Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1913-09-18

from the home of his sister, respea-
table woman fifty years of age. In
stead OF walking back "long walk, "
to road house, why did he not take
the little girl to his sisters home,
knock on the door and say: Sister,
here is a young lady who has been ont
with me for a ride, but we maze had
an accident and cannot get home. and
l wish you would take charge of her
in order to protect her good name?
Would not his sister have gladly taken
the girl to her home in town. or kept
her with her the balance of the night?
II the three of them took f1ong
walk" with BADLY injured" man, to
a road house, where they ts1ephoned
for physician, why did he MOI, since
they were at the telephone, caal for a
taxicab? There was taxicab stand
in this city then as now, and he could
have had the little girl home safely
within half hour or SO, and without
disgrace upon her head.
And If he did not feel able to afford
a taxicab, why did they not walk? It
is but three miles by road and hundreds
have walked in clear from the park.
Surely he could have induced the girl
to walk that far to save her reputation
This would not have taken orle hour.
And why. o why, was he returning
on the left side of the road? eE5ing an
officer of the law of the co sntY he
must have known all EehictiaI traffic
is always toward the right. Did he.
deliberately defy the the law tbat he
has sworn to enforce, or was hts men
tai condition such by tina. time that he
imagined himself In Canada, where the
law is that vehicles must take to the
left?
/ Voluntary Offerings
These suggestions are but voluntary
offerings. They may be trivial, but
they anturally occur to one whose OBJ
servation has been such as TO cause
him to believe that the reader de
mands at least "plausibility" in even a
romance.
Now, some details have probably es-
capped even the writer! For instance
it is not likely that it would occur to
anybody but Handlan to have that
little girl write him note, a few
days after" telling him that she was
much obliged to him for what he had
done. There may not be another man
in Wheeling to whom it w.uld have
occurred to hide behind This little
girls short skirts To take little
girl out at midnight and br .lg her
!, back in the morning, with car load
of people witnessing the girls disg ace
this is an accomplishment that the
Majority admits of knowing no man
in Wheeling who would boact OF. But
to be able to produce note from that
little girl thanking the man for dis
gracing her-this is in a class all by
itself.
The Facts.
But facts, those stubborn things. ssiii
stick The facts are that j. Hand
Ian, zen the prosecuting attorney. the
law officer of the county, took al little
girl out in his automobile at midnight
and brought hel back at 4 80 the neAi
plice. 1t was his duty as law Of
flcer to have no accomplish. lie says
| the girl was willing. She was sixteen
Handlan, according to the recollection
| of aged residents of the Eighth ward.
who lived in the vicinity IT Handlan's
stable. IS at least As. II was his duty
as law officer and as mature man
| to take that little girl home, and II
she we're SO foolish as to be enamored
of his handsome self, his money and
his position, to tell her tina ste was
foolish. and to govern his action
wholly for the good OF the girl who
was not old enough, or experienced
enough, or intelligent enough to act
for her own good.
A Girl OF Sixteen.
| A normal girl of sixteen Is child
The law of West Virgiia says that a
girl does not know enough to consider
a marriage proposal until she is Il
This law, Handfan, as prosecuting at,
torney of Ohio equity, was s~ar1 TO
Eenforee. How can he face the fathers
land mothers Of this county with
mote" from sixteen-year-old gIi
thanking him for an act that bsough
disgrace upon her.
And the fathers and mothers and
big brothers of Ohio equity should be
interested in this. 1t is but one case
Iof far too many. Immature, unthink-
ling girls, their minds not yet out OF
their child-like state, the vl-tims of
mature and knowing men. wise in The
ways of deception and intrigue. Even
i the law places the age of consent OF a
Igirl at IL and common sense win place
lit higher. But between four cen and
Itwenty-one there Is a happy hiatus for
lthe 1ibertine Of older years, with every
lpretty, trusting girl q possible victim
lof his lust
i The law makers and the Jaw enforc-
ders have left it thus for they fight with
1.-THE cunning Of the brute the advancing
IWaVe Of morality that demands that
Igi1ls shan IS ,nRiolats md thaei men