davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Big Sandy news., 1922-11-24
Letcher Jailer Pleads
Guilty in Federal Court

When the case of william Reynolds.
Jaller of Letcher county. charged with
permitting prisoners 10 run at large
and escape, was called for trial in
roe Fields, Whitesburg, entered plea
OF guilty. His attorney contended ig-
norance on the part OF his client Of
the laws requirements and said that
several prisoners had been allowed
out Of confinement as TRUSTEES who had
dlsappearsd.
Judge Cochran took tie plea under
advisement before imposing sentence
The Big Sandy news., 1922-11-24
MAN KILLED
in OIL FIELD

Edward Russell OF Tennessee who
has been working in the oil field In
this section for the past year was kill
ed last Friday night at a well being
drilled for j. X. Wells. lie. was as
sistlng in the drilling and when the
bailer was pulled out 1t fell on him,
killing him instantly.
His remains were brought to Paints-
vile and prepared for shipment to his
home in Tennessee. MIR. Splane who
has charge OF the work for Mr.. Wells
sent man with the remains to his
old home Paintsville Herald.
The Big Sandy news., 1922-11-24
Meeting Would Be Futile.

I'VE are advised that the manage
ment and control of the two Normal
schools by the State Board OF Educa-
ton necessarily implies the duty and
the right of the state Board of Edu-
cation to select the faculty and pre-
scribe the course of study for the
schools This is a duty and a right
that was not sought by the state
Board OF Education, but the law hav-
ing placed it upon us we have no dis
position to shirk it,
In view of the conclusion, it ap-
pears to us that no good purpose can
be served by a joint meeting of your
commission and the state Board of
Education for the purpose of selecting
the president of the Western Kentuc-
Ky Normal School. | am, therefore,
directed BY the state Board of Educa-
,tIon TO advise your commission that
whenever your commission officially
notfes the State Board of Education
that Murray has been chosen as the
site for the Normal School and that a
suitable building, in which to conduct
the school, has been secured the State
Board of Education will at once pro-
coed to the election of a president and
faculty and adopt a course of study"
The Big Sandy news., 1922-11-24
ELBERT CALDWELL PLACED
IN PIKE COUNTY JAIL

Sheriff j, W. Young took Elbert
Caldwell to Pikeville and placed him
In jail. there, the Jail AT this place not
being considered safe. Caldwell is the
man who was arrested for killing
ulysses Williams,
The Big Sandy news., 1922-11-24

with the Normal School Commission
in Lexington Saturday in regard to
the election of a president for the
Murray School. H.
The board stands pat on it's own
prerogative to choose the president
and faculty and adopt course of
study, and proposes that if the com
mission is in doubt about which body
is designated to perform this duty 1t
ratify the action of the board.
George Colvin, State Superintendent
of Public Instruction made this reply
in letter sent today to Alex q. Bar
ret of Louisville, member of the com
mittee delegated to invite the board to
the conference. The letter was pre-
pared by Mr.. Colvin and Charles L.
Dawson Attorney General, both of
whom are members of the board. Su-
perintendent Colvin said he had con-
suited Fred ). Vaughan, Secretary of
State, the other member Of the board,
and the decision is unanimous.
The letter TO Commissioner Barret
follows: ..a e..
Deairec To CO. operate.
II have advised the State Board of
Education that you have been author
iad h,, tha. NTorn,,l .SchooI C,on,miesinn
10 in,,itn tha noen,bers of tba stata
.po,rd Of I,d,,.atfon Ia neat vim Tho
,,,.,-,,h.rs ~ tho norn,,I 'c,cho,r cow
,,,issi6n. IN I.sringtnn. SotnrIav M
;,n,nher o. far rha n,,rnosa of saIent-
,,t- - ,,rsgi,Jont far ia now norraI
srbooI' IN no ioc,tad M Ntur,,v and "a
oo,,SiJs. tho ad,,isohilitr of ononing
,Y... ;.,
t.,n ,nIs ca,noctIon ,yIsb to rsna,t
,,.,a, ! a,atad =, ,,n,,,, onn,r,ission AZ
re ssssion IN Er,rI-for+ 10 Of satnrdav
,,at ,ra ctata Eo,rI or Educotion
,,.a,1s raad,,. -, ali tinoas ia cn-onar-
The Big Sandy news., 1922-11-24
COURT OF APPEALS.

