The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-09-09
LURE OF MOVIES
LOSES HOLD ON
THOMPSON GIRL

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 9.-The
mental and physical strain under
which she had labored for nearly six
weeks following her sudden disap-
pearanee from her Washington home,
having become too great for her TO
longer bear. fifteen-year-old Mar
jorie Thompson is i'll in the House
Of Detention here today, a near-ner-
vous wreck.
Her ambition shattered. her child
hood ideals vanished in thin air, the
girl is in a serious condition.
She now wants to ret:rn to Wash
ington with her mother. Mrs. Marie
Thompson, of 10 Grant place, that
city, who was SUI omned here by the
police on Friday night. Mrs. Thomp-
son is at her bedside, ready TO take
her back to the Capital as soon as
physicians will permit her removal.
Softened By Mothers Tears.
The collapse OF the girl came at the
City Hall late yesterday afternoon.
when the mother went to the girls
room and told her that she would
make one last appeal for her to ac-
company her home. Up TO this time
she had maintained q resolute air OF
nonchalance. This sight Of her pa
rent was too much for the girl
Mother, motheri" she sobbed- "rm
so sorry. but 1 didn't want to go to
school I'm 50 sorry caused you all
this worry, and / do want to go home
I 7
home! Please take me back"
Mrs. Thompson broke down at this
outburst. and when the runaway
daughter saw the tears start from
her mothers eyes she became hyster-
zeal. Efforts to quiet the girl met
with little response for more than an
hour. and finally the officials of the
house OF detention decided that II
would be dangerous to remove her At
this time. She will be given the best
OF care until she has completely re-
covered, which probably will be by
tomorrow. and her mother will be per
mitted to remain with her until then
bracelet Bond Of Reunion.
A pawnbroker's perception and
ability to read human nature played
a great part in the apprehension Of
the slip of q girl whose ambition
was TO become a motion picture
actress and foregO the dry geography.
history, and dead languages that CON
stituted her course in Washington
schools.
BY a queer twist in the scheme of
things, a gold bracelet presented to
the runaway girl by her mother was
hAn1 hWnrghF 10
gether again
A picture OF the girl flashed on
the screens OF nearly every motion
picture theater in Philadelphia, was
directly responsible for her arrest.
however, although the bracelet, a
pawn ticket the good memory OF 4
paw nbroker, all assisted.
The girls funds ran out Friday
night. She had been working in a
Market street department store since
the end OF her first week here. dur
ing which she found that the Offices
OF motion picture producers are as
far apart a. Inilestones, ana as cold
toward nOvices as marble. She OBJ
tanned a position as cashier at a wage
so low IL was paltry compared to
the allowance to which she had been
accustomed at home. 90 when her
funds ran out she was at her wits
end in an effort to devise a scheme
whereby she could continue padding
her own canoe. She recalled hearing
Of pawnshops. and decided to pledge
her one-prized possession. the brace
let her mother had given her.
She visited a Columbia avenue
pswnshop and obtained a 81 loan on
the trinket. The pavnbroker was
keen. and OWNED that something was
wrong. so he notified the detective
bureau. giving a description OF the
bracelet An examination of descrip-
lions on file there traced the bracelet
to the missing girl. and Detective
Shay Immediately was dispatched on
the case.
Shay set out TO md the girl. with
out any definite address. However. q
few inquiries set him upon the right
trail and he experienced little difi-
Guilty In locating the girl in a room
ing house on Twelfth street above
Columbia avenue. She had given her