Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1918-03-01
HAD A CnECKERED CAREER.

[From the Daily Independent
Gertrude Kirby, alias Gertrude
Lloyd, alias Gertrude Thorpe, the
young woman who attempted to com.
NIT suicide q few days ago ct MT.
Jackson, and who was rushed to the
Rockingham Memorial Hospital to be
given medical assistance to save her
from her rash act of taking mercury
tablets, Monday gave up her comfor.
table quarters at the hospital to ex-
change them for cell in the county
jail.
Mrs. Thorpe or whatever her name
really is, has had a checkered career.
She is young and beautiful but in her
short life she has lived as sensational
an existence as has ever fallen to the
lot OF any one woman to live.
RAISED IN SHENANDOAH
Raised from childhood by a promi-
nent citizen of Shenandoah county she
fell from grace and disappeared from
her home there. She next was heard
from In Washington when she was
charged by the police of that city with
grand larceny, having stolen goods to
the amount of sl25 from one Phoebe
Howell, Of that city. The list of goods
stolen comprise watch and chain, a
bracelet. pair of gloves, overshoes, 2
pairs OF shoes, one dress, one coat,
one skirt, one muff, one fur neck
piece and a lot of other valuable
property with which 1t was claimed
she QUILTED herself to "make a
killing" with the men of that city.
INDICTED IN WASHINGTON
For this offense she was indicted in
the courts of Washington on January
", 1915, and drew sentence of two
years in the federal penitentiary On
account OF her beauty and her promise
to reform and lead a different life
Justice Harry Covington, suspended
the sentence and paroled her. For
several months she walked the straight
and narrow way, reporting each
month to the authorities, provision
OF her parole. firing of her simple
life she again disappeared, breaking
her parole.
ARRESTED IN HARRISoNBURG
Shortly thereafter she came to Har-
risonburg. She secured a position
with the family of j. F. Gochenour
and remained there several months.
Then Mrs. Gochenour was taken to
the hospital and during her illness a
large amount of valuable household
goods disappeared and with them dis
appeared the woman. She was round
ed up in a day or two by the local
police, who upon searching her room
found the missing articles. She was
then placed in Jail to await trial but
her accuser not wishing to appear
against her the Shenandoah county
man who raised her was appealed to
by the woman. This man came here
and paid the costs of her arrest and
she was allowed to 20 free from the
charge of stealing the Gochenour
property.
RRTUR NED To WASHINGTON
The woman remained in Shenan-
doah county for some time and then
again went to her old haunts in and
around Washington and Alexandria.
There J she again skipped out, this
time coming TO Harrisonburg, where
she remained some time.
The Washington police, learning
that she had been here, sent word 10
the local officers to hold her for the
violation of her parole in that city
They went for her at her stopping
place. But the bird had flown.
ESCAPED OFFICERS AT BROADWAY
Nothing more was heard of her un-
til some months later when the Aa-
police force was again
notified by the Washington author
tiles that she had been he ard from at
Broadway. One of the local officers
made trip to Broadway armed with
a warrent for her arrest. But again
she had just gotten away, 1t being
stated then that she had gone to Mt
Jackson. Inquiry there developed
the fact that she had been there but
had 'flitted on her way"
Nothing more was heard OF her until
after she had made the attempt on her
life at Mount Jackson, whore she went
claiming to be the wife of Harry
Thorpe.
TIPPED OFF TO POLICE
While shp was In the hOsDital re