The Howe Messenger (Howe, Tex.), Vol. 12, No. 31, Ed. 1 Friday, August 9, 1935 Page: 3 of 8
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Chesterfield
Chesterfield...
.. the cigarette that's MILDER
the cigantu that TAMES BETTER
Friday, August 9. 1935
* m I ©olden
By
Peter B. Ryae
Copyrisrht bv Be!! SvtkHobU
“I have shown you why the nor-
mal Nance Belden would not steal.
But now conies that mental shock 1
spoke of, with consequent amnesia
for all of her life that has preced-
ed it; or it may be a part of that
life. With the amnesia comes what
we term dissociation or mental dis-
integration. The unconscious over-
whelms the conscious; the acquired
instincts of morality—social usage
—drop out of the conscious Into the
unconscious, arid the thoughts and
impulses that have lain dormant
and defeated in the unconscious are
now in the saddle. Unfortunates
who have acquired dual personal-
ities or a dissociated personality go
from one personality into the other
and back again, with or without am-
nesia for the preceding state.
“At a time when Nance Beldan’s
second personality (B) ruled her,
and she decided to steal those stock-
jngs. she was acting under the im-
"pulsion of an idea that could not
be combated. To steal l\ad become
an acquired instinct, or at least a
very strong instinct. There may
have been a certain amount of re-
pression against the act at first, but
gradually that regressive instinct,
i. e., her moral instincts, once part
of her conscious mind but now rele-
gated to her unconscious mind, grew
weaker, until finally the stronger
instinct won, and the result is, we
have Nance Belden up before your
hcinor Tor commitment to San
Quentin penitentiary -on a suspend
ed sentence for grand theft
•‘Look carefully at this defendant,
your honor. You see a young wom-
an about fire feet five inches high-
normal height for a woman of her
age, which I imagine to be about
twenty-one or twenty-two. How
much do you weigh. Miss Belden?”
**A hundred and twenty-eight.
Steve.”
‘‘A normal weight, your honor.”
He took the girl's hand and count-
ed her pulse. Then he took r
stethoscope from his pocket, placed
it qgalnst her left breast and lis-
tened. “Her pulse and heart beat
normally, your honor, and from her
appearance of general good health
we have no reason to suspect pul-
monary trouble. Her skin is clear,
soft and smooth; It is free from
blemishes—another Indication of
good health. Her hair is fine and
lustrous; not dry and lifeless, as Is
the case of a person of pronounced
psychopathic tendencies. Her eyes
are full, lambent, kindly. Intelligent..
Her brow is full, broad and of me-
dium height, her head a little larger
than that of the average woman,
and she Is broad between the ears—
because, as she has brains, nature
ordained that she should have room
for them. She is neatly dressed and
decidedly not a slattern. She gives
no indication of dissipation—drugs
or alcohol. But mark her nose. It
Is a grand wreck. A nose like that
would cause a continuous mental
conflict in any woman.
‘‘But for this lamentable facial de-
fect, this girl would be beautiful.
Perhaps she remembers, or used to
remember, herself as beautiful or
attractive; then this accident oc-
curred and lo, she became an ugly
duckling. Doubtless the knowledge
that she was an object of curiosity
or derision to strangers and repug-
nance to her friends made of her a
gloomy, depressed recluse. Who
knows what wild, desperate and
desolate thoughts she became a
prey to? Mental conflicts undoubt-
edly were at work—an impulse to
run away, to hide herself, countered
by the natural impulse to make the
best of the situation, to be brave, to
pretend she was not different.
‘‘In the case of a girl whose mind
and nerves had been thus harassed
over a long period, a new sorrow,
constituting a definite mental shock,
even if of no great magnitude,
might nevertheless be sufficient to
bring about the condition of dis-
sociation of personality which" I
have described.”
“Anything else. Doctor Burt?”
“I have given a concise and gen-
eral outline of the case as it pre-
sents itself to me, your honor. This
defendant should have treatment.
Tt is quite possible to cure her and
l am morally certain I could do so.
Her saddle nose cart he repaired. I
have a very good friend, a special
ist in pliistic surgery, and I know
he would he willing to. help. Without
charge, to make a swan of this ugly
duckling.”
“And you , think you would make
her over Into a responsible moral
citizen?”
“I think so, yoiir honor.”
“How would she support herself
during the period of treatment? By
theft—or worse?” The judge glanced
at Nance Belden. “How do you sup-
port yourself, young woman?”
“I carry my own check-book," the
girl replied.
“You have a private Income?”
“Sure, old thing.”
"What is its source?”
