The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-04-10
STORY OF DEPRAWTY
TOLD BY GIRL
YOUNG WOMAN HELD IN BUTTE
DESCRIBES EXCITING TIME
IN MissoULA.

Butte, April Observation-Disclosures
~17-year-old Geraldine Smith, revival
singer Of Missoula, who was recog-
nized in this city yesterday by Rev. ].
c. Osborne, the 'lumberjack preacher
as a runaway horse carried the girl
dow The street and later arrested in a
dlsreputable house, told a story today
that shocked even the Butte police.
Miss Smith talked freely and has i'm
plicated half a dozen prominent men
of the state. in her alleged associations.
Miss Smith is a well-known Helena
girl, where her mother and two sisters
live. The fair prisoner seemed to
revel in her notoriety and gleefully
told of her Missoula career as a result
of which the Butte police directed the
arrest of Ollie Bates, who was taken
into custody today at Missoula. j. L..
Graft and Joe (Red) Mcdonald and
J. II. Currah and Mrya Morgan, all Of
Butte, have been arrested in n
ton with the case.
Miss Smith formerly had Deer in
charge of the novelty counter of the
New York store in Helena and to defy
the sentiment in her w town that a
girl could not become an inmate of a
public house under her own name,
entered the resort of Josie Ray. from
where she finally was taken and sent
to the home of Rev. J.. a. Barnes,
head of a society to aid fallen girls,
but Mrs. Barnes found her too hard
to care for and was compelled to give
her up. Mr.. Barnes then sent her to
Drummond, but that town finally
turned her out and she was sent to
Missoula to work for a private family.
There, Miss Smith laughinglv de-
clared, the real excitement of her ca
reer began.
They are very strict people, con-
tinued the girl, and I attended
evangelistic meetings every night with
them and sang several solos in the
church. On going home one night I
met a young fellow from Helena whom
I knew, but my employer did not like
him, and I got fired again. Then I
went into a house in Missoula con-
Quoted by Leona Howard. Then I
met Ollie. Bates, and told him my
troubles and that the Helena police
were after me. So he took me under
his roof for a week. We walked from
Missoula to Bonner, six miles. to evade
the. officers and I came to Butte.
I'm Butte, after shaking Bates said
Miss Smith, Il met j. L. Graft, fell in
love with him, gave him $685., which
he never returned, SO I will appear
against him as a witness on a. slave
charge as he has not played square
with me-
The prisoner freely admits that she
has been leading a fast life since she
was ID years of age and has been an
inmate of three. of the most notorious
brothels in the state and of several
refuge homes.
She is intelligent and her eyes
sparkled as she told her story. scott
ing at the efforts made to reform her,
To the auditors she ratified on about
the Illinois vice commission without
suggestion from her interviewers, de-
claring she could give them pointers
for a home for fallen girls.
Miss Smith claims that when she
becomes of age next June, she will fall
heir to a house and lot in Helena
worth $4,000 n will get $4,000 in
cash. She says she and Graft had
planned to leave Butte as soon as she
got her money and go to Salt Lake,
where Graft was to open a saloon.