The Fort Dodge Messenger: Feb. 24, 1906

Boys Entice Young Girls From Home

Mrs. Cochran Puts City Police on Trail of Her Child Daughter.

She Tells Shocking Story

Little Girl Who Smokes Cigarettes and is Genuine Tough Believed to be at Bottom of Affair – Three Boys and Three Girls in It.

Almost crazed with grief and apprehension, and hardly able to keep from weeping outright a woman living in the lower districts of the city, giving her name as Mrs. Cochran, appeared before Mayor Bennett this morning, bearing a shocking tale of woe.

She states that she is of the opinion that her young thirteen year old daughter, Mabel, had been led from home in company with two other girls scarcely older and is now in some resort or has left the city.

The girl, so she says, has been keeping company with one Isabel Anderson, whom she avers is a genuine tough, and though only thirteen or fourteen years old, smokes cigarettes and has a reputation otherwise in keeping.

Her daughter was seen yesterday in company with the Anderson girl and Bertina Overby, another of the same stamp, and the three were about the city with Joe Williams, Charley Hutchinson and Leo Halligan, who the chinson and Leo Halligan. Now (italicized text was an extra line in the article) states Mrs. Cochran, neither of the three girls have shown up at their homes and whereabouts of the entire sexette is unknown.

The police say that several of the crowd have been considered fit candidates for the reform school for some time. They will be on the look out for them today and if they are found some action will probably be taken in the matter which will prevent such happenings in the future.

Tags: 1906, Anderson, Bennett, Cochran, Halligan, Hutchinson, Overby, Williams