The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-12-12

moral condition. No one appeared
on behalf of the girl. She must
pay the price. Her life has been
damaged beyond repair--and no
one stands ready to make plea
for her. She must 60 through
life branded with the scarlet let
ter. Those who contributed to
her misfortune are given an OPP
portunity to redeem themselves.
The above editorial appeared in
The Free Press a few days ago.
Judge w. l.. Comstock, in the dis
trict court this morning, took oc-
casion to make reference 10 COM
ment in a recent publication" re-
garding the cases of the four young
men who appeared in the court and
entered pleas of guilty to a charge of
attempted, carnal knowledge AS The
Free Press is the only publication
which has referred to the cases in
question the judge could have had
no other newspaper in mind.l His
remarks were made after the de-
PENDANTS Henry Fahro and Mike Aldo
appeared before, him, at which time
Fahro was released, under parole
similar to that imposed for Robert
McHugh and Bay Kivovitch. nix
The court declared that there had
been expressions of misplaced SYM
pathy in the cases. He referred TO
the statements in the recent publi-
cation to the effect that counsels
stood in the court room and pleaded
for clemency for the young men
while no one appeared in behalf of
the correspondent, the girl who had
been wronged. Eaa
Judge Comstock declared he was
prepared to say emphatically that the
responsibility Of the boys was no
greater than that OF the correspond
ent or of the community. lie de-
clared that the girl was menace to
the community and that she created
an immoral influence in the COM
munity. 900
Regret One Mans Escape. ID
He said that the only regret in the
case was that the person originally
responsible for the downfall of the
girl could not be found, that the au-
thorities had authorized due diligence
in an effort to find that person and
that they had failed to find him. Re
ferring to the present condition of
the young woman the court stated
that she had a home under proper
influences, circumstances and care,
all given her by the state. Long ago,
he said, the authorities and the state
did all possible for her welfare and
that it was unfair to mislead people
into the belief she had been other
wise treated
The state, he claimed, had given
the girl an opportunity to reconstruct
her life. Such cases as these, Judge
Comstock said, should be a warning
to fathers and mothers to give great
er heed to the welfare of their chill
dren. Such cases, he said. were
startling in their frequency and that
they indicated moral lapse. The
present instances he pointed out as
a warning to the community.
In closing the court said he made
these statements in justice to the
attorneys who appeared for the de-
PENDANTS and in justice to the county
attorney.
In passing it, might be well to
briefly review the case which has
called forth the above comment. The
young woman, who was the CO.
respondent in these cases came to
Mankato to attend one of the schools
here. At that time she was a child
in the sight of the law, being but
seventeen years of age. AS far as
diligent inquiries reveal the young
girl at the time she came to Man
kato, bore a reputation which was
considered good. That such was the
case is indicated from the fact that
the institutions of learning here do
not welcome others than those hav-
ing good regulations.
From the statements of officers
who investigated the case it appears
that the girl, on certain occasion.
went to st. Peter in company with
another girl and two young men. At
ST. Peter the report was, the girl be-
came under the influence of intoxi-
cants and while in that condition was
abused by the young man accom-
panying her.
Later she found that the reports OF
the occurrence had spread to such an
extent that her reputation was
ruined, according to her own story.
and the first night of debauchery led
to others. Attention of Juvenile
Judge Evan Hughes was later called
to the condition of the young woman
who was about to become a mother
and who it is claimed had also con-
tracted venereal disease. She was
committed by Judge Hughes to the
state school for girls at Sank Center.
Publicity Given Case.
In the Investigations made by
Judge Hughes the implication of the