The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-03
BY HEAVENS HAND
Mary Chesney Receiving Her
Punishment Now.
Notorious Topeka Character Is
Near Deaths Door.
HAD STROKE OF PARALY SIS
She Will Probably Never Have
to Go to "Pen."
Providence Will Take Her tt
Eternal Reckoning Soon.

Nature didn't wait for man to pun
ish Mary Shesney for her transgres-
sions Two courts have been sitting
upon her case concurrently and the
court created by men acted too slowly.
Mary suffered a stroke of paralysis
and lies at the home of her parents
in a little Missouri town, close to
death.
She was convicted of a form OF
white slavery in the district court OF
Shawnee county and sentenced to a
minimum of year in the penitentlary.
She appealed to the supreme court
and the appeal has been dismissed
Under ordinary circumstances the
dismissal would be the signal for her
admission to the penitentiary-
But she will not be taken to the
penitentiary, now, and perhaps not at
all. Her punishment for NE OF
error is greater than that administered
by the court of Shawnee county. 1t is
of a hopeless character, ending only
in death. And the termination OF
sentence is a secret not made known
to her Only the Great Judge who
passed sentence knows the day ana
the hour.
Belle of Her Glass.
Mary Chesney was once the belle
and spent money Iavishly before pro
hibitory laws were recognized. She
lived and dressed like queen For
years the gossip in Topeka was that
officers did not dare" touch Mary
Chesney; that political powers would
answer her faintest reckoning. Her
establishment on lower Kansas avenue
was known far and wide but no one
thought of molesting her.
| She was a peculiar. a mysterious
woman. Old timers say she was hand
some with a dark, oriental form OF
/ beauty Certain 1t is that she held a
mysterious charm. for year after year,
when sisters in her profession had
! given up the battle against odds and
moved on, she continued her estab-
| lishment. True, tightening up of the
liquor laws cut down her resources
reduced her expenditures and the ele-
gance of her establishment but she
continued. The memorable years stole
from her store of beauty and charm
! Powerful friends, if she had them
| fell away from her.
END of Her Career.
Last summer found her still occu-
plying place on lower Kansas ave-
nue., mere mockery of the splendid
apartments she once maintained. II
found her lodging the law with a
couple of cases of beer week and
with girls coming from Kansas City Oh
alternating weeks. She had become
ostensibly, third rate rooming house
keeper. She was a relic of day
that had passed.
Mayor House put detectives on her
trail. Two girls who had been sent
for by her were met at the train
taken to a restaurant, arrested there
with the detectives, given the third
degree" and held as witnesses. They
told the sordid story of their own and
Mary Chesneys existence The Ches-
ney woman was arrested, tried and
convicted. No powerful friend APP
peared in court to bear her expenses
No one warned the officers to keel
off. Mary was deserted. She appeal
ed her case. gave bond and gave uI
the fight. The only place left to hei
was the home of her aged parents
whom the public did not know ex-
isted Il was to them she went and il
is with them, not in the penitentiary
that she is enduring her punishment