East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1916-03-22
GIRLS ALLEGE THAT
FORMER LOCAL MAN
TRIED TO PET THEM
\. d. FROST, WELL KNOWN MER-
CHANT, FINED $40 IN PORT
LAND COUNT.
Four Pretty Young Ladies' Testify
Against Him; Manager of the j. c.
Penny Chain of stores in Oregon
Declares Caresses a Habit" Judge
Thinks otherwise.


Thinks otherwise.
The Portland Oregonian this morn |
ing has the following ABOUT former
Pendleton merchant:
With four pretty girt witnesses tes-
tifying against him under assumed
names A. D, Frost, oregon manager
of the j. c. Penny chain of stores
and formerly merchant Of Pendle-
ton ore. was Monday night convicted
of the fair witnesses and fined $40 BY |
Municipal Judge Langguth.
| The alleged attacks, according tol
testimony, consisted OF unwelcome
caresses. Mr.. Frost and Mrs, Frost
both testified that the former had al
| habit of laying his hands upon the
arms and shoulders of his employees,
and that the caresses were probably
an unconscious manifestation of this
| habit.
The girls, all of whom are about 20I
years old, testified that the alleged
caresses were unmistakably intended
as the bona fide article. Judge Lang
guth said that if the petting was the
result of habit, the habit had become
| pernicious.
Witness Is Pretty.
The first witness appeared under
the name of Miss Emily Young. She
was pretty enough to tempt a man
without the habit of unconscious pet.
! ting and she testified that Mr.. Frost
had been subjected to an exceptional
| ly bad attack of his "habit" when she
called at his office in the Northwest
ern hank building to apply for a po-
sition as stenographer
He put his arms around me and
| kissed me three times" she testified
The girl swooned az this juncture,
she said Mr.. Frost admitted the
swooning, but said that it was due to
some other cause.
On cross-examination his attorneys
tried to make Miss Young admit that
she had the "habit" of swooning.
That was the second time I ever
tainted in my life," the girl retorted
THE other time was at school when
l had been working too hard"
Miss Young said she had studied in
the jefferson high school and at
Whitman College. She is a brunette
| with dark hair and large brown eyes.
She testified in a clear, distinct voice,
and came through the cross-examina-
ton with flying colors.
Miss Marie Snyder was the name
assumed by the next witness. Miss
Snyder was not caressed. although she
objected to Mr. Frost-s line of CONVEX
sation.
He asked me if I liked to be pet
ted" she swore.
Miss Snyder likewise was dark, and
dainty and pretty.
Then Miss Young's mother took the
stand. The mother remembered a.
time that her daughter sWooned from
toothache before the girl was old
enough to remember, but maintained
that the girl did not 10 1t as the re-
| suit OF a habit
Belle Rosen" was another bru-
nette.
| DO you ever let anyone pet you
up?" Miss Rosen said Mr.. Frost asked
her.
"No one but my father" she said
she Indignantly replied.
Embrace Is Related.
After that Mr.. Frost put his arms
around the witness. she said. and told
her that he would like to have a lit
tie girl like her. The defendant them
dictated a letter to her. This was
followed by talk about the girls
chance Of getting the job Mr. Frost
insisted on an answer 20 his question
about petting, she testified. Miss
Rosen said she wanted a reply to her
question about the position.
The next witness was given the
name of Lola Wilma Sharp. She was
not one Of the formal complainants,
but related her experiences for the
edification of the court.
THE typewriter in Mr. Frost's Of
llAt " d5 'lIiitl Git ilbill iilllltt 9ilt
testified. 81 made some mistakes on
that account and | apologized for it,
That's all right, grille, don't be
nervous, he told me
~ was running the typewriter
again she continued. when he seiz- {
ed both my hands in his. / protest
ed You're such an appealing young
thing he told me. I've been so un-
happy for the past two years that =
need a confidential secretary to tell
my troubles to-
Miss Sharp said she declined a pri- {
vate secretaryship on such terms, but
later returned and worked at odd
times for Mr.. Frost
Or. c. J. Smith, candidate for the
nomination for governor at the last
state primaries, testified as to Mr. T
Frost's good character DR. Smith
said he had known Mr. Frost both In /,
Pendleton and Portland other wit |
nesses were Mrs Frost, Eugene Kis-
sell. superintendent of the Northwest
Bank building, and a former sten0- =
grapher for Mr.. Frost. An insisted
that as far as they knew the defend /
ant was a man Of good character.