Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 January 1911 — TWO JOLIET GIRLS SUICIDE IN LEMONT JAIL. [ARTICLE]

TWO JOLIET GIRLS SUICIDE IN LEMONT JAIL.

One Girl Formerly Lived Here and Is Sister of Mrs. Clifford Pas sons —Set Fire to Dresses. Stella Maxwell, 18 years of age, whose father, B. F. Maxwell, formerly lived in Rensselaer, and Freida Kempka, 17 years old, suicided by burning to death In a cell of the Lemont, 111., jail Monday evening. The girls lived with their parent# at Joliet, and last Saturday night attended a masked ball at Lemont,-a town not far from Joliet. About time to unmask the girls slipped out of the dance hall ahd into a small room where the wraps were hung. There they took two suit cases and two fur coats and a fur' collar and skipped out. As no one knew they had been at the dance, they made their escape, but detectives traced them to Joliet, where the Kempka girl whs arrested Sunday and the Maxwell girl Monday. The Kempka girl made a clean breast of her part in the theft, but refused to tell who was implicated with her, saying it was all her fault. When the Maxwell girl was brought to the jail they both broke down and told the story of the theft. At about 8 .o'clock that evening the Kempka giri set fire to her clothing and the Maxwell girl touched her clothing to the flames and both were almost instantly enveloped in flames. The fire was discovered by boys playing just outside the jail and an alarm was given, but before the turnkey could reach them the clothing was burned from their bodies and they were terribly scorched.

The girls Were conscious and told t|iat they had sought death rather than face the disgrace of their bad deed. The Kempka girl said that she wanted to die, but wanted her companion to live. She insisted that it was all her fault and that she had led the Maxwell girl into the deed. 'Both the girls were removed to Joliet and taken to St. John’s hospital. The parents of each weht to the hospital. The Maxwell girl died In a short time after her arrival there. The Kempka girl lived until Tuesday noon.

1 The Maxwell girl was a sister of Mrs. Clifford Passons, of Joliet, and formerly lived here with her parecte. The girls had been granted considerable freedom by their parents and had evidently become pretty wßd, and the Kempka girl had previously sought suicide by taking carbolic acid, the result of a love affair. She is reported .to have been a beautiful girl and a good singer, and to have sung in various picture shows. It was the first serious trouble the Maxwell girl had been in.

Try the Demar and Elkhorn cheese at Rhoades’ Grocery.

Call No. 4 for the best coal for ranges, heating stoves or base burners.

Mrs. Mary Deer and Mrs. Samuel Price went to Logansport today to pay a visit to a sister confined m Longcliffe asylum.

The growth of the flour business at the Home Grocery is phenomenal. They now sell more flour than any body.

Mrs. Jacob Raub and Mrs. George Wolvertop, of Chalmers, were guests of Mrs. S. R. Nichols yesterday. M,rs. Nichols has been in poor health for several weeks. '

Mr. and Mrs. Granville Moody and Miss Bessie Moody returned from Urbana, Ohio, where they attended the funeral Thursday of Mr. Moody’s sister, Mrs. Clifford Fyffe.

Mr. and Mrs. George McAllister, of Glencoe, Minn., who have been visiting her sister, Mrs. Jesse Gates, went to Reynolds today to visit relatives. They will return here for a longer visit.

A. White, of Story county, lowa, has been here for several days visiting his niece, Mrs. H. E. Randle. He went to Pulaski county today, where he formerly lived, but expects to visit here again before going to his home.

L. L. Lefler was here yesterday from Lafayette. He recenUy traded Tor a farm of 80 acres near Alx, and his brother Bob and family are coming from Joliet, 111., to occupy It. Len purchased a couple of horses of Frank Ham to use on the farm.

Feather renovator men are doing business in Rensselaer. It used to be said that people who sent feathers out to be cleaned did not get back as many as they sent out. These are nice looking gentlemen, but it isn’t a bad idea to weigh your own feathers, no matter who you do business with.

Chas. Muller, of Lafayette, representing Mr. Perry Griffith, dancing master of that city, was in Rensselaer today, trying to provide for k dancing class of forty members. It Is probable that Mr. Griffith will come here shortly and undertake the organisation of the class. Saturday night Is about the only available night Prof. Griffith now has.

Ton get your sale bills when YOU want them, when ordered at The Republican office.