Omaha daily bee., 1920-11-23
Collins Fiancee
Did Duty, Says
Her Closest Chunl
Omaha Misses Disagree Over
Problem of Whether Fl.
ancee Should Expose
Mail Robber.

Elsie Janowski. the girl who
might have been bridesmaid for
Miss Ella Peterson, had Miss Peter
son married Keith L. Collins. cx-
! army officer, implicated in the Coun-
Gil Bluffs registered mail robbery,
was busy filing accounts at Union
Pacific headquarters yesterday.
Occasionally, she paused to glance
at the empty char beside her-the
chair her closest chum, Miss Peter
son, had occupied. -....
"Poor girl" she sighed" how she
tlust be suffering But Ella did her
duty in telling the police about Col
iins, even though she loved him so
much. .....
No, didn't know him, but Ella
must have loved him or she wouldn't
have planned to marry him., She
as that kind of girl. don't know
whether I'd have been bridesmaid at
the wedding or not, but we were
very close friends"
Girl Hailed Heroine.
Other employees of the auditing
and accounting Office of the Union
Pacific. where Miss Peterson worked,
from the Office boy to the manager,
consider Miss Peterson real, hon
est TO goodness heroine"
They declare by telling the police
of Collins probable participation in
the robbery she made a sacrifice
that should place her in the ranks
with Edith Carell, and are planning
to send her flowers during her i'll
ness resulting from the sacrifice.
There are many women, however,
who criticize Miss Peterson for I'M
plicating her fiance.
IF | really cared for man I'd
never tell anyone if he did wrong
said Miss Margaret Lawrenson, 624
North. Thirty-third street.
Doubts, Her Love.
R mo. | don't think I'd marry him,
but you can't tell / don't believe
Miss Peterson really cared for him
or she wouldn't have told police he
had robbed the mail"
IF | loved a man as Miss Peter
son is said to have loved Collins. I'd
have married him regardless of
everything" declared Miss Agnes
Singles, an ernploye of the Cham
Der, of Commerce.
Mrs. Mabel Walker, Omaha con-
vention secretary, declared she be-
lieved Miss Peterson did right in ex-
posing her lovers crime.
1T would have been different if
they were already married." said
Mrs. Walker. Il think Miss Peter
son would have stayed with him un
der all circumstances if they had
been married"
Only Thing to Do. |
II certainly would have told po-
lice just as Miss Peterson did," as
serted Miss Lora Swenson. secretary
for Commissioner ]. David Larson
of the Chamber of Commerce. 1T
was the only thing for her to do"
Collins just picked the wrong
girl" was the way Miss Ruth kloss-
ner, ll24 North Fortieth street,
summed up the case. /
Lots of girls would have married |
him when he told them he had SO |
much money. Lots of girls would |
have fed with him, gone to Europe |
or some place, as he wanted to do.
and enjoyed a gay life. /
"Would L" Well, don't know. /,
But / certainly wouldn't have told !
police about ii. | believe ! might |
have helped him escape if l really |
cared for him" |
Girl Is Still Ill.
Miss Lillian Weberg, of the Cham
ber of Commerce, denied she was
hard.hearted," but declared she |
would certainly have told police on
any man whom she knew to be
thief.
"Miss Peterson did right" she de-
clared. ~.
Mrs. J. H. Peterson, Elias mother,
refused to allow anyone to see Ella
this morning.
"She is feeling better, but she
doesn't want to talk about the mat
ter" said the mother. 1--WE are very |
proud OF her for giving up her hap
piness to dc her duty, but we want |
her to forget it ail--including Col
lins. and start life again"
When Miss Peterson. who is
Young and pretty, met Collins the
first time he was wearing his army |
uniform.
They had been engaged for nearly |
l year, according to friends. and |
had expected to be married within |
a few weeks.
When, last Tuesday. Collins called |