Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1921-05-15
White Slave Ring
=
Which Operated
HereIs Broken Up
Daughter of Wealthy New
York Spanish Family, Her
self a Victim, Helps Send
Husband to Prison.

ment of justice operatives here, wer
revealed Saturday.
How innocent girls were trans
ported from Des Moines and Kansa
| City to Omaha during the past thre
or four years; how these very girl
were used in running down the mcl
who were responsible for thei
downfall and how the broken-heartet
confession of the wife of one Of th'
ring leaders led to arrests and con
| viction of three men, all these com
bine to make story replete will
thrills.
Z. w. Byrn, agent in charge of th'
Justice department here, was seateC
III his Office at the federal building
when woman, still showing tht
signs OF former youth and beauty
entered
Woman Bares Ring.
He had already been informed o
the white slave ring operating here
and had assigned agents to run i
down." He was a bit startled
though, when the woman informed
him that she was Mrs. J. Lorenzo
Pima, wife of one of the alleged
leaders of the ring.
II have come" she announced"
because ! could stand no more. My
husband has been growing rich here
through the traffic i'll souls he has
been carrying on for years. He no
longer cares for me-so why should
| not speak.
There were tears in her eyes as
she told of her youth and hopes. She
was the daughter of a wealthy New
York family of Spanish extraction.
Her large dark eyes snapped, how
ever, as only Latin eyes can snap,
as she told how her girlhood dreams
had been shattered by the cuelty of
her husband.
Met Husband in New York.
Il met him in New York--in my
fathers house. she said. HE was
the son OF rich Mexican planter,
ard very handsome. He made love
to me-but though my parents were
of Spanish descent they objected.
I'VE ran away. Since, he has
dragged me to the lowest depths. |
tried again and again to escape him,
but he followed me everywhere. He
made no secret OF the business he
was engaged in. Once he was ar
rested and thought had gained
my freedom, but he sent a brother
to watch me until he was released.
"On another occasion he sent his
attorney after me to threaten me il
failed to come to him again. 1t
was OF no use--I could not escape.
Operated In Bluffs.
81 could still have told on him,
had him arrested, but until now |
thought he still cared for me in a
way, and hesitated. The last illu
sion was broken when the other
night we went to Council Bluffs.
He had two OF his victims with him.
"NNe registered at hotel as man
and wife and the other two girls
took separate room. On some ex-
cuse ne did not accompany me to
my room. | waited through the
long night hours, but he did not
come. Then l knew it was the end"
$50 you want to tell us about the
white slave ring" said Mr.. Byrn as
the woman stopped speaking. you
want us to put stop to this traffic
III souls?"
"There is nothing | want more"
exclaimed the woman who was once
beautiful!
She proceeded to tell of a rooming
house on the South Side where girls
were taken. She told of arrange
ments with many. hotels here, made
by the ringleaders, according to Mr.:
Ryrn. She even gave the names OF
some Of the girls wronged by the
ring.
Arrests Were Easy.
With this information the depart
ment here stationed victims in ,Des
Moines and Kansas City. With their
cooperation J. Lorenzo Pima, P. ].
Martinez and Louis Thomas were ar
reStcQ. Ilna Was dTTeStSu III SOuii-
Gil Bluffs, the other two in Des
Moines.
Two days ago these men were
tried before federal Judge in Des
Moines and each sentenced to five
years in the federal prison. The
witness against them was
Mrs. Pima. -Four other girls also ap,
peared against them. Hundreds OF
girls have been brought here by the
ring, which was led by these three
men, operatives say.
Mrs. Pima, the woman who made
the successful operations of the de-
psrtment possible, is living in cozy
little apartment here, free from the
man who dragged" her down. Mr..
Byrn will not give the address Of
the apartment. He is furnishing her
protection from any revengful mem-
bers of the ring. "And," said Byrn,
possibly Mrs. Pina's happiness is
greater because she has taken one
of her husbands victims into her