Today -100: February 1, 1922: Of lives of shame, ham, and fatties

The Salvation Army is buying Chinese girls from their parents, as one does, 100 of them at 30 shillings a pop, to keep them from “a life of shame.” It plans to put them to work ringing bells or whatever Sally Army conscripts do. If they asked the girls what they want to do, I missed that part.

Unemployed farm worker John Hill of Yakima, Washington pleads guilty to stealing some hams to feed his 5 children. The judge suggests he have a vasectomy in exchange for a suspended sentence and he accepts.

At the (second) Fatty Arbuckle trial, the prosecution tries to strike from the record the testimony of one of its own witnesses, Zey Prevost, whose testimony on the stand conflicted with her statements to the police, statements the defense claims were coerced. And one of Fatty’s witnesses, who supposedly worked with Virginia Rappe and saw her have bouts of illness, may not have worked in the store at the same time as Rappe.

A Post Office inspector prosecutes a publisher for sending the works of 16th-century Renaissance writer Rabelais through the mails.

Don't see comments? Click on the post title to view or post comments.