Davidson ys. Richmond Floyd re-
versed,
Parsley, etc. vs.. Horn, Martin, re-
versed,
The Washington times., 1922-09-24
This Is Florence Just Like a Good
Looking Boy on One of the Big
Horses She Learned to
Handle So Well.

you get by?' and I was feeling mighty
nervous about then.
"And then l made up my mind; l
wouldn't be too basnful. I'd just act like
the rest and go easy. We went to our
room, four of us. Boys have no modesty.
They quickly, like tired animals, threw
off their clothes into chair or corner.
Some took off everything and jumped
into bed in their birthday suits. A couple
kept on their union suits. All right
said to myself, you'll be the O. e who
k k:eps your union suit on, too And L
did, and they never dreamed that l was
not boy just like them.
Eyes, there's fun and lots of it travel
ling round the country as boy, espe.-
cially when you never liked being girl
very much. Of course, l had to study
first pretty hard how to act like a boy,
because if L hadn't put some good hard
brain work to it l would have been ar
rested as a fraud most any time. There
are, as any one can figure out, certain
things by which a girl playing boy can
be told. First, her voice. Well, I've lived
outdoors, that made my voice rougher
than natural. Then l gradually trained
myself into the habit of throwing my
head down into my chest and speaking
from the depths when l talked.
81 soon had my voice trained so that
it would never give me away Then
came the whole subject of girls. Now,
offhand, think girls are a weary lot.
All the most of them live for is a new
dress and a marcel wave and attention
from the boys. If l had had my choice
/ would have given every girl of them
all a good wide berth But could 1? You
bet your life l couldn't if l was to play
my part. just had to seem to like girls,
to get away with being a boy.
$50 | watched the other fellows with
The Washington times., 1922-09-24

That's all right, dearie,' she said.
When you go, will go with you.
don't mind leaving home
"No, you better not said I, after all,
home is the best place for girls.
Then one day while was driving the
truck into the garage, after a long, hard
grind in a slow moving, five-ton truck,
from Boston to Philadelphia, a policeman
held up his hand.
"'Here, you,' said he, 4 wsrt you.
The law will teach you to tamper with
the affections of nice young girls, like
that
"'Where do you get that stuff
asked him. What do you mean?'
"You're pinched,' said he, get down
off that truck and come along
"He let me drive the truck into the
garage. l took off my overalls-lord
knows I looked bad enough in my blue
flannel shirt and khaki army pants.
Then | went with him.
"But say, folks, aren't women the limit?
Can you beat 'em, l say, can you beat
'em? I almost hate to tell what that
girl said about met makes me blush
for the petticoats have since put on.
with common drunks, that girl stood up
in court the next day and told tale.
And what do you think? She blamed me.
"'And he got a job on a truck, work
ing out of the city, most times, your
honor, said she, lifting her tear dripping
eyes to the judge.
"'He got job away from Philadelphia
so he could get rid of me-after this
had happened. begged him to take me
with him; begged him to do the right
thing by me. But he only laughed,
will be the worse for YOU" Oh, judge,
aren't M cruel?
"Well, was just fabbergasted. The
Judge turned to me, as sternly as ever
impartial justice could be stern.
"'And what have you to say to this?
he asked, in tones ominous.
"My eye wandered for a minute. And
then saw my grandfather, in corner
of the court room. He was making his
way toward me, on the stand. He was
asking permission to speak to me.
"'You might as we'll tell the TRUTH
said he to me.
'T knew it myself. So turned
to the Judge in that crowded, eSpectant
court room. And heard my voice, clearly
chiselled, as it rose in contradiction to
that girls false testimony. Your honor,
said |, not word of this is true, and
can prove it.
"And after the woman physician had
talked to me and had spoken to the judge
he told the girl:
"Not one word you have spoken is
true,'' said he, this person, whom you ac-
cuse, is a girl"
"That girl had to be supported from
the room, she was so dumfounded.
Well, you see, I had won that case, but /
had lost my freedom as truck driving,
auto repairing, free and easy man about
town. For what the Judge said to me
The Washington times., 1922-09-24

