Charlevoix county herald., 1918-09-06
WOMAN SLAYER,
Terror, PAR0LED
WARDEN RELIEVED WHEN SAL
WALTON ARMY CAPTAIN UNDER
TAKES TO REFORM
NELLIE POPE
HER RECORD WAS ALWAYS BAL
Former Painter Of Miniatures Watch
ed Another Man Beat Husband
to Death.

Detroit, Mich Mrs. Nellie Pope.
whose parole from the House Of Cor
rection wrought a feeling of intense
relief to the officials and inmates Of
that State institution, whose greatest
desire was to be rid OF her, is ward
of Capt. Margaret Duffy of the Saliva
ton Army.
Cooperating with Capt. Duffy in the
effort to restore the woman to place
in the free world are Mrs. Robert Y.
Ogg, Mrs. John Trix and Miss Clara
Dyar, through whom certified check
for $1,000 was placed with the State
authorities as a guarantee that she
would not become public charge.
The first step taken by these friends
of Mrs. Pope toward putting her in
the way of earning Livelihood was to
provide her with paint and brushes
with which to try her hand at NINA
ture painting, form Of art in which
she was quite proficient at the time
she was sentenced to prison.
Mrs. Pope had been in the House OF
Correction for Fl years when her pa
role was issued. She had been con-
victed of contributing to the murder
of her husband by man named Prus-
seau, who was given a 25-year term in
the penitentiary and is now dead. The
murder was a peculiarly atrocious
one, Pope having been beaten to death
and the evidence accepted by the trial
jury as true was that the wife had
coolly stood by as witness of the
tragedy.
AS prisoner Mrs. Pope did not
merit clemency. On the contrary, her
conduct was a continual source OF
worry to the prison officials and irri-
tation to the other 800 convicts, from
whom she was kept separated as
much as possible. In order to pre-
vent, as far as practicable, disturb
ance by her of the prisons peace and
quiet it was necessary to find work
that she could perform alone.
When she arrived at the institution
she was put to work with the other in
mates; but when she had several
times thrown the shop into confusion
by her charges against her neighbors,
work was found that kept her isolated.
For a time she darned socks, making
as poor job of it as she could. Then
she carded buttons.
When plans were made to relieve
her of this she stole quantity of but
tons and kept the job going for weeks
after the officials had intended to
take her from it, making as slow time
as possible. Once during chapel she
leaped from the gallery on the heads
of the men prisoners below her.
Mrs. Pope has daughter, but her
identity Is kept secret. She was but z
years old at the time of the mothers
conviction, was adopted by a good
family, her name changed and reared
with refining care. She holds a re-
sponsible business position In this city
and is said to be engaged to marry.
Because of. fear that her life might be
ruined should she become involved In
the publicity attending her mothers
release, those who know her are do
ing what they can to avert this turn
in the case.
Mrs. Pope seemingly is resolved to
become a source of qualification 20
those who were instrumental in get
ting her out of prison. Il want a
chance to he good" she declared after
her release. II want the public to
give me a chance. / want fair treat
ment. / am innocent of the crime for
which / have spent long time in
prison. And it has been long time
a long, long time"
The effects of prison life upon Mrs.
Pope are marked. When she entered
the House of Correction, at 35, there
were no traces of anxiety on her face,
nor was there a strand Of gray in her
hair. Now, at 81, she is tall, almost
caraverous, her sallow cheeks are
sunken, her eyes peer out from deep
hollows and her teeth are in bad con-
dition.
Her friends maintain that she Is
really of fine character and that this
will rapidly develop in the new atmos-
phere surrounding her.