The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-08-31
Beatrice knipfing, Who Dressed
as Boy and Ran Away,
Caught Near TOOeIe.
TRAVELLED AS A HOBO
AND BEAT HER WAY
Declares Cruel Treatment of
Stepfather Cause of Her
Rash Act.

After four days and nights on the
road riding the blind baggage. where she
made the acquaintance Of n tramp who
became her travelling comradc, begging
from house TO house and sleeping two
nights in a corral. Beatrice Knlpfing.
aged II, who ran away In her brothers
clothes last Saturday morning and clud-
ed widespread search by police and rela-
tives, was located yesterday morning at
Lincoln. three miles ease OF Tooelc, and
brought to Salt Lake last night, She
was handed over by the Tooelo officials
10 Guardillo Brown of the Juvenile court.
and is now at the Wasatch School OF Do
mestc Science, 5sS South Eleventh East.
Miss Knpfing said last night that she
enjoyed the life on the road and that
she would prefer to lead that life per-
manenuy rather than live in the same
house with a stepfathor who. shs alleges.
beats her. Here is her own story OF how
she attempted TO break all family ties.
change her sex and beat her way to Los
Angeles, where her aunt. Mrs. Eva Pen
dergast, resides:
Girls Positive Statements.
For a long time have been work
ing In Auerbachs millinery workshop for
$3.50 week and all OF this turned over
to my mother. ! have never had any
Intimate friends and my life at home has
been most unhappy. / can't remem Der
just how many times my stcpfather has
beaten me and more than once he has
told me TO take my duds and get
Il decided about two months ago that
would leave home. but IL was some
weeks before ! reached the conclusion TO
dress as a boy. / figured that. as l had
no money or could get no money, I must
10 n 7 ~
that 1t would be impossible 10 go on the
road in dresses. L planned that ] could
cut my hair NOT quite as short as
boys. but long enough so that If l wished
could change back to the dresses with
out causing comment
Last Saturday morning I got up at
o'clock. stole into my brothers room and
took what clothes I thought L needed,
With these l went into a house In the
rear OF our house and there l cut off my
hair and dressed In my brothers clothes
Il left home for good, as thought at
that time. at D O'Clock Saturday morn
ing. When / first found myself upon
the street in boys clothes I was much
frightened, but by the time / reached
mo and my fears vanished as It became
apparent that ] could pass as boy
Meets Friend on Street
"I mex a girl friend on the corner Of
South Temple and Main streets, In front
Of the Utah hotel 1 walked straight
up to her. but she did not recognize me.
Then l took her by the arm and when
she looked more closely her face lit UP
and she asked me whore I going.
II told her was going TO San Fran
cisco and that would write. TO her when
arrived At first 1 intended going to
Los Angeles by way of San Francisco.
'YAt Has o'clock Saturday night l
climbed aboard the blind baggage OF a
know what street was on or to what
railroad the train belonged II was al
a crossing and the train stopped for a
moment As 7 ran up 10 the side OF the
car a hand shot out and helped draw me
on the platform just as the train pulled
out
ST was told to duck and keep out. Of
sight. 1 didn't do much talking that
my mouth every time ! opened IT.
The man and myself were put off the
train at Erda, station between Tooele
and Garfield, We arrivel there about /
o'clock in the morning and after little
searching around found corral with
some hay in II. We slept until about l
o'clock that afternoon. The man told
me his name was John Walsh. He was
about 20 years old and l don't believe all
the time I was with him he susplcioned
that l was a girl.
Companion Generous.
eve hung around Erda all that after
noon. Walsh chopped some wood for
farmer and was given quite a supply OF
me with everything he got. sunday night
we slept I'm the same corral. Monday
morning we walked TO Tooele and both OF
us begged on the way. The worst thing
flour and water bread a farmer gave us.
and we had TO cat il because we could
get nothing else. I had 30 cents In my
pocket when l left home and the last
OF this went Monday.
walsh chopped moro wood after we
arrived al Tooele and continued TO share
his food with me Monday night we
slept in an open dancing pavilion at
Tooelc. Tuesday | lost track OF Walsh.
He told me to wait FOR him al a certain
place there and he never returned |
waited for two hours. then | set out to
look for a place TO spend the night. be-
cause the sleeping on the ground tired
me too much.
II went 10 a Mr. Adamson's house and
] could sleep there. She told me that
| could sleep in ri sheep wagon I'm tho
barnyarI. but ] told her that I wanted
10 sleep in tho house and she told me
could sleep with the children.
This morning she told me 10 chop
some wood for my breakfast and | did
the best | could on a. but Mr., Adamson
stood by watching me with a peculiar
look on his face and J felt right then
that nc knew that was no boy.
Disguise Is Futile.
"lIc sent Tor a deputy sheriff and the
officer watcher me chop for time and
then he asked me.
What's your name?
Il told him by name WAS Beatrice Knip-
find and that ] was a girl. and he laughed
and told me 10 go along with him.
The girl is tall and slender. She has
a vivaCious sparkle In her brown eyes
and seemed Ia take great delight In
telling the story which has mystincd the
police in dozen Utah cities for the past
four days.
-. A. Adamson. who FIRST suspected
that the ''boy' Was "A girl and IN whose
house she slept Tuesday night, said yes
tcrday that when b. saw tho manner in
which she handled the AK nc knew that
he was observing a woman and the longer
he watched her the more this opinion was
confirmed.
The juvenile court officials did not de-
eide last night what would be done with
the girl \ conference between Adam
y. knitting the girls step-father and the
Juvenile court officials VIII he held this
morning AT tho detention home.
Mrs Knipnng is suffering from ner-
vous breakdown. IL Is believed however
as her daughter has returned that she
,sill speedily recover.