made It necessary for me to go into girls
clothes for good and forever or go to jail
Yes, have to be girl now, and
can't drive trucks any more. don't have
to have haircut every three weeks now,
to be sure, but the trouble of that is Offset
g fSu sas fa'a Se hsfs De aHS Gbter e once oHss
theatre stage, amateur night, fought
Kid O'Neill and licked him. Now / am
losing ground fast. It's the women's
clothes, you know. So that, the other
day, when / tried to punch Charlie
Weaver, who slapped me on the back,
had to take him into court instead of
The Washington times., 1922-09-24
PAcNN e.
HTLAF77C
1koE<<-

them sharply. noticed there
always does about girls. He al
ways has some one. girl, at least,
that he goes around with. And when
ever he passes any girl-that is, if his
mind isn't overwrought-he always makes
some remark upon her. So having found
out how l should act about girls to keep
up my own "incog," just went to it.
When we were together and the fellers
would get to talking about girls always
had better story than any to tell 'em.
And always when we were on the streets
I'd be the first to pass remark upon the
hat or the ankles or the sassy smile of
the f1appers we passed as we went.
However, girls were my undoing.
And but for a girl I'd be going strong
yet. Girls may be a necessary part of
creation, but they certainly do ball things
up. | found that out to my cost. Women
are never so much bother as when they
have made up their minds they are in
love with you.
'Tn my early days with the gangs I
had known other fellows so awfully fas-
cinating that some girl just made up her
mind she was going to be glued to him
for life, whether he liked it or not. I
had poked fun at those boys.
"'Tisn't right I had said to them.
'Tisnt right for fellow 10 be so fascinat-
ing. Think of how hard it is on the
girls. Have pity on the bleeding hearts,
I'd say.
"And they had growled back at me,
knowing l was funning. But it all came
back to me, guess. l probably deserved
"The gang went with were tough, but
good fellows once you showed 'em you
were a scrapper, too. They used to take
the girls riding. l always took my steady
she was Olga-too. I kept company
with Olga for over aNyear, and she never
knew l wasn't boy.
"But, as I was saying, this was after
Olga's time that a little shrimp about
fifteen years old got stuck on me.
could see it coming on and ! tried to steer
her off. / was brutal to her. | roared
at her in my improvised bass voice. But
did that discourage her? You bet it did
not. The more savage I got the more
meeching she became. At last threw up
my hands. We were all in our lodging
house one night-the fellers, mean, and
me-when l threw up my hands.
"Lord," said /, isn't it awful when
they're bounding you
81 sat on the edge OF the bed long
time all crumpled over thinking of way
out of my troubles. Then l decided
would change my job. You see, then
phia for Wares street contractor So I
gave up that job and got another driv-
ing the same kind Of truck between Phila-
delphia, New York and Boston. So then
said to this girl, Just casual like:
"'You won't see me any more now.
got new job which will take me out of
the city
The Washington times., 1922-09-24

how she first happened to put on boys
clothes and, stranger still, by what tricks
and strategems she managed for
twelve years to deceive everybody she
met.
'I first put on boys clothes when l was
about twelve years DID," said she. "You
see my grandfather had a houseboat with
a gasoline engine and machinery-an'
things. He and travelled together after
my mother died and my father got mar
ried again. Grandpa and l used to run
the houseboat, we've taken it most every
where over this country, wherever there
are inland rivers and streams. Well, you
know how skirts get all snarled up some
times when the wind is blowing and the
machinery is going.
Accordingly, Grandpa got boys
clothes for me, and have worn
them with a few exceptions ever
since. Now from the first l liked
being a boy. It's lots easier in other
ways besides just getting over the
ground. Then in a few years we came
to Philadelphia. And being a boy in
boys togs, of course, got to know gang
after gang of corner roughnecks. AT
last as a great honor l got to be the
leader of one gang. Because by then |
was a grand scrapper. You see l had
practiced fighting for months till | could
double up my fists like boy and hit out
hard-and sudden.
$50 lived with the gang, fought for
them nd-even-spent whole nights with
them. And there's where my first test
as a boy came in. l remember that year
the gang used to hang out round lodging
houses a lot. We had rooms in one lodg
ing house where We slept, four or five
in a bed. The first night | knew it was
coming and all day long kept saying
to myself, How'll you get by? How'll
The Washington times., 1922-09-24

