Jasper County Democrat, Volume 18, Number 64, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 November 1915 — ONE TO FOURTEEN YEARS [ARTICLE]

ONE TO FOURTEEN YEARS

In Woman's Prison, Is Sentence Given Leona Helsel—Sentence Suspend- . ed IHniiig Good Behavior. Leona Helsel, the Virgie girl who was arrested recently on tlhe charge of having stolen $ 182 from Erik Lindstrom, a young foreigner employed by Marshall Johnson, of west of Rensselaer, entered a plea of guilty before Judge Hanley Monday and was sentenced to the woman's prison lor a term of one to fourteen years, but sentence was suspended during her good benavior, and she was placed in charge of her father, Albert Helsel. The committment papers are to be forwarded to the woman’s prison at Indianapolis, to which reports are to be made by the father monthly. On failure of the girl to walk in tlhe straight and narrow path she will be taken to the prison to serve sentence. It is understood that a part of the stolen money was recovered from the girl by her father, some $75, and! that he made up the balance and returned same to the young man. It was for this reason and sympathy felt for the father, that caused the suspension of sentence. The Helsel girl has been pretty wild for some time, according to current report and has frequently visited neighboring towns during the past two years with different girls of weak morals. A young girl by the name of Fern Anderson, 17 years old, of Chicago, was with her here and at the other towns, it seems, a few days last week and the week previous, She is said to have accompanied the Helsel girl hero from Mon on, where the former was visiting. The,, mother of the girl was here looking after her. last week and traced her to Monticello, where it was reported she had gone with a woman named Blake to Frankfort. Mr. Helsel, who is an honest and hard working man, is preparing to move away from Jasper county and will take the girl with him. It is hoped that she will see the error of her ways and cause 'her parents no more trouble.