The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-08-21
GIRL TELLS OF
AIDING BURGLARS

NEW YORK. Aug 81. (By Interna-
tional News rvce.)-Eighteen-y year old
Annie Westervelt Is in jail because of
her envy of rich girls. She admits
she aided five youths who are accused
of robbing Fifth avenue home.
In her cell the girl sobbed out her
story
IF 1 had only given one little
thought to my mother and offered a
prayer to my patron saint for the
strength to overcome temptation /
wouldn't be in this terrible trouble to-
day. But l was envious Of the girls
who enjoyed wealth and luxury and
failed to heed the commandment Thou
shalt not steay' Now my dreams are
shattered, and / can only look forward
to disgrace and perhaps long years in
prison."
1t was the thought of the sorrow
she had brought upon her widowed
mother and herr two younger sisters,
Margaret 16, and Barbara, 15, that
brought tears to her blue eyes.
A sad-faced little creature, the white
ness of her skin accumulated by the
pallor of indoor toll in cigaret fac
tory, she pointed to her simple shirt
waist and plain black skirt and said,
sadly:
II wasn't satisfied with these-and
they were made by my poor mother,
too-and Just let myself believe that
perhaps / could wear expensive gowns
and jewels like the girls l used to see
walking on Fifth avenue on my way
home from work. Yes. l was envious
and never stopped to think of the con-
sequences. But maybe If / tell the
whole truth, just as l tell it to you,
the judge will give me chance to
make amends. ] want to be good
for my mother because l know this
terrible thing will break her heart"
Her father died when Barbara, the
youngest child, was year old. The
widowed mother was compelled to put
the children in st. EliZabeth's home,
Staten island, and take employment as
a servant.
-Four years ago Annie was taken out
Of the orphanage and the mother by
dint of self-denial, established a home
To years later, Margaret and Barbara
were returned to the mother and when
the younger ones were old enough, like
Annie, they went to work.
of course, like most girls, I longed
Tor lovely dresses and jewelry, but /
never thought till just recently that
| would ever do wrong to get them.
| know 1t is sinful to be envious, but
when l saw handsomely gowned wom-
en- and girls on Fifth avenue wearing
expensive dresses and furs and jewels,
why l Just couldn't help thinking and
thinking how happy. would be II only
l could have them" the girl said.
Then one night recently Walter Nc.
Keen told me it was an easy matter
to get all sorts of costly dresses and
jewels If l would help him and the
other boys in an affair they had in
mind.
Then Walter called for me, and.
believing he was going to take me IN
a movie / went out with him In
stead, however, he took me over on
Fifth avenue, where he met Frank and
George Rubino, Walters brother, Pete,
| and boy named Murphy. Then they
told me they intended to rob the house
at No. 927, and instructed me to stand
| on the corner and watch for q SoIice-
man. l was so scared that | could
| hardly speak, but before I knew it three
of the boys scaled the iron fence and
| broke into the place.
After about a half hour the gates
opened and the boys came out, carrying
q small iron safe. They put it into
the taxi they had and drove off, while
| Walter and I walked home together.
Before they started off they asked
| me If 1t would be all right to take the
safe to my home, and I consented
asleep when they carried it upstairs
| and hid it in a closet The next day
after my sisters went to work, the boys
came up and opened it with tools they
| bad brought.
When beheld all the jewelry
repented the crazy thing I had done
| But it was too late.
| The next I heard was when thu
| eoys we're arrested in the pawnshor
| on Lexington avenue, where Frank Ru
blno was shot in the back while try.
| ing to escape"