The Washington times., 1922-05-02

EERE IS human interest
~ document of extraordinary
interest.
The revelation Of the, soul of a
girl toho has been imprisoned as a
maniac for tDo years because she
killed the man Who betrayed heri
Jennie Zimmerman has been par
I doned by the governors council Of
Massachusetts,, after dlienists testi-
fled that, though driven insane by
Or. Henry Ziptntermdn's refusal
10 marry her after pronging, she
&. Uos made sane BY the act Of Uen-
geance.
- DR.. Zimmerman tUas her cousin,
pho Oooed her, then Tilted her. She
shot him in Boston and the jury
gaze Uerdict not guilty because
of insGnity." On this verdict she
Vds sentenced to Northampton
State Hospital for the insane.
Hot0 should such girl feel TO-
soGrd the WOrId on the eVe of her
HOt0 should she feel toward men?
Read her oton story, tOritten on
the threshold of freedom.
By JENNIE ZIMMERMAN.
When am free!
-Four little words; yet how they
thrill me. How they make me want
to laugh and cry and hug the
whole. great, wide, wonderful world
A chance to find a little happi-
ness; peace; rest from the heart.
wrenching disappointment which /
have borne, at times, when every
thing in me shivered IKE an electric
current.
A chance to help other young
girls-to lend myself wherever The
benefit of my suffering can do the
slightest good.
A chance to prove my gratitude 20
the thousands who have believed in
mel
Shsmed by Trial
/ am somewhat ashamed OF this
new freedom ahead OF me: ashamed
when recall the trial which opened
up my whole life to the public with
many ugly details. Oh, they were
not my fault!
DR.. Zimmerman, my betrayer,
was the only man in my life. Dur
ing four years he commanded me.
had me in his power through his
cowardly act after drugging me
when / came to him as a patient,
ill. And / still feel ashamed OF the
details barred to the whole world.
1t is hard to look into the faces of
new people, knowing that they
know all about me. Oh, II wasn't
my fault.
My scattered sisters and brothers,
whom l love, and for whom l re-
gret not a single sacrifice L have
III L..
1T will be so wonderful, later, TO
make a home for them. For years,
when my father and mother were
both incapable, / provided for my
family and mothered them, too. l
yearn TO do 1t again.
Life Became He'll.
Life was very hard-but not al.
ways sad. 1t was only after DR..
Zimmerman came into my life and
ruined it-during seven unforget-
table yeaTs-that my life became a
hell.
When | went out to the railroad
sidings to pick up pieces of coal to
burn in the fire to keep my sisters
and brothers warm; when l sold
{ newspapers In cold and blizzard to
provide for them; worked in my
little store from I'm the morning
20 midnight; or even picked rags
lin a mill to keep my little family
from starvation-so long as i sue
ceeded, was happy
am glad of all those sacrifices:
all those bitter humiliations. For
when, in turn, / needed help. God
sent II to me in the form of wonder
ful friends. And | believe God will
be good to me-in the future.
i look out from my window at
. the grounds OF the Northamuton
State Hospital-and see the beauti.
ful sun and the sky and spring. 1t
IL spring-and the buds are begin.
ming to open out: the trees are he.
ginning to get dressed up in their
best green leaves.
It seems to me the sky never
looked so blue; the sun so golden:
the trees so green. And not so
, long ago, everything looked gray and
black. Oh, how / want TO go out
and enjoy that sun and the flowers
and the sweet, free air!
Seeks To Forget.
Forget the past? Forget the man
/. --and the pains and the aches and
the tears? Forget?
How l want to pull down the cur
tain OF those horrible years! How
want to forget And shall Ivy
oh, so hard! With all my strength
and will will shut my eyes and
grit my teeth, and close my ears
But l want to use every working
minute OF the beautiful day. At
= the end of the day ] want to be
tired--dead tired--so I can get
restful sleep, and rise in the morn
ing ready to assume the duties OF
the day.
shall bravely gather myselb0t
Eether and accustom myself to the
life OF a free, independent girl. The
world looks so bright, 30 good, so
hopeful. ] shall become the mis-
tress of my soul.
There is no bitterness in me.
, have not lost my faith in men.
One man wrecked my happiness
why should that mean all men are
heasta2 No. those who are helnlnR