Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-08-18
GIRL REFUSES TO
TELL SECRET Of
SUICIDE ATTEMPT
Miss Billion Held in $500 Bail
for Trying to End
Life.
----
JUDGE ADVISES FAMILY
NOT TO SECURE BOND
Sister Declares Young Woman
Often Met Youth 2
Secretly.

Refusing to divulge her secret love
for a young man not known TO her
mother, Miss Ethel Billion, 10 years old
of 442 Orange street. was taken from
the City Hispital today to be arraigned
before Judge Herr in the Second Pre-
cinct Police Court on a charge of hav-
ing attempted suicide in the lake in
Branch Brook Park yesterday after
noon. She was accompanied by her
sister, Miss Daisy Billion.
Judge Herr, after pleading with the
young woman in secret conference
together with her sister, held her in
5000 bail for the grand jury. He urged
her sister not 10 try to get bail
IF she is liberated at this time |
am afraid she will again try to end
her life," he said.
Immediately after being arraigned
Judge Herr gave directions that she
be not taken to the county Jail in
the police patrol wagon She left the
courtroom accompanied by two detec-
tives. who took her to the county jail
in trolley car.
Won't you tell me why you tried to
end your life?" asked Judge Herr.
The girl looked at the judge and
shook her head. For twenty minutes
he pleaded with her to tell him her
troubles.
Won't Tell, She Shrieked.
IT won't tell! l can't tell I don't
know" shrieked Miss Billion in de-
spair. These were the only words she
uttered
Mrs. Billion was too ill from the
hock of her daughter having at
tempted to end her life to appear in
court. A brother of the young woman
who arrived home from Bermuda was
also missing from the courtroom.
why did you attempt to end your
life9'' she was asked by the Evening
STAR reporter at the police station
Just before she was arraigned.
A silent shake of her head was the
only reply.
rs 1t true, as your sister says, that
you were Tilted by a young man?'
She still refused to answer.
rs 1t true" the Evening STAR man
asked, that you have been in the
j habit of meeting this young man
nights, without the knowledge of your
mother?"
Miss Billion remained silent, but
shook her head in denial.
Isn't 1t because the young man
never came to your home to call on
you that you attempted to end your
life?"
II have nothing to say" she replied.
Miss Daisy Billion said to an Evening
STAR reporter that it as true that
Miss Ethel had frequently met young
man nights.
| Don't Know Young Man.
/ The sister further stated that she did
/ not know who the young man was.
81 knew my sister met him.. she
said. but she never told me who he
was. She told me she had been Tilted,
but did not say what led up to 1t.
Whether it had anything to do with
her attempt to end her life / do not
know"
II do not Know why my daughter
should meet young man secretly,
said Mrs Billion to the Evening STAR
man. with tears streaming down her
cheeks. This is horrible. Ethel knew
the house was open for her to enter
tain any young man she wished, and
why she should meet man secretly,
If she did, I do not know. When / was
a girl in Scotland l would never have
thought of doing such a thing. None
of the girls when ! was a girl would
have done So Something is wrong with
the girls today. They are not brought
up as we were What can mother
do?"
Miss Billion was arraigned on COM
nlaint of Chief of the Park Police GIL
hooley who charged her with attempt
ing suicide. Yesterday afternoon the
young woman plunged into the park
lake and was rescued after desperate
struggle with Park Policeman Leach.