Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-09-03
Girl Remains True
to Accused Lover

STREATOR, ILL.,, Sept 3.-A girls
faith and illusions are in the balance
against the cruel circumstantial evil
dence Of murder. In the little mid
Illinois town of Streator, where Mrs.
H. c. Hill, wife of an eye, ear and
throat specialist, was found murder
ed recently, Alice Sawyer, 20-year-old
sweetheart of the dead woman's sus-
pected son, sits measuring the past
with the present.
A dance program, bearing memo
ries of gay, orchestral music and
happy feet, is pitted against the
trampling Of dirt on a mothers trag-
ic burial plot. A pressed flower, cry
ing aloud a boys warm ardor, bal
ances itself against the funeral
wreath Of a murdered woman.
Under Emotional Strain.
Alice il one Of the prettiest and
most popular girls Of Streator. She
sits in the living room Of her parents
home. a modest, cozy place, where
Harry Hill, absent, and suspected OF
his mothers murder, whiled away
hundreds Of his boyhod hours. Her
face shows an agony of suspense, al
though she tries to hide her emotions
from those around her. One senses
Immediately the telltale emotional
conflict, even while she stoutly de.
fends her sweetheart.
Harry Hill was thouSntfulness it.
self to the girl who fights to believe
in him, she will tell you. He played
cards occasionally for money, but SC
do many other boys, the loyal sweet
heart declares.
Always Attentive And Loyal
Il knew he gambled, but he never
told me of any losses" the girl de.
clared when it was suggested he hac
reason to forge checks. II didnr
know he was in need OF money.
kept company with him for six year:
and during all that time he was at
tentive and loyal"
Dressed in black, Alice Sawyer pre-.
sents a pathetic picture as she strive.
defiantly to balance his past life
against the present dark circumstan.
ces. She refuses 10 say a wore
against the dead mother of the boy
she was engaged TO marry, and whC
is said to have objected TO the
match. While town gossips relate:
tale of public humiliating episodes
in which the murdered woman for
bade her son to marry Alice, the gir
is silent on the subject.
Harry never told me his mother
objected to our marriage" is all sh.
will say.
Unhappy Home Life
Gossip. which Is running rampant
throughout the town, has much x
tell Of the unhappy home environ
ment Of young Hill. One CLEANS that
his only really happy moments wer,
with the girl whose future was Il
have been linked with his.
Harry did a lot Of things h,
shouldn't, but his home life was moi
the right kind for a normal youth,
friends Of both Hill and Alice de.
clare. MRS. Hill was rabid on GER
tain subjects of reform, and wher
Harry and his brother, who died 81,
years ago. were younger, she would
beat them az the least provocation
There seemed 10 be no motherly at,
titude toward her son. She did queer
things, such as burning all her hus
bands clothes when he took a nurse
on a case to Ottawa. II In horrible II
Harry murdered his mother, but per
haps the boy was nagged to the point
OF insanity
Meanwhile. with Harry gone, ant
the town seething with gossip. darl
circles have appeared beneath Mis-,
Sawyer's eyes. She has kind mem
ories. but they are pitted against tn,
suspicious absence Of her fianee, anC
the statement of an old man wh'
says Harry ordered him TO trampl'
the dirt where the murdered woman
body was found.