The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-10-17
Bert Hickey, Waiter, Jailed on
Statutory Crime.
He's Accused of WrOnging a
H-Year-OId Girl.
MORE ARRESTS MAY Be MADE
immortality Among Short
Dresses Areuses Officials.
Girls in Teens Go Out in Cars
With Grown Men.

Bert Hickey, Topeka waiter, was
arrested today charged with a statu-
-ory crime against 14-year-old Hazel
3icEWen, who lives near Fourth and
Holiday streets, one of the grade
school girls implicated in the automo-
/ bile scandal in which girls in short
! dresses confessed to improper rela-
/ tons with grown men. Hickey was
| arraigned efore Judge Rad NJ Lee in
| the court of Topeka, entered a plea OF
not guilty and his preliminary hearing
! was set or later date
The complaint was sworn to by
Clyde Tresner, chief of detectives
Hugh. T. Fisher. county attorney, who
! issued the complaint, stated that other
arrests may follow. Hickey was named
by the girls in affidaits sworn to be-
fore county officers. One other man
been arrested. The affidavits show
that while the girls confess to i'm
proper conduct they deny knowledge
of the identity of the men
Given an Examination.
Hickey was arrested by the police
Wednesday night and held for a medi-
cal examination. He was ordered dis
charged by Dr. Earl G. Brown. citv
health officer. The next day the story
or H1ckey'S arrest and discharge was
published and also the fact that he
was reported to be one of the men
morning he was arrested on the seri-
Gus charge
The McEwen girl is the sister of
Elsie Phillips, well known police
character who is in the city Jail at
the present time, preparing for her
third trip to the states home for wild
women at Lansing. 1t was thru the
arrest of Elsie Phillips the last time
that the first clew of the conditions
existing among a clique of girls in
snort dresses was unearthed and the
girls were taken to the city hall for
medical examination. The examina-
tons disclosed that they were not
diseased.
May Make More Arrests.
The girls We're released The fur
Their prosecution of the case deolved
upon the police department and the
county attorneys office. The arrest
of Hickey today upon the sworn COM
tectlves, is the first step in what may
prove to be a wholesale roundup of
grown men who have induced these
IA and 15-year-old girls to go wrong.
Hickey has been engaged in the
taXicab business lately, according to
for examination, he told the police he
was a waiter. He lives near Third
and Lime streets, according to the poi
lice He is 81 years of age.
Five Men Examined.
Five men have been brought before
DR.. Earl G. Brown, city health officer.
during the last two days in connection
with the alleged school girl scandal.
The men were given physical exami-
nations, found not infected, and re-
leased. All admitted having been out
with the girls at various times but de-
MED having improper relations with |
them. Doctor Brown said.
AS the case stands at the present |
time, seven girls and five men have |
been examined, but only one-the 20 |
girl-has been found dis |
eased. The men ranged in age from |
Is to %, it was stated. The man |
whom one of the girls declared was
81. asserted this was not true, but ad- |
mitted he was over 81.
Doctor Brown stated that the six |
school girls involved in the case are
not all from the same school.