The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-03-22
GIRL SUSPE CTED
Of MURDER HAS A
SAD LIFE STORY
Katherine MANI, 16, Detained in Con-
nection With Sisters Death, Never
Knew Mothers Love-Was
Slave at Home
Police Face Hateful Task of Trying
To Fasten Crime Upon Girl of
Blighted Childhood.

MASSILLON o. March 22-The
police OF TINS city are bending every
energy To fasten the charge of muir
der upon 16-year-old Katherine MANI.
Yet It Is the most hateful task the
force ever had.
For no matter IL this girl did ad-
minister the poison from which her
older sister Elizabeth died, she Is the
most pitiful figure the law ever gath
cred into its net in Massillon.
Because she never knew a mothers
smile, but was a drudge, a slave, a
Cinderella, an Alice-sit-by-the-f fire. the
police, all the time they are adding
To the evidence piling up against her,
are hoping against hope that some
how the clouds will part for her and
she will be enabled TO establish her
innocence.
Katherine herself sits all day long
In her cell. There is no one TO bring
her .comfort-not even flower bright
ems the iron-barred room. And while
the case against her grows blacker
and blacker with each fresh revela-
ton. she keeps on repeating Il
didn't"
The father of the family of seven
children, OF whom Katherine is the
baby. is laborer He had housed
his motherless brood in a little brown
cottage When he returned from
work one night he founs his daughter
Elizabeth dead on the kitchen floor.
There was a Wilderness like frost
upon her lips. And Katherine. who had
been staying with her sister, was
gone, She had taken some OF Eliza
beth's clothes with her A four-day
search found her working in an Akron
factory, and she was arrested on the
charge of murder. for the white dust
on Elizabeth's lips proved to be
stryehnine,
The theory Is that the poison was
administered In coffee.
Stoutly she has maintained her in
neeence, though she has sealed her
lips against telling anything of what
happened Just before she left her
home. Then the police began un-
earthing her record, and pitiful tale
OF blighted childhood II has proven
to be.
When Katherine was a wee baby
her mother dice Of the fever. The
father was poor. All OF the children
but the baby were sent to an orphan
age. Katherine was taken by kind
ly German woman. Mrs, Katherine
Moloture, who soon grew TO love the
bhe-eyed girl as her own daughter.
But she spoiled the child, her
neighbors say, and up TO the time she
was nine years old Katherine had
been allowed to have her own way In
everything. Mrs. Moioture was pos
sessed OF a considerable fortune. so
Katherine's spending money came
freely.
But then-the foster mother died.
In the meantime Katherine's father,
Gothardt MANI. had got on his feet
and had fetched his other children
back from the orphanages.
When Mrs. Moloture died MANI sent
for Katherine, and she came--a
stranger TO her own flesh and blood.
At first there was some sort OF an
effort made to receive her as one or
the brothers and sisters, but soon. be-
cause she was willing to work. 1t be-
came EASY to regard her as servant.
n kitchen drudge who would work for
nothing.
Before. Katherine had had fine
clothes and opportunities for enjoy
ment. Now her clothing became what
ever the older girls could spare. She
always stayed at home to do up the
work.
Finally she rebelled. and that
brought he rwhippings of terrible
humiliation because she knew she was
growing up. Reside Elizabeth's body
was found n letter from her sweet
baart Part of IL read:
II hope the kid (Katherine) is be-
having herself and not giving you any
trouble. If she does. just give her a
good licking RI that doesn't do any
good. say. will come down and tend
to her"
So any froquenter of the MANI house
fclt the right 10 maltreat the poor lit
tie drudge. IL was notorious-the
treatment she received. The neigh
bors have seen MANI beat her with