The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-09-12

human interest. 1t was not written
with the intention Of rejecting upon
any particular class or creed of peo-
pie. Before passing upon 1t its au-
thenticity was established beyond a
doubt. In fact The Journal has copies
OF other letters written by the un-
fortunate dead girl which bear out the
truth OF the story of the letter written
on the wall of one of our citys pub
lie buildings.
The story was read and would UNI
doubtedIy been forgotten, as many
other newspaper articles are. were it
not for the fact that a certain element
in the city took occasion to create a
feeling against The Journal by urging
some Of the men at the navy yard to
resent 1t, insinuating that it was meant
as a personal affront to them.
4 Saturday night three men, dressed
in naval uniforms, came to The Jour-
nal office and made threats, demand
ing that we retract the statement
made in the article, stating that a
meeting had been held at the yards
about the article in question and that
the commanding officer had told them
to come to the office Of This Journal
and get satisfaction of some kind and
to go as far as they liked.
They were talked kindly to, having
explained to them that The Journal
did not in that article, and had not
in any way reflected upon the service
men in the city or elsewhere.
This they didn't want to, or couldn't
understand. apparently bent on Great
| ing trouble. We told them after fur
Their argument that when they were
ready to talk reasonable and sensible
we were ready to listen to them, but
If they couldn't listen to reason to
leave. which they did.
When they left, however. it was with
the parting shot that they would
get you yet"
we Immediately phoned to the
commanding officer telling him OF the
circumstances, asking him (although
We knew full well that he hand'0 If
he had given any such permission. He
stated that he knew nothing whatever
of the case in fact had not read the
story in The Journal. The incident
was then closed, as far as we were
concerned, but an article in yester-
day mornings News purported to have
been written by two service men cam
not go unchallenged.
THE ARTICLE BEGINS WITH AN
ABSOLUTE FALSEHOOD. NO ONE
BROUGHT THE LETTER TO THE
JOURNAL OFFICE, OR ANY OTHER
LETTER IN REGARD TO THE
STORY OF THE LITTLE GIRL PUB
LTSHED IN SATURDAYS JOUR-
NAL HENCE THE JOURNAL DID
NOT REFUSE TO PRINT IT.
The author of the second letter evil
IDENTIFY does not know what he is talk
ing about, and from the tone of his
letter evidently had not even taken
the trouble to read The Journals story
of Saturday, but had taken someone
else's word for it. AS for his personal
remarks, The Journal wishes to state
that it does not deal in personalities,
SO will not answer them.
Following Is the story in The jour-
nal of Saturday which was resented
by some and we think small part,
of the service men here:
PATHETIC STORY OF YOUNG WOMAN
Did you ever stop to think of the little
piece of humanity going down the street
in the form of girl whom you knew was
friendless? Well, there are many pa
thetic little stories whispered from ear to
ear every day in Pensacola of which
many would shock the modem public If
the facts were made bare. But this MAX
ing facts bare can't always be done to
mean well in the sight of the public.
The public is a great body of people who
can and do generally criticize anything
which does not exactly meet up to its
closest expectation in morals, character
and sentiment. But the greatest Of all
standards at present in the human mind
seems to be morals, for this reason
little story is being told to the reader that
has been copied from the walls of one of
the public institutions of the city. The
story has. been investigated and has been
found to be of true authenticity, and
reads in part as follows:
my home was down In a little old
town In Florida, and | came 70 PEN
sacola, Fla, when | was only "a years
Of age, my people moving here at that
time. My mother died In February,
1919, and my father died In March,
1920. was left all alone ard only
IS years old. Then along came .
sailor boy who finally wrecked my
life. Today | am IS years old and
getting drunk and going to Jail every
night. Now, girls, DON'T ret q sailor
be too friendly with you.''
The name OF the writer was written
very plainly. and If the critieizing public
would be Of more kind mind toward the
unfortunate girl once in a while there
would be a greater number of girls
found every year who disappear so
mysteriously from all over the United
United States.
The little girl referred to in the above
story died in public hospital in New
Orleans last month without home or
friends. This story is related with the
knowledge that many who read this story
will know who the little piece OF human
ity was, and that they may in turn tell
it to some other little girl that she may
know what the end will finally be-
The News, with its usual character
istics for inaccuracy, prints yesterday
morning two letters pnrported to be
signed by men from the Naval Air
ton nav 0f Y1rafapa fha News