The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1912-11-26
OLD CRY
OF THE
SINNER
"All | Ask Is a Chance!"
What Is the Duty Of
Society to the Peni-
tent Who Would Lead
New Life?

~ T. LOUIS.-Frances Bloom no
" longer rejoices in the appella-
ton of the meanest girl in st.
~ Louis"
Seven weeks In the work
house have cured her of deal of what
she calls her "meanness."
She Is willing. nay. she is eager, to
be good. All that she desires now is
to get out OF the workhouse.
II he is convinced of the honesty Of
her reformation Judge Earl Kimmel.
the Golden Rule" police judge OF St
Louis, may parole Frances Bloom.
"Oh. l will be good when l get out, -
she said at the city hospital, where
she is at present. Il have had enough
OF being bad.
There is nothing In being bad. You
just fight the world and yourself and
you get tired of it. When you are bad
you are always in trouble. Life Is
hard. First, there are the police TO
fight. Then there are the judges.
Then comes the workhouss. the
that.
Il tell you It is enough to kill n man
OF steel, let alone Il woman, to fight
society and the agents which society
employs to make you good"
Frances Bloom is not quite 10 years
old. Yet she has four years in the
| Girls Industrial school at Chillicothe
TO her discredit. She has been mar
ried almost. a year. She has six
he In hn rlr
Was Charged With Vasrancy.
1t all came about when Frances was
arrested at Sixteenth and Market
streets May Ia charged with vagrancy.
Patrolman Thles, who made the ar
rest. says that Frances pulled q hat.
pin on him" and stabbed him through
the arm.
Frances says that 1t all came about
through Patrolman Thies putting his
arm around her head and hat when he
took her TO the patrol box TO call the
wagon"
lie stuck the hatpin through his
own ARM" she said Il admit that aft.
erwards | bit and scratched him. But
mat was no way to treat a lady. Now
honest, was It? How would you like
your own wife, sweetheart. sister or
daughter to be treated that way?"
You shudder and admit that it does
not appeal TO your idea Of the courtesy
due a lady of your family.
They put me In the lookup. and
next day took me before Judge Kim
mel There was my first streak OF
luck. / have been In hard luck ever
since lost my father, ten years ago
But Judge Kimmel Is a nice man. He
gave me nine months in the work
house. felt like thanking him. He
did II so nicely.
L liked 1t fine at the workhouse
too. Mr.. White, the superintendent, is
true to his name He Is a white man
He treats you as II you were a human
being, not dog. They told me that
once he was policeman, too. car
hardly believe It. He treated me sim
ply grand, talked to me and made me
see that l was a very foolish girl to
act wildly.
They sent me to the hospital. I am
getting well fast"
Tells Her Life Story.
In response to questions this waif OF
the world told the following story:
i was born I'm Chicago. My fathe,
WAS shoemaker. He followed hi,
trade In various large and small cities
have lived in Now York and in small
townst I'm Ohio, Illinois and Missouri
where my father worked. But for M
teen years have recognized St Loui,
as my home.
Ten years ago my father and moth
er separated. Ny mother marrta1
again. guess ] gave her lot OF trou
Die was wild. but not q bad kid
Perhaps my stepfather did not Iik,
me. In any event. / Was sont 10 IN,
Girls Industrial home at ChilIootbe
was IL at that time.
That is one thing they do for w,
at Chilhcothe. They give you a goo,
education. had gone to work at I,
years old I'm factory never had nm,
education at home. But / learned y,
read and TO write and to sew and >,
cook and do n lot OF useful tbings Z,
the industrial school.
The trouble 80 not with the authorl
ties. Il Is with the girls themseives
You see. there Is no separation q
girls Innocent young girls who ar.
sent there simply because they hav
no homes, must mix with girls VIII,
have been sent there for immorallt,
from the cities"
Never had Fair Chance.
The girl never has had a fair obancs
Her father separated from her motbe
ana mad no heed Of his little daughter
hsr mother married again. Maybe IN,