licking him as once l was able. For ]
have lost my pep, you see.
eyes, I'm never going back to truck
driving, or automobile repair work, or the
gang again. But it's great life I've had
to give up and regret it. So, from my
experience, would advise all girls never
For they always get found out in the end;
even if, sometimes, it takes twelve years,
as it did with me. And it's so hard tam
ing down after the freedom, that it makes
you wish, as it does me, that l never had
got used to the freedom in the first
place"
The Washington times., 1922-09-24

1 was only JOSnlnS ner' De-
cause l had always known her
when she wore pants and acted
tough. l thought she was Jack
Mcconnell" like she used to
pass fc-', when she drove truck.
I never knew she was a girl
really. l thought she was only
kidding-dressing up like a girl.
Take it from me. y'r honor, if |
had known she was a girl l
would have let her be-"
This was Weaver's defense,
that he thought he "was rough
ing a boy" Whereat the whole
story came out. And at last
Florence Gray, who used to go
as "Jack Mcconnell" of Phila-
delphia and most any other
American city, knows now that
she is done as "Jack Mcconnell"
forever. Hence, so long as time
goes on it will be high heels and
lace petticoats and real mil
linery for Florence.
For now everybody in her
chief stamping ground, Phila-
delphia, knows she is a girl-a
girl for keeps. The furry in
court, however, brought Flor
The Washington times., 1922-09-24
Florence When the "Gang" Knew
Her as "Jack Mcconnell"
Truck Driver and Anna
teur Boxer.

THE other day in a police court in
Philadelphia Florence Gray, twenty
four, slight, blond haired, in high
heeled pumps and clocked silk stockings,
appeared as a complainant.
The defendant in the case was Charlie
Weaver, more or less tough, accused by
Florence of batting me over the shoul-
ders after l told him to cut it out"
"He hit me over the back, judge"
Florence told Judge McDevitt. "Hit me
after told him to stop. tried to defend
myself, but it was no use-in skirts. He
could hit harder than l could"
Florence finished her complaint and
sighed. And then young Weaver spoke
up his defense.
"Sure, y'r honor" said he, 81 biffed her
a couple over the back. l don't deny it.
But say, y'r honor, would never ha' done
it if l had known she was really girl
The Washington times., 1922-09-24

Florence Gray, as
She Appears in
Girls Clothes After
Twelve Years of
Happy Freedom in
Trousers.
The Washington herald., 1922-10-06

THE first tragedy of the college year is re-
ported from Wisconsin where sophomore
at Milton College died the result OF injuries
sustained in class rush. Such instances are be-
coming fewer and fewer from year to year and
there is reasonable for hope that, few years
from now it will be safe to enter college to
attend Sabbath school. College class and fraternity
rivalry furnishes colorful but tragic tradition in
American life. Hardly fall goes by without re-
ports of more boys killed This has been
true particularly Of the smaller colleges located
in isolated communities where the students have
not the numerous attractions of the city with
which to dissipate their surplus energy. 1t is
couraging that the records of District of Columbia
institutions have been almost free from accounts of
such instances, and that the worst injuries fresh
man here is likely to receive are to his dignity.
College faculties have been slow to curb such
activities. Rightly wrongly, they have seemed
part of college life. Learned doctors have re-
membered their own college days and dealt lightly
with the serious offenders while the average
student who participated escaped without a
scoldng. Only within the past ten or fifteen years
has anything been done to prevent hazing at most
insttutons-and students have come to regard this
OF their natural rights.
The contrast offered in Washington is strik-
ing. Here the student has little need of such &C
tivities to up his surplus energy because he
works for living. The average Washington COL
lege student has little spare time to waste on
keeping up institutional traditions. Probably he
gets out of his course, the whole than
the boy who is expected to devote his entire time
to studies and student activities. Character and
sense OF responsibility is developed.
1t is astonishing that have not realized
this fact and that District universities not
crowded even worse than is the case at present
The Capital is the ideal city in which to obtain an
education. 1t is the cultural we'll govern
mental center OF the United States 1t offers won
derful opportunities for employment. 1t offers a
chance to absorb learning with none of the frills
attached. After ALL boy or girl does not attend
college solely for the pleasure to be obtained at
class reunions many years later He attends to fit
himself better for the struggles of lfe-to obtain
equipment with which to make easier success in
some line of endeavor
We are glad to the decorative side of col
lege activities disappear. The world is too busy a
place for it.
The Washington herald., 1922-10-06
Safeguarding Your Automobile.

