Arizona republican., 1911-08-12
SAYS SHE'S NIECE
OF GOVERNOR HASKELL
MRS. BROWN LAUGHS IN ST. Ell
MO RAID.
She Owed it to Her Family to Fight
The Case.

A bomb was dropped into the city
police department yesterday when
1t was learned that Mrs. Grace c.
Brown, who was arrested last Satur-
day night in the ST Elmo and brought
TO the police station to answer for al
legged indecent conduct, is, or claims
10 be a niece of Governor Charles n.
Haskell of Oklahoma.
1t was late in the afternoon that
Mrs. Brown, who has declared her
innocence of the charge against her,
made the statement, Il am a niece of
Governor Haskell, and l intend to
fight my case in the higher courts if
necessary"
According to her story, the raid of
the St. Elmo resulted in the arrest of
two persons who were altogether in
nocent of any immoral conduct, and
entirely unaware that anything of the
kind was being carried on in the
building. One of these persons was
the landlady, Mrs. Mary Hicke, who
was convicted last Wednesday of con-
Quoting a disorderly house in the
court of Judge p. p. Parker. and the
other person was herself. The whole
affair, she declared, grew out of a
supper to which two prominent bus
mess men of Phoenix were invited.
The circumstantial evidence was
strongly against the women in the
house, but Mrs. Brown declares that
the conclusion drawn by the police was
in strict variance with the facts in
the case
Last night she told her story to a
reporter of The Republican, and re-
peated her statement concerning her
relationship with Governor Haskell.
She seemed confident of her position,
and of her ability to clear herself
of the charge against her. She was
juhilant over the fact that the PhOe-
nix police department had dropped
the complaint against her, and de-
clared 1T is a good thing for them
that they did"
Mrs. Brown, according to her own
story, has been connected at various
times with newspapers of Albuquer-
que and Las Vegas, New Mexico, and
is well acquainted in both cities.
About four months ago, feeling the
need of a change. she came to PhOe-
nix to take a rest Since her arrival
here she has done nothing but rest.
Il am a niece of Governor Haskell.
He is my mothers brother, and l
have never before had any trouble
of this kind. In fact l was so aston
ished when / found myself arrested
that l scarcely knew what to do.
We had been having a very quiet So
cial evening at the ST Elmo, and
had no reason to believe that we
nnHar StrrHrai1lanpn l-DnRK-
why we should have been. unless il
was on account of some Objectionable
characters who had been there some
time previously, and had been prompt
ly put out by the proprietoress, Mrs.
Hicke, as soon as she learned their
real characters.
Although l have not done any
work since | came to Phoenix, l have
followed the newspaper business for
several years, and am well known to
the editors Of the larger New MeXi-
CO papers. Just ask them about me-"
she said naively. Newspaper men
tell the truth to each other, and you
can believe what they tell you. /
worked on the Las Vegas Optic, and
on several papers OF Albuquerque. one
of the reasons / came away from New
Mexico was because l am seeking a
divorce from my husband. The last
editor | worked for advised me to do
it He said il would be easier for
me to pay my own expenses entirely
than to go home each night to such
a row as my husband was raising
all the time.
Il am glad the police department
dropped the charge against me. My
reputation has been at stake, and ]
was bound TO clear myself, no mat
ter what the cost might be. Now |
am sure that no stain will rest on my
name, and I can stay in Phoenix
without being ashamed If / had been
like some OF those other girls, who
left town the night after the trial. !
might have gone away myself. but
I am not that sort. / felt that I had
been treated unjustly. and l stayed
here to bring things to rights, and
save my reputation"
Mrs. Browns story indicates that
although her own arrest may have
been unjust. there were a number of
persons apprehended in the St Elmo
whose conduct rightly brought them
into the police court She had nothing
to say about the injustice of the raid.
but spoke merely of her own arrest
and it's injustice, as she saw it. She
did not say that she had commune
Gated with Governor Haskell telling
him of her situation, and was not
willing to say whether he would
have been likely to interfere in pro-
tecting her, or not. 1t is her intention
to remain in Phoenix several months
longer.
Il am not going to be driven out"
she said positively. Il am going to
stay and see this thing through.
owe il to myself and l owe it to my
family. And / am going to stay at
the St. Elmo until they get better evil
dence against it than they got last
Saturday night, when l believe there
was nothing wrong at all" I