions over a
the skating rink in West Hammon'
are nothing short Of scandalous. Their
is a saloon in connection with thi
skating rink and the boys and girl
can get ali they want to drink"
When asked what were the circum
stances of her arrest. she said, L tool
the street car and went over to Brick
BaiIey's to see the bartender. stage
there II o'clock and was in his roor
putting on my hat IN preparation 70
leaving when the police arrested me.
The bartender at Bailey's denies tha
the girl came over to see him. H
says that she came IN the place wit
a stranger and spent the evening ther
drinking with him.
Bailey. himself. was Intervene