THE District police deserve good deal of CON-
i mendation for the fashion in which they
have met the latest epidemic of automobile thefts
Cars have been stoxn with increasing frequency
of late-but in most instances they have been
covered within the next twenty-four hours. We
know of no means by which the original thefts
of the owners. There are number of excellent
lock devices the market-and the driver who
negects to of these when his is parked
makes the task of the thief much easier. But the
best locks constructed by human ingenuity can be
broken by professionals who devote all their brains
to the problem.
Praise is due the police so long as they are
successful in recovering the stolen machines. Soon
however, they should bring some of the guilty
men to justice. We hopeful that some arrests
will be reported in the near future
There is reason for the belief that experts are
responsible for the latest increase in crimes of this
nature. There many of them at that
it seems improbable that amateurs guilty. As
they will stop work until the hue and cry dies
down.
While the epidemic continues cannot urge
too great precautions upon the The police
may of the stolen, but few
likely to disappear entirely. 1t is not probable
that the thieves will fail in every instance. Un-
fortunately many are not in position to keep
constant eye upon their machines. But they can
look for them at least every two three hours.
Then the officers be given better start upon
the trail than if the loss is not discovered until the
next day
The Washington herald., 1922-10-06

WIAsHINGToN traction companies are not
w making so much money these days.
Hence it is most natural that there
should be talk of increased fares Street tracks
are in condition than Cars more
and uncomfortable. One-man tea-boxes are
installed wherever possible as a means of revenge
upon the long-suffering public who sometimes dis
turb the dreams OF traction magnates with wai.s
in the darkness
Members of the Public Utilities Commission
admit that street receipts have fallen. This is
no more than might have been expected. The cars
have become uncomfortable that nobody will
ride upon them except in case of necessity Never
theless, the people OF Washington do not feel like
paying higher fares and if the present nsnuations
become definite the companies will find a
harder fight than their hands
1t is, of course, obvious that receipts will fall
lower and lower. People learning to walk, for
thing The ownership of cheap automobiles
is increasing. Buses can be secured in most Sec
tons Of the city by walking few blocks. Event
ually the traction companies will succumb to this
condition and their tracks will be torn out of the
streets. They represent antiquated method Of
transportation which will be done away with as
comfortable means of urban travel
are developed.
The life of the traction lines can be prolonged
only by cheaper rates and better service. The
longer the public is irrtated the sooner will come
the revolution that will make the National Capital
a tractionless city This is one certain develop
ment of the future. The electric car must 60 the
way OF the horse-drawn street All that now
stands in the way is the retarded development OF
bus systems and the capital tied up in traction
lines, which will be withdrawn only gradually as
people to the realization that they are in
vestng in outworn institution.
But the street still are with US. We must
make the best OF them-despite the unfortunate
condition they have been allowed to get into. The
companies will be less easy deal with in the fu-
ture because they realize that only few years are
left during which they can get their hands on the
publics hard-earned money.
So until can get rid of them altogether, it
is essential to keep a sharp watch. II they are
allowed TO increase their fares the public will be
largely to blame-for keeping sharper eye
upon every