Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-12-18
Mrs. HoM Sobs "Frankie"
Was a Good Boy Till He
Was Hounded by Police

he went and recognition by travelling
men at each place he worked, in the
belief of Mrs. Annie Hohl, SIG Court
street, mother of the dead bandit,
Frank G. Hohl, are the causes which
led to her boys death.
Mrs. Hohl, a frail little woman or
90, weighing less than 100 POUNDS, is
to-day a heart-broken mather. OF
her eight children her "FSLlIie' ap-
peared to be the favorite. "All through
his poor life," she sobbed this morn
ing, "he has seen nothing but hard
ships. He tried to do what was right,
but the police and other people would
not help him. The stain of reforma-
tory school and a penitentiary were
on him and his every effort to mend
his life was met by barriers which he
could not surmount."
Tears ran down the cheeks of The
bandits mothers face as she reviewed
the past life of her son and told of the
difficulties which he had to face.
when frankie was Just a little
boy his father died. Four of my eight
children were dead, but / was left
with four, the youngest of whom was
fourteen months. frankie got work
as messenger boy and was never hap
pier than when he received his pay,
and bringing IL home, laid it in my
lap. oh, | can see my boy before me
now. He came running home from
work and would sit and talk to me
and do everything that he could to
make my life happy.
Bad Companions His Fall
But then came the time when he
got in with some bad companions. Two
boys. much older than frankie, went
to an uptown clothing store to buy
some clothes. After the purchase was
made the boys discovered that they
had been cheated, and returning TO
the store, asked the proprietor to
make some reduction. This he re-
fused to do. The boys then decided to
get even. That night they planned to
break into the store and scatter the
clothes about the place. Frankie was
in the crowd. The place was robbed
and clothes were scattered from Har-
risburg to Marysville. The gang was
rounded up and all of them were let
go but frankie, because ] did not have
$50 to pay for his release. 1t was
then that he was sentenced to
Huntingdon, where he remained for
eighteen months. When his term eX-
pired he came back to Harrisburg and
worked to help me. He got employ
ment at the roundhouse and later went
to Rutherford to work. His boss knew
the trouble he was in before and did
everything to help him. But then the
man was taken sick and another man
took his place. That fellow did every
thing to make life miserable for
frankie, and finally my poor boy was
compelled to leave the place. The
police continued on the trail of the
poor youngster and he could not &C
any place without seeing an officer.
Gave Half His Money to His Mother
when Frankie's grandmother
estate was settled, he got $3.50. He
brought the money home and gave
half of it to me. With some of the
remainder he bought an engine for @
lmotorboat. The boat was down at the
river and one night when some boz
cars were robbed on the West Shore
frankie was accused because his boat
had been found away from its accus-
toned place. But | can prove thai
frankie had been to see a doctor that
afternoon and that he was too weak
to leave the house that night. In court
they wouldn't give me chance tc
testify, and frankie was taken away
from me and sent to the penitentiary
for what some other person had done
"When he came back to HARRISBURG
again he married Miss Bertha Holtz-
man and later went to Bethlehem to
work. Conditions became bad there
and he had to come back to this city
after having given up an attempt to
buy a home in Bethlehem. The poor
boy used to tell me that he believed
turned against him.
Had Combination to Safe
"He got a job at the Ford garage
in this city as machinist ana Tor g
time all was happiness. His employer
did not know that he had been to g
lreformatory and penitentiary. He
was not watched every minute and he
soon gained the confidence of those
about him. At times his employer
went away from the garage and left
frankie in charge and even told him
the combination of the safe. There
was no trouble until a car up along
! the river had been stripped of its tires
and some other parts. These were
taken to the garage and sold tC
Frankie in the presence OF the mar
who employed him. A few days latel
the man who owned the tires ap-
peared and after seeing them accused
frankie of stealing them, and told the
poor boy in the presence OF those about
him that he was nothing but a con
ivict and jailbird. This was too mucf
for frankie to stand, coupled witt
| the bounding of the local police. The
first opportunity he got he took cal
out of the garage and started in the
direction of Baltimore.
Couldn't Stand Scorn
"a few days later letter received
at the garage and written by my boy
! told Where Lne car COulh NC LOuAiu e1hN
stated that he could no longer stanc
the finger of scorn being pointed a.
him every place he went. ] did no
see nv boy from that time until | saw
| him in the Hollidaysburg Jail, and
| have not seen him since. When the
lpoor boy came home for supper il
! the evening from the garage he wai
always in a hurry. The police KEEP
watching him constantly and woulc
take him into custody for every little
| thing He was arrested for speeding
on the Mulberry street bridge and
can prove that he was not near the
! bridge that day. Again he was fined
| for failing to have light on the bacl
! of the car he was driving While 1
was stopped in front of my house.
Statesmen Trailed Him, Too
"I lust guess the poor boy got care
less when the police kept chasing him
| and | believe that is what turned hin
Into a bank robber. Several times ht
wrote me and told me he had gotter
work in garages in various cities after
! he left here, but when travelling sales
men visited the places they recognized
! him and he was forced to flee to avoit
arrest The statesmen, of course, Wis
lifted the local garages and got to know
Frankie and he learned to know them
| SO that it was hard for him to WORT
lin any garage and not be recognized.
! Mrs. Hohl for many years has beer
La charWoman at the Pennsylvani;
! Station. She will ask the RAILROAD
company to help her and see that he
boy gets back to Harrisburg for burial