Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-09-23
SEEKS TO MAKE LEGITIMATE
HER CHILD AS YET
UNBORN.
GIRLS STORY TOUCHES
HEARTS OF MANY PEOPLE
Former Fort Madison Newspaper Re-
porter Falls in Love With Convict.
Secures His Parole and Lives With
Him as Common Law Wife Until
He Can Wed.


against convict marrying, permit
a little child to come into the world
naneless?f
This Is the question those who
have interested themselves in the
case have been asking ever since
last Saturday when Matron Ransom
of the Burlington police department,
took heartbroken Florence Greeley
from the Union hotel while Special
Officer w r. Spry continued on to
Fort Madison and the prison with
Harry Lennon.
Lennon must serve five years
more for violating his parole.
The girl was taken to Des Moines
by Mrs. Foreman of the Salvation
Army and placed in the maternity
department of the army's home there
to await the arrival of the babe next
month.
Girl VIII Work and Wait.
"As soon as l grow strong enough,
intend to return to Fort Madison.
secure work and support my child
and myself until the gates open and
the father is again given his free
dom. Then we shall start again.
Miss Greeley told Mrs. Foreman as
she left her in Des Moines.
Mrs. Foreman returned to Burling-
ton and at once interested others in
securing permission for the marriage
to take place within the prisons
walls so that the mother will have
the consolation of knowing that her
child is legally entitled to the fathers
name Warden Hollowell and Oscar
Neal of the states prison staff, said
that. under the circumstances. they
believe permission will be granted,
The matter is being taken up with
Governor Harding and the members
OF the state board OF parole.
Fort Madison Newspaper Woman.
Miss Greeley, who comes ola Well
known Ottumwa family was for
merly a newspaper woman of Fort
Madison, and it was while employed
on the Fort Madison Democrat that
she met and fell In love with Harry
Lennon. convict serving term
for forgery. She interested others in
his case and was instrumental in
securing his release on parole.
The parole was granted about q
year ago and Lennon took the young
woman with him to Creston. Iowa. .
Under the terms Of the parole he
could not leave the state nor marry
for year and was required to make
monthly reports to the board during
that time. Lennon and Miss Greeley
agreed to live as man and wife until
the year was up and then marry. ac-
cording to the story toli by the girl.
It appears. however, that some sort
of ceremony was performed, for. at
one, time, the girl said, Lennon
wanted to marry her again." after
he had been taken in charge by the
special officer.
Violates His Parole.
After making ten reports while at
Creston and with but two months to
walt until. he would be a FREQ man,
Lennon decided that the stigma Of
being a convict that had followed
him to Crestof was too much to bear,
and taking the girl with him. he left
for Winnipeg, Canada. This violated
the terms OF his parole and the
special officer was sent after him.
He was captured IN Winnipeg and
made no effort to resist being re-
turned to prison.
The girl, about to become mother,
pawned some fancy work she had for
enough money TO take her to Mime
apolis, but that was ALL Then she
as far as Burlington with her hus-
band. Spry, touched with the girls
plight, paid her expenses to Burling-
ton and lodged her in tho Union
hotel. reporting the matter to Mrs.
Ransom at police headquarters. Mrs.
Ransom at once went for the girl,
but tho deeply touched by her story,
was powerless to aid her, SO she, in
turn, called in Mrs. Foreman, of the
Salvation Army.
Girl sobs Out Her Story.
AS soon as the girl saw Mrs. Fore
man she broke into tears and sobbed
out her whole story on the motherly
| breast of the big hearted woman She
had recognized her thru a former ac-
quaintance in Ottumwa, altho Mrs.
Foreman did not recall Miss Greeley
until the girl explained who she was.
II can not tell her story" Mrs.
Foreman said. "She is heartbroken
and conf1ded in me only under a
promise of secrecy, but she is deter
| mined to be brave and not only will
she wait for this mans prison term
to expire, but Is planning to again
find work in Mort Madison so that
she will be near him. She told me
what to do and whom to notify in
case she does not recover. She is
comfortable in our home at Des
Moines and will be given the very
best of care. hope, however, that
the state authorities can be prevailed
upon to- allow them to be married"
Mans Record Bad.
According to the prison authorities,
Lennon, alias Harry Griffith, has a
bad record, altho he was good pris-
oner. e.
After serving a term in prison else
where and a term in the boys re-
formatory, he was convicted Of
forgery at Davenport five years ago.
He was made a trusty at the prison
and did much clerical work there and
finally was granted permission to fur
nish the prison news to the Fort
Madison Democrat. It was while
doing this that he met Miss Greeley.
He convinced her that he had re-
formed. She trusted him and made
frequent visits to the prison to gee
him altho friends warned her against
him. Altho he violated his parole
there is nothing to show that, with
the help Of the girl who has been un-
swerving in her faith in him, he has
not reformed. u
hrifrht ocrean M ION sfn1,o &C.