New Britain herald., 1928-01-05
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Canton, O.. Jan. (CP)-Ruth Mder. the slim. biue-eyed Florida strl who was lifted from obscurity by her attempt to fly across the Atlantic, blamed "small-town Eos- dps today for her arrest recently at Atlanta, Ga, on charges of miscon- duct with minister at Clayton, Ga, four years ago.
 .It's the most terrible thing that ever happened to me-" Miss Elder who il here on a vaudeville tour. told the United Press. Its dread full lie and if were free l would go and fight the whole thing out"
 The warrant charging Miss Elder with undue conduct with the Rev. Hubert Jenkins" young Evangel- ist, was served on the girl flyer last month and she is now under $500 bond pending a hearing.
 Miss Elder wasn't angry today Rather, she impressed one as being to overcome with what she termed 'the preposterousness of 1t all," to be angry.
 "Why did they wait so long before taking action?" Miss Elder asked, "Yt seems to me the delay helps to prove the injustice of it all.
 Tt has been more than three years since the forenoon when we (she and the Rev. Jenkins) took an innocent little buggy ride down a southern road, but now that my name is-I suppose I might as well say public property'-they're trying to get money from me-"
 Miss Elder said she did not know who was responsible for the reis- stance of the warrant which was served by Sheriff l.. NJ. Hickman of Clayton.
 "When first went to Clayton was very young. My husband taught In a small demoninational school there. The people of Clayton first talked about me when l had my hair bobbed. They talked the way people in a village will talk.
 "One day a young Evangelist, Rev. Hubert Jenkins"
 "Blonde or brunette?" she was asked.
 T didn't think he was attractive" she said. T can't remember whether he was dark or light for I didn't have any interest in him at all.
 Anyway he came to Clayton to head . revival meeting. I met him at school and he and my husband and became good friends.
 "One morning he asked me to 70 riding with him. My husband knew about 1t for there wasn't any reason why he shouldn't.
 But the next day the sheriff came to say that a farmer who lived down the road was telling tales about tm- proper conduct. These were lies and the cruelty of them made me sick"
 Miss Elder sobbed and knotted her lace handkerchief into . little ball.
 "The sheriff said l needn't worry" she resumed. Then comes q three year interval -the period during which Miss Eld- CT attempted her transatlantic flight and became heralded everywhere for her winsomeness and courage.
 All this time the old gossip was she said. But when I stepped from the train at Atlanta, ! saw the same old sherin waiting and Ahe unhappy memory came back. : "He said I was arreated but thDt If gave him tl0o he would let me 10. When I reached for my pocket book, he asked for $500. proving 1t was . scheme 10 make money. z "Then the sheriff had tho audacity to ask me to sign a paper and plead guilty. saying he would have the case thrown out of court"
 She didn't sign, she said, because there wasn't anything to plead guilty to-" Nothing in my life has ever hurt 70 much" Miss Elder declared. "and If I were guilty. couldn't look any ono in the eyes,"
 Miss Elder goes from here to St. Louis Sunday. ".