Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-09-27
MOTHER TO HELP
STURTEVANT GIRL
Parent at st. Joseph, Mo, Said
to Be Wealthy-Home Town
Proud of Her.
VICTIMS ARE PROVIDED FOR
Attorney Denies criminality; Says Gil
ent's Worst Fault Is Ineapacity
for Business.


received in Chisago yesterday from
st. Joseph, Mo, that the mother of .
Miss Mabel S,urtevant, who is one of /.
the wealthiest women in southern Mis- 1
souri,, intends TO 40 her utmost to pro- |
cure the acqufttal OF the girl. Miss
Sturtevant Is under arrest here on a
charge of using the mails TO defraud.
Miss Sturtevsnt is regarded highly :
at Brookfleld, Mo, where she was rear
ed. When she reached high school
age her parents removed TO St. Joseph,
where she received her high school
education. When she had been grad
uated there she went to Columbia TO
attend the state university, and was
graduated from the school of law In
1908.
The young woman won a scholar
ship emitting her TO two years foreign
travel. and with her mother she went
abroad. Many articles written by her
concerning her travels we're published
IN the magazines of the United States,
and Brookfeld felt very proud OF her.
II was one of the provisions OF her
scholarship that she should devote
part OF her time in studying how to
give poor girls education.
EXAMINB ACCUSED GIRLS LETTERS.
Hundreds OF letters written by Miss
Sturtevant appealing to society women
for financial assistance for poor girls
seeking college education we're exam
ined during the day by postOffice in.
spectors. Files in the Office of the As.
ISOLATED College Women Workers OF
which Miss Sturteyant Is president,
we're seized by the postal authorities.
From a prospectus the federal
authorities learned that Miss Sturte-
want during 1912 operated her alleged
fraudulent mail schemes among col
lege girls at n schools and colleges
In Illinois and adjacent states.
The methods OF Miss Sturtevant
we're called TO the attention OF Chief
Postoffice Inspector Stuart last fall,
after several civic workers and organ
izations the police and the states at
torney's Office declined to prosecute on
the ground OF insufficient evidence
General Stuart at that time decided
the evidence of alleged wrong doing
did not warrant any action on his part
Miss Sturtevant won the sympathy
OF her accusers on this occasion by
asserting that a certain Mrs. Evans,
former treasurer of the organization,
had absconded with S31.800 of the or
ganization's funds. Settlements were
effected with most OF the girl can
Tassers. Some were withdrawn from
college and some were forced to quit
because OF the lack of funds.
REoRGANIZES HER COMPANY.
Then Miss Sturtevant started out
anew under an Illinois charter and the
scheme was rejuvenated with Miss
Sturtevant as president, Anne l.
Wright as vice president, and Mrs.
Sara W. Harris as secretary and treas
urer Mrs. Harris is the wife of DR..
f. G. Harris, who became surety for
Miss Sturtevant's appearance in court.
IAN my obligations to the girls
would have been met If the postal
authorities had not closed in on me-"
said Miss Sturtevant yesterday. For
one solid week ] was assisting them
in going over my tangled affairs and
just when everything seemed TO be
amicably arranged the inspectors ar
rested me. They cannot convict me.
II my intentions had been wrong
never would have given notes to the
women who advanced me loans"
SAYS INSPECTORS BROKE FAITH.
The postoflce inspectors certainly
broke faith in this case, but it viii
avail them nothing" said Attorney
Carlo Beroth, representing Miss Stur-
vteant They have nothing against my
client. Miss Srurtevant may be rain
bow chaser, but she Is not dishonest
She should have quit when she was
under fire a year ago, but she had a
stock of 1880 books she wanted to
get rid Of Miss Sturtevant is to be
pitied Her fault is simply a lack OF
business ability"
The 16 goods OF Northwestern uni
versity left stranded by Miss Sturte-
want were provided for during the day
Miss Josephine Mack. captain OF
the girls who were on the road selling
cook books. announced that various
individuals In Evanston and Chicago
have advanced loans 20 the girls &c
that their college course will not have
10 be interrupted The young vomsr
got loans In sums OF from 800 to $500
according to the necessities Of each
individual case.