The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-20
From Proud Mobile Family
She Was Unable to Re-
form a Wayward and
Unworthy Husband.
MRS. REID VISITS
HER IN HER CELL
AND LEARNS TRUTH
"What Would You Do if Officer Told
You the Dress You Wore, Pre-
sented by Your Husband, Was
Stolen?" Unfortunate
Woman Asks
By MRS. ,. n. REID

When we entered the cell OF the eoun-
| ty Jail yesterday morning and found the
frail form of woman, one, who by birth
and inheritance is entitled to the highest
attanments of society; saw her quivering
with fear and anguish over a most pitiful
plight we could only recall. silently. "of
all sad words of tongue or pen, the sad
dest are these, it might have BEEN
We read the story of the robber and
his wife behind the bars, and our eyes
fell on the name of McMaster from Mo-
bile, and the name of the girl so familiar
of long ago. We thought of some trick
being played, some imposter that was
hiding behind the name that carried such
weight among former Mobilians, so we
determined to see for ourselves if this
be true.
We entered and told her the fact that
she claimed Mobile as her home had
brought us.
Tells of Her Girlhood
She shrank at first, to be discovered
in so ignominious fate. Rallying, she
said:
"Yes. l was born in Mobile and reared
there-educated at Barton's Academy.
II attended ST. Francis Street Metho-
dist church and Sunday school. My
teacher was Mr.. Robert Baker. You knew
my father. S. H. McMaster. He was of
the firm of McMaster & Middleton, Mr..
N
man never lived.
Il can point you to dear friends in
Mobile, but my relatives are all gone
dead, and l, strange to say, am here"
The Real Medora McMaster
We knew she was the real Medora Nc
Master-there was no acting. She was
telling the truth, and as she talked of
those we knew she frightened and
seemed to forget for the time her condi-
ton. We asked why she had fallen to
such a fate and she replied.
MY father could always make money
but never learned to save it. / went to
Cincinnati and learned stenography and
made my own living. There l met this
man. He was smart and attractive then
and like a girl I thought he was what
he appeared to be, and we were mar
ried.
1T was a long time before | realized
what he really was He was good to
me. When he was detected l knew then,
but woman, l had hope that my love
and influence would better him and he
kept promising to quit his ways.
Afraid to COnfide in Anyone
1T is easy to look to a better future.
sometimes thought I'd quit him and
seek more congenial fate-that [ would
tell somebody of my trouble-but l had
no friends. l lived alone an anxious life.
was afraid to talk-he is a bad tenn
pcred man, and | did not know who to
trust with my secret If he thought I
was seeking outside advice he would have
killed me. He only threatened once to
hurt me-"
She was very nervous. and at times
gave evidence of great anxiety. One time
she moved near to Miss Hutchinson, who
accompanied us on our visit, and asked,
Did you bring me any hope?"
Not Guilty of Crime
She was assured we were going to help
hsr. Then she turned to us and said: II
am .aot guilty of any crime I never did
any wrong myself. | could not change
him. l had nothing myself. l can only
SSc thdt Was tt party W 6uiil III NY
loyalty to my husband, in my desire to
help him overcome the wrong life, and it
has brought me to this. My nervousness
Is not a sudden malady. | have felt 1t for
some time and it is no wonderl You can t
imagine my experienced When a man
came here yesterday and identified the
dress | have ON as one that had been
stolen from his wife ne seemed to think
did it, but the husband brought 1t to
me and told me he bought it from the
salvation Army. Had l right to doubt
him? If your husband were to bring you
a dress would you ask him If he stole
it? hate the dress. but it is all / have.
| am ragged now, and | wonder if L will
get my clothes here. My chickens, too,
they are mine. They are not stolen. |
bought them and have some fine White
Orpingtons. ] could sell them and get
some money to help me out of this.
Il don't know anybody here but the
few who lived around me. Mrs. McCary
lives just across the street. [ had never
met her, but when she heard / was in
trouble she came to me and was kind and
tried to comfort me. l then wished |
had known her before. She is a good
woman, / know, and maybe I could have
told her of my trouble
Asks About MObilians
We asked her If there was anybody in
Mobile we could write to for her She
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