The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-12-01
HELEN MACK'S
FATHER GIVEN
TODAY TERM
$500 Fine Also Is Ordered:
Stepmother Placed on
Probation.

The future Of l6-year-old Helen
Mack, who late yesterday afternoon
heard her parents convicted on
charges Of imprisoning her in a
dingy, locked room in her home for
more than eight months. remained
unsettled today.
Juvenile Judge John ?. Geckler.
after sentencing Harry Mack. the
girls father. to 100 days on the In
diana state farm. and to pay a 5000
fine. placed her stepmother, Mrs.
Ora Troutman Mack on a year
probation. Judge Geckler said he
would decide within a week the ar
rangements for Helens permanent
guardianship.
The anaemic. undernourished girl
returned to the stand toward the
end Of the two-day hearing and
reiterated previous testimony that
her stepmother had treated her
kindly and had sought to prevent
Mack from imprisoning and beating
her. This brought leniency for Mrs.
Mack.
Grandmother Asks Custody
Mrs. John Miller. material grand
mother, with whom Helen lived for
two years after her mothers death,
has told juvenile court attaches she
again is eager to make a home for
the girl.
An orderly crowd filed the court
room in contrast to the milling audi
ence which last week broke glass in
a partition separating the court
room from a private office. There
we're no sounds that sounded like
Kissing during yesterdays hearing
after Judge Geckler had questioned
the accuracy Of descriptions of the
courtroom scene of a week ago.
Outside the courtroom in the
lower courthouse corridor, hundreds
Of men and women struggled to en-
ter the courtroom. Police squads
guarded doors.
Before the hearing started, wom-
an in the milling crowd in the cor
ridor screamed and children cried.
Reviews Mack's Career
After Mack and admitted locking
the girl in her room because, he
charged, she had stoledn money from
her stepmother's purse. Judge
Geckler said he would take into
consideration the fact that Mack
had served overseas for thirteen
months with A. E. F.
Il do not believe" declared the
judge. that my children would
testify against me unless 1 was
guilty of a serious Offense. 1 do not
believe any child that has been
raised to love and be affectionate
with her parents would accuse me
of something I did not do"
Reviewing Mack's career. Judge
Geckler said the mans limited edu-
cation would be taken into consider
alton. L do not believe he ever
read any of the classics or that he
knows anything about life" the
iudye declared. This man seems to
have had no conception of what a
father should be toward a daughter.
This probably is due to his train
ing or environment"
Mrs. Mack. who retained her COM
posture during the trial, wept bitter
" as sentence was passed on her
husband. She stroked his hand af-
fectiOnately as she wept. Mack
stared straight ahead.
Helen WeepS Quietly
Helen, seated beside Mrs. Anna
Packard. detention home matron,
wept quietly. Judge Geckler said
she would be taken to the Board of
Children's Guardians Home pend
ing final decision.
TeStifying in his own defense,
Mack asserted Helen had not been
fed on bread and gravy, as she
claimed. The girl, Mack said, had
eaten the same meals as he and
Mrs. Mack. He said Helen had
stolen money with which to buy
compacts, canGy and face powders.
A moment later the state had
Mrs. Mary Ross. Alb East st. Clair
street. relate how she paid Helen
for taking care of her children when
the Mack family lived on Marker
street.
Helen had denied she stole money
and said whatever money she had