The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-08-26
But He Sent the Miss to
| = The Insane Hospital
PATHETIC CASE RECITED
MotherIe:s andFatherIess,W Weak
!! minded, Young Female Trod
E.L%,. Crimson Path 49,.
| j g.tz.G,

chester, to which institution she was
committed by Judge Weber after an
inquiry into her mentality.
Fifteen years ago last April Hazel
was born in Wisconsin. There was
no welcome for this waif cast upon
the shoals of time, for she was never
to know one whom she could call
father: no daddy to buy her fire
crackers for Fourth Of July; no daddy
to fill her stocking at Christmas; no
daddy to remember her birthday.
Her mother was not glad of her ar
rival and deserted her TO enter den
in ST. Paul The grandmother Of
this child planned, it is said, to take
its life. A woman took the child
from the grandmother and raised
her to the age of fifteen, and now the
state will see what it can do with
this child. In all probability Hazel
will not again see the outside or the
iron fence that surrounds the place
10 which she has been sent. For
the good of society the line OF de-
scent OF this blood must go no further
Hazel is a menace.
A survey shows there are 1900
men, women and children in Mime
sofa, outside of the state school for
feeble minded, who should be taken
care of by the state that their blood
strain may be effaced from future
generations.
Average Type Of Good Looks
Hazel is of the average type Of
good looks. In school she was never
able to get beyond the fourth and
fifth grades. Her mind stopped de-
veloping and the sex instinct became
the controlling force with her. II the
state can secure the evidence to con-
vice there are men in this county
who will serve time in Saltwater.
The Red Cross visiting nurse, the
Child Welfare League heard OF the
case and brought the child to this
city. While awaiting the hearings
and the investigations she has been
Mrs. Mary Shellman and Mrs. Henry
Weber. These women have studied
her, marked her words, watched her
in her play and given her simple
household tasks to test her ability.
They tested her in every way to
gauge her mentality. They found
Hazel to be a laughing, crying, sing
ing, sobbing, happy, morose, pleasing,
tantaliing, animal with no under
standing Of morals; no sense OF right
or wrong. She talks about men all
the time. She wanted the judge to
solve the problem by letting her mar
ry a man who had deserted his wife
and family not long ago. One night
she kissed a brakeman at the depot
TO the brakeman's great surprise.
One evening the police matron took
the child TO the movie pictures and
:on the way out she seized the hand
of man in the crowd and gave him
a good hand squeeze to his complete
amazement Ali the time she was
here she had to be watched most
carefully. At her hearing in the
court house she made goo goo eyes
at the judge, who smiled back at the
child and said: Hazel l have about
decided to send you away to school,"
The child threw her head down on
her extended arms on the Judges
desk and exclaimed But ] don't
want to go to school,"
too beautiful a day to cry. If you
could have the best wish of your
heart what would that wish be-"
Il want to live with Mrs. She'll
man." said the child. her tears gone
and her face full of smiles as she
turned to the police matron who
smiled back.
Mrs. Sutton came into court at
this moment and walked over to the
motherless- fatherless one, threw
her arms around and kissed her. The
hearing was suspended for a moment
while the child returned the hug and
laid her head on Mrs. Suttons moth
eTly shoulder.
Could Remember Her Friends
During part of the hearing Hazel
kept her head On the shoulder of
Mrs. Sutton. and played with that
lady's chain of beads, now laughing
the court would raise conflicting
emotions in the childs breast.
At the hearing was Carl Baudler,
acting county attorney in the absence
Of his brother Otto. He paid close
attention to the questions that were
asked in testing the child's mentality
end knowledge and also asked ques-
tions.
Can you remember the names of
yes" said Hazel, But they are
not worth remembering"
Hazel showed she had reasonably
active mind but Mrs. Shellman said
the girl had these flashes which were
followed by spells in which she was
exceedingly dull.
Judge Weber asked Mrs. Shellman
"In talking with Hazel did not find
her we'll posted for one of her age?"
I'm some lines she was only too
well posted, l am sorry to say" re-
piled the police matron.
After some further questioning the
judge asked Mrs. Sutton to take Haz-
ell to another room. Not once in
Hazels presence had the term feeble
minded" been used. The feeling of
this child were carefully considered
She could not be sent to an insti-
tuition for incorrigibibity for Hazel
was not, that, for that presupposes
a mentality that distinguished be-
tween right and wrong, something
that Hazel does not possess. There
was but one institution to which she
could be properly sent.
Hazel has half sister, at the
school OF feeble minded who was
sent there from some other country,
according to the girls story when
she was telling the court about the
whereabouts Of the members of her
family as far as she knows.
Died Of His Injuries.
' Winona, August 2i.-Harold Henry,
one OF the four young men of Oron-
OCO township. near Pncbacfar ,bo