Indiana daily times., 1921-07-09
Ey LAUREL c. THAYER-
CIty Court Probation Odicer.

Climbing down a hospital fire escape
IN the dead Of night in a desperate dash
for freedom may not be the approved
way to show ones appreciation Of med
,ical service, but it, at least, has the vir-
tue or originality.
Had the fire alarm struck at 10 o'clock
one night last winter no one would have
been more alarmed than Mabel. as she di-
rected three pairs Of bare feet down the
narrow iron steps Of the fire escape lead
ing from the third floor OF the city hvs-
pitaL The owners Of the feet had taken
this method of thinking the city for
the care its hospital hsd given them.
Mabel, whose sc-called bome was de-
Scribed in a recent Times article. was the
most dangerous Of the three because OF
her daredevil desperation
She must either return 10 an over
crowded home. where poverty, noise.
misunderstanding and dissension was the
daily diet or else be whisked OF TO an
institution.
II successful, there was freedom, ard
later. perhaps. marriage and a home Of
her own. Who knowsf
The stake was worth playing for.
The older of her friends was a moral
degenerate. formerly resident Of a State
institution for incorrigibles. and 4
familiar figure in both the juvenile and
city courts.
Physically, she was large. loosely hung
together, sleepy-eyed. unsttractive; men
tally, a child She. too. had an abusive
Nstepmother given to chasing her away
from home when she resented cooking
and washing dishes for the numerous
children.
Successful in side stepping work, she
had once managed to find employment In
a factory. rooming with a family near
By. Neither work nor girl lasted long
FACTORY WORK
BECOMES DRUDGERY.
Recalling to her hospital pals. one
day. this oasis Of work in a desert Of
idIeness. she had said: Gee, sure did
. hate TO climb those stairs to my room.
Nothin' TO it. Worked all day at the
factory: got supper at a joint on West
Washington street; II I had any money
- left. went to a picture show, and then
wene~t to my room. Family down stairs
never came up. I'd a dropped dead II
they had asked me to visit 'em. Seemed
like they never knew I was alive cept
on rent day. You bet. they never for
got that. Even when 1 was sick once
they never come up
Couldn't you\set on the porch 2" came
from 8 childish voice in the corner. NO.
stree. Not there. That was>for the fam
lily and I didn't belong Used to 20 up
and set in the park. and one night 1 net
the dandiest feller. Gee, but he was
swell Next night he took me out to
SUPPER, and when I got canned at the
factory, he gave me some money"
Two years ago, this girl was arrested
at the home Of some cOlored friends. "
Ii was o'colck when her trial was fin
ished in city court. She had no money
Nobody knew where she was to spend the
night
Neither the state Of Indiana nor the
city OF Indianapolis is equipped for the
institutional care OF delinquent young
women over eighteen.
Because Of the fact. and because this
case illustrates the present very waste
ful, ineffective method Of dealing with
her. we quote from her hospital record:
Aug. Is. Discharged from city hos
pitaL
Sept Is. Rearrested and entered hos
pital
Sept. p. Dismissed.
Sept -. Rsadmitted ny city court.
Oct. 10 Binet intelligence test given
Girl thought Is, has mentality of 9-year.
old child Completed sixth grade il
school
Oct. Is. Tried to escape through tn,
attic. Caught her foot in the attic floor
fell and was discovered.
Nov. 10 Went down the fire-escap,
with two other girls and got away.
Nov. IL. Picked up by United State:
Public Health Service officer and brought
into city court. Fined. Girl had nc
money, and was sent to the woman:
prison for thirty days.
Dec. 10. Re6dmltted TO hospital on,
week after she was released from woman''
prison. Almost uncOnsciously drunl
when arrested
Not an encouraging record. Neither
was there much TO encourage the babJ
girl that morning, eighteen years ago
when first she opened her eyes on thii
old world OF ours.
GIRLS FATHER
WAS DRUNKARD.
The third young lady on the fire es
cape Is the daughter Of a hsrd-workins
mother Her father had decamped Il
parts unknown while the child was in bel
basket cradle. Like her mother. she wai
used 10 toll. Tired body and jsdeC
nerves sought lights and laughter wher
the days work was done; sought youth
adm found only those who would mai
her life
This was the trio.