The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-20
LAW IS NOT FAIR.
County Attorney Schenck Makes
Plea for Girl Prisoners.
Young Ones Go to Penitentiary
and Men to Reformatory.
CASE OF LULA REEVES.
Given a Parole by Judge Dana
After Sentence.
High School Girl of Is Who
Was Led Astray.
CASE OF LULA REEVES.

County Attorney John ]. Schenck
made strong plea for a more lenient
law on behalf of the erring girls and
young women of the state today while
discussing a case which had come UP
in motion for a new trial. The case
is that Of Lula Reeves, a bright II
year-old colored girl of the Topeka high
school, and her lover. John North,
alias Hackney. During the earlier part
Of the present term of court the two
We're convicted of robbing a Mexican
in the bottoms joint of lube Jordan
end setenced to the penitentiary.
Attorneys for the defense, Judge JOS
eph Reed and w. I. Jamison contend
in their motion for new trial that the
evidence is purely circumstantial and
that any one or two or three of the
persons in the joint at the time could
as well be charged with the robbery
but the county attorney showed that
it was the girl who lured the Mexican
into the place and her lover who took
him away to a restaurant with his
pockets inside out.
Although Mr.. Schenck thinks he Sc
cured Justice in his conviction he be-
lieves the law is discriminatory in ia
vor of the men when as a. matter of
better justice it should favor the girls.
This is what he said:
I'VE have a bad law in Kansas. A
girl 16 years old or under can be
sent to the Industrial school at Be
lott, boy 16 or under can be sent to
the Reform school here at Topeka, a
young man up until he reaches the
age of 81 is always sent to the re-
formatory at Hutchinson and unless
he is a hardened criminal is allowed
several years more, but a girl over
16 years of age, convicted of a felony
must go to the penitentiary.
There is always hope for a girl
after her first felony or crime and it
seems to me that she should be given
a chance as much or even more so
than a boy of the same age. The age
limit admitting girls to the Beloit
school is too low to fully comprehend
the purpose of saving the girls from
criminal record. There ought to be
an institution for girls corresponding
to the Boys reformatory at Hutchin-
son.
Here. for instance, is this case this
morning, this girl but II years old,
until year ago led a righteous life,
her father is an honorable and re-
spected man, her previous record is
unblemished, but she must go to the
penitentiary along with her criminal
lover, who is much older than she and
hardened in misconduct or he would
be entitled to a sentence at Hutchin-
son while she in comparative innocence
would go alone to the penitentiary
simply because there is no other place
to send her."
The motion for new trial was taken
under Amusement by the court a
week ago. When the decision was
announced this morning. an unexpect-
ed outcome of the case was brought
about by the recommendation of len
iency by the county attorney.
Judge A. w. Dana granted parole
to Lula Reeves in the belief that she
will reform herself without the aid of
an industrial school. North, on the
other hand, was dealt the justice of
the punishment and will go to the
penitentiary by himself for a period
of five years or upwards.