The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1915-11-26
GIRL PRISONER
twelve YEARS
Father Held to Authorities
Pending Indictment.
Girl Said to be Insane and in
State Of Starvation as Re-
\ suit OF Confinement.

Easton. Md, November 2l.--Grace
Marshall. imprisoned by her father
fselve years ago as punishment for
attempting to elope with a man Of
whom he disapproved was discovered
by an uncle visiting the home. who
bored secretly through the wall be-
tween her room and his.
Released through this uncle's ap-
peal to the authorities, Miss Marshall
weighs only 81 pounds and hardly
Knows how to talk. Her father, who
had reported she was dead. Is being
held, with her step-mother.
In the attempted elopement Miss
Marshall. then 16 years old, jumped
from a second story window. broke
one of her legs and she has been q
prisoner ever since.
Father and Step-mother Held.
Miss Marshall's father. Frank Mar
shall. a farmer. residing at st. Mitch
aels, near here, and his wife. the
girls stepmother. are being held by
the authorities. Talk of violence is
prevalent. Miss Marshall is in the
care of the Children's Aid Society.
Miss Emma Davis, agent for the So
ciety laid the case before the grand
jury. but there was no law to cover
the case.
Miss Mary Bartlett. a philanthropy
list, is working with Miss Davis on the
case They intend to lay IL before
the governor of Maryland and the
attorney general.
Father Said She Was Dead.
Alter the death of Miss Marshall's
mother the children became scattered
Some went To live with aunts or
uncles. The father, Frank Mar
khall, remarked. Grace continued a
prisoner In little dark room. One
of the other children, absent at an
aunt's home, died. The body was
taken back home for burial and the
parents let it be understood that il
was Grace who had died.
The nearest neighbor was two miles
away, and it was to this neighbor
that the information was given OF
Crace's supposed death. The discov-
cry of her plight was made by an un-
Gle, who spent week in the house.
His room adjoined the one in which
Grace was imprisoned. He heard
the wall at spot behind a picture on
the wall. Finally he bored through
the wall and got a glimpse which
Mortified him.
Marshall was known as a man of
violent temper. The uncle, John Han
cock of Wilmington, Del. said moth
ing of his discovery to him, but went
To the Children's Aid Society. and
Miss Davis. The latter attempted to
see the girl but was denied admis-
Sion. Finally she obtained her re-
lease through habeas corpus pro-
ceedings. Before taking Miss Mar
shall away Miss Davis had to provide
her with clothing, as the girl had
Athing but underclothing, and in
her room was nothing but bed with
a straw mattress, sheet and two
comforts.
No fire had been provided in win
ter and scarcely any ventilation in
summer. The one window was clos
ed. with shutters nailed tight.
The uncle said that when he look
ed through the hole in the wall he
saw creature pulling herself about
ON the floor. picking up crumbs from
the floor. 1t was said she had only
two meals a day and was never allow
ed to see anyone.
Marshall, the father, according to
the report from Easton, admits many
of the charges against him, but he
asserts that the girl became insane
thirteen years ago and that he had
not the means to send her to an in
siitution. Investigation is said to have
revealed that he was able to have pro-
yided for her.