The Irish standard., 1914-12-19
MENACE STORY.
TALE OF cRuELTIEs AT GOOD
SHEPHERD CONVENT PROVEN
UNTRUE.
Girl Says Menace Affidavit Was oh.
tanned by Unfair Methods.

The Infamous Menace" of Aurora,
of whose disgusting tales even it's
dupes seem to be firing, has again
been convicted of falsehood. In it's
issue of September 5th, it printed
what purported to be an affidavit of
young girl, Mabel Rail, charging that
she had been cruelty treated while in
the Convent Of the Good Shepherd in
Helena, Mont, stating among other
things that she had spent four days
and nights in cement cell on the top
story of the convent and had slept
there on loose straw on floor of con-
crete for bed, that as result of her
treatment she had acquired tubercu-
losis and had subsequently been re-
turned to her home.
The Central Bureau of the Central
verein, Immediately upon the publica-
ton of this story. wrote to the Diocese
of Helena, and as the result of an in
vestigation there, but recently re-
ceived the affidavit of M. L. Hickman,
Secretary of the Bureau of Child and
Animal Protection of the State of Mon
tana, a non-Catholic, which sets forth
the whole history of the case and
proves conclusively that the state
ments in the affidavit printed by the
Menace are untrue. Mabel Rail is six
teen years old and is the adopted child
of couple residing in Kalispell, Mont.
Having run off from her home several
times in 1913, she was, ION the 18th
day of November, 1913, committed to
the House of the Good Shepherd by
Hon. ]. E. Erickson, Judge of the Dis
trict Court" and Eat the urgent re-
quest of the Mother Superior she was
taken from that institution on the 18th
day of April, 1914" and on the follow
ing day was committed by the Judge
to the State Reform School. Mr.. Rick
man declares in his affidavit that she
"was not received at the said State Re.
form School because she was pro.
nounced tubercular by the physician
in charge" On May 1, she was re-
turned to her foster-parents on the
agreement that they would furnish her
proper medical attendance, and on the
Bird day of September she was deliv-
cred to the State tuberculosis SAM.
forum.
In regard to the charges made in the
affidavit, Mr.. Hickman declares: "Rel-
alive to the charge that she spent four
days and nights in a cement cell on
the top story and slept on loose straw
on floor of concrete for bed, your
affiant has inspected the building and
has found that there is no cement cell
on the top story; your aft1ant has seen
a number Of girls, who are at present
at the institution and a number of girls
who have been discharged since the
time the child was taken away, and
without exception they all say, in posi-.
tive terms, that she slept on bed in
the dormitory every night from the
time she was received until she was
taken away; that all of the above men.
toned girls have assured your afiant
that the said minor child was in poor
health when she was received and that
she received kind treatment and
thoughtful consideration on the part
of the Sisters
Mr.. Hickman also visited the girl,
Mabel Rail, herself, with the following
results: 1.-The said minor child told
him that the above mentioned affidavit
was prepared by one Clyde E. Jordan,
OF kalispell, Mont, and presented to
her for her signature; that she pro.
tested strongly against signing the
same and that she signed it only after
much persuasion on his part and on
his promise to her that her name
would not be used in the publication
OF the same; that the said Clyde e.
Jordan admitted to the affiant that he
was appointed to investigate the case
and that he prepared the above men
toned affidavit; that your aff1ant firm.
ly believes the statements, allegations
and representations set forth are un-
true, and, wilfully and maliciously de.
signed to injure the excellent reputa.
ton borne by the House of the Good
Shepherd"
To the affidavit of Mr.. Hickman is
attached an affidavit of Mabel Rail,
dated Nov. 4, 1914, which states that
from childhood she had been afflicted
with physical ailment for which her
foster parents provided no proper med
ical attendance and that she has been
lately cured of such disease.
In connection with the Helena Incl
dent and the affidavit of Mr.. Hickman,
it is interesting to note that another
non-Catholic, the well-known Judge
Ben Lindsey, of Denver, has but lately
spoken very glowingly of the House of
the Good Shepherd as a corrective in.
stitution, and has expressed his per-
sonal appreciation of the aid that the
institution has been to him in his work
as Juvenile Court Judge. In the face
OF these facts and of much other like
testimony the Menace continues it's
violent attacks upon these institutions.
But such Is only to be expected. For