“I don’t know. On the first of
every month somebody puts some
money In the hank for me and I
check against It.”
“And that’s all you know about
It, eh?”
“Sometimes I can remember, but
1 can’t now. It’s the time I can’t
remember that raises h—1 with me.
Judge. I don’t know what name to
sign to my checks then or I forget
I have a checking account. Then
I get hard up and steal.”
“How truly remarkable. Miss Bel-
den ! Have you ever issued any
checks that bounced back on you?”
"Say, are you trying to kid, me.
Whiskers?”'
The judge ignored this obvious
contempt of court. “I suppose you
have had many sweethearts. Miss
Belden?”
Nance Belden’s scornful laughter
filled the courtroom. “Oh. Judge,
you’re precious. What sort of a
man would pick me for a sweet-
heart, I ask you? Be yourself,
Judge. Now you tell one.”
“Why not?” the judge pursued re-
morselessly.
“Well, maybe because nobody ever
asked me," the girl assured him
with simple directness. “I don’t
mind admitting I’d like to have a
nice sweetie if I could find one. but
what the h—l’s the use trying? Fd
only have him a little while; then
he’d get ashamed of me. What’s the
use bothering myself? I know a
blind fellow that’s mad about me.
I’ve often thought of taking the
poor gazabo on for my steady
sweetie, but he makes me so sad
I know it wouldn’t last He has
that funny staring look, and when
he walks with his arms held straight
out. it just breaks my heart.”
“Where does he live?”
"God knows—now. I was taking
care of him when I got pinched.
You see. Judge, I took him to a doc-
tor to see If something couldn’t be
done for his poor eyes, and the doc-
tor said he eould be cured, but it
would be expensive. He’d have to
go east to a very noted specialist,
who would charge a lot for the op-
eration. Well, I paid that’doctor his
bill and that left me short.”
“Did the same doctor sa.v any-
thing to you about your nose?”
“Yes. he said he could cure that
himself, and to come In when 1 was
ready and he’d put me in a hospital
and operate. Gosh. It’s some baby,
isn’t it. Judge?”
“How did It happen?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know anything, do
you?”
“Yes. I know something.”
“What Is it?"
“You haven’t the slightest inten-
tion of agreeing with Steve. That
sheep-faced mutt. Blethen. has
given you an earful. You’re one of
these judges that believes what he
wants to believe. Steve's told you
I to nutty, but Steve’s wrong. T’m
not. Steve’s just a good fellow try-
ing to give the little girl a hand.”
“So you believe you’re quite
sane?”
“Of course 1 am. There’s noth-
ing wrong with me except a bad
.memory, and a beak like the Amer-
ican eagle.”
Stephen sighed and shook his
head, seeing which, Nance crossed
to his side, put her arm around his
neck, and laid her cheek against
bis. "Steve, darling, you’d be &
wonderful sweetheart,” she assured
him, and laughed.
“Your honor,” Stephen pleaded,
"can t .mu see she’s--”
“1 <•;, n see she’s as intelligent as
you she is. Doctor. In fact,
she’s more than that She is very
artfully simulating mental irre-
sponsibility by attempting to spoil
the good work of her expert wit-
ness. It is my conviction that Doc-
tor Blethen was right when he told
me she was the smartest, most ad-
roit criminal type he had ever ex-
amined. I believe, with him, that
she is incorrigible, and incorrigi-
ble criminals should be set apart
from society.”
He turned to bis clerk. “I be-
lieve the sentence was two years In
San Quentin penitentiary. Verify
It and prepare the commitm it.”
New and Used Auto Parts
Glass Fitted While
You Wait
LUCAS AUTO PARTS
J. C. May, Mgr.
College and Broughton Phone 941
UNQUESTIONABLY
North Texas’ Leading Transportation System
BECAUSE
No. 3. Texas Electric Railway maintains stations
and salaried agents atallurincipal points, thus becoming
part of each and every town served.
"VS^hat is the yardstick
for a cigarette...
Take mildness for one thing—how
does it measure up for mildness?
Chesterfields are milder—not flat or
insipid, of course, but with a pleasing
flavor.
Then take taste for another thing —
does it have plenty of taste?
Chesterfields taste better—not strong
but just right.
In other words, They Satisfy—
that’s my yardstick for a cigarette.
C> mi, IrecsTt & Myers Tobacco Co.
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The Howe Messenger (Howe, Tex.), Vol. 12, No. 31, Ed. 1 Friday, August 9, 1935, newspaper, August 9, 1935; Howe, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1014834/m1/3/: accessed June 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .