In 1942, a 13-year old girl was raped by her mother’s live-in boyfriend in Shamokin, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. She became pregnant. The mother attempted an abortion and was unsuccessful. The District Attorney investigated and arrested all three. The mother was tried on the attempted abortion charge, found guilty, and was sentenced to a minimum of three years in the Industrial Home for Women. The boyfriend, guilty of statutory rape, was sentenced to five to ten years in state prison. The girl, became a ward of the state and was kept in a county institution home. Her expected delivery date was in April 1943.
In a footnote to this story, there was a newspaper report in late March, 1943, that an ambulance had taken her from the hospital back to the county home. Not stated is whether she gave birth to the child.
The available newspaper articles are presented here in this blog post.
Note that the surname name Domaleski is spelled various ways in the articles and also that his first name is sometimes given as Frank and sometimes as Albert. At the end of this blog post is an article that appeared in the Mt. Carmel Item in 1942, which included a letter from Frank Domaleski to the Kulpmont School Board, in which he requested a leave of absence because he had been “charged with the commission of certain offenses.” He was granted the leave.
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From the Shamokin News-Dispatch, November 11, 1942:
3 ARE ARRESTED ON SERIOUS CHARGE
Albert Frank Domaleski, 119 West Montgomery Street, Mrs. Marion DeWalt, and the latter’s 13-year-old daughter Ruth Naomi, were committed to Northumberland County prison today on a serious charge brought by Pennsylvania Motor Police.
The three were taken into custody by officers Anderson and Baceski of Shamokin detail of Pennsylvania Motor Police, following an investigation ordered by District Attorney Robert M. Fortney.
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From the Mt. Carmel Item, November 11, 1942:
GIRL, MAN, WOMAN HELD IN MORALS CASE
Three persons were being held today on different charges centering around a morals case.
Ruth Flynn, 13, of 119 West Montgomery Street, Shamokin, arrested on a charge of incorrigibility, was arraigned before Justice of the Peace H. O. Renninger in Shamokin late yesterday and committed to a county poor far, near Sunbury, pending the next term of Northumberland County Court.
At a separate hearing, Albert Domaleski, 31, same address, charged with a statutory offense upon the girl, was committed to the county jail at Sunbury to await the coming court term.
Following another hearing, Marion DeWalt, 32, same address, charged with abortion upon the girl, was committed, too, to the county prison, pending the next court term.
The arrests were made by State troopers of the district barracks.
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From the Shamokin News-Dispatch, December 10, 1942:
September term of criminal court is expected to end late this afternoon….
The most severe sentenced imposed during the term was that yesterday afternoon on Albert Domleskie, of Danville, R. D., more recently of 119 West Montgomery Street, Shamokin, convicted on charges of betrayal of a 13-year-old Shamokin girl. He was sentenced to serve from five to 10 years in eastern Penitentiary, a fine of $25 and costs.
The girl against whom Domleskie committed the offense proved a sensational witness on the stand during the trial of the accused man. She testified Domleskie resided with her and her mother, and that after he committed criminal attack, warned the child he would kill her if she told anyone. It was not until it became known the girl is approaching motherhood that the facts were learned and Domleskie was committed to jail.
Mrs. Marion DeWalt, mother of the girl, was charged with willful knowledge of Domleskie’s relations with the child, and for that offense was sentenced by Judge Morganroth to serve an indeterminate sentence in Pennsylvania Industrial Home for Women at Muncy. The child will be cared for by authorities.
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From the Sunbury Daily Item, December 10, 1942:
5 TO 10 YEAR TERM
The stiffest sentence at the present term of court was imposed by Judge Morganroth this morning when he sent Albert Domaleski, of Shamokin, to the penitentiary for not less than five years and not more than ten on a morals charge concerning a 13-year-old Shamokin girl. The jury found him guilty late Wednesday afternoon. The child, who is in the sixth grade, will become a mother in April.
The man lived with her mother, Mrs. Marian DeWalt and the child. The girl testified that Domaleski threatened to kill her if she told anyone.
Mrs. DeWalt herself was on trial for abortion. She was also found guilty and was sentenced by Judge Morganroth to an indeterminate term in the Pennsylvania Industrial School for Women at Muncy. The term is not to exceed tree years.
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From the Mt. Carmel Item, December 11, 1942:
AUTHORITIES HAVE PROBLEM
County authorities were faced yesterday with the problem of caring for Ruth Flynn, 13-year old Shamokin girl, whose story on the witness stand in Court before Judge C. K. Morganroth moved a crowd of more than 100 persons.
Her care will be a problem for with whom she lived was in custody having been given an indeterminate sentence in the Muncy Home of not less than three years. Albert Domaleski, who lived with her mother, was under sentence of 5 to 10 years in the Eastern Penitentiary, imposed by Judge Morganroth after being convicted of a statutory charge. The young girl who will become a mother in April was entirely unconcerned as she strolled about the court house corridors.
Her care will be a problem for the institutional district.
Disposition of the case and a few minor matters concluded the term for Judge Morganroth….
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From the Shamokin News-Dispatch, December 11, 1942:
GIRL IS PROBLEM FOR AUTHORITIES
Thirteen-Year-Old Expectant Mother County’s Official Headache
Northumberland County institutional authorities today face a serious problem in the future of 13-year-old Ruth Flynn of Coal Township, who became a county charge when her mother, Marion DeWalt, was sentenced to serve not less than three years in [the] Pennsylvania Industrial Home for Women at Muncy, after the woman was convicted of morals offenses.
At the time the girl’s mother was sentenced, Frank Domleskie, of Danville R. D., was sentenced to five to 10 years in Eastern Penitentiary after his conviction on charges of statutory rape and the betrayal of the Flynn girl, who is to become a mother in April.
With the passing of sentence on the mother and Domleskie, who resided with the DeWalt woman and child, the the girl wandered about the court house corridors until a county official took her in charge. The girl is being held in juvenile quarters while the institutional authorities determine just what sill be best for her. In all likelihood the girl will be kept at Northumberland County Institutional Home until after April. The the authorities will arrange for her future care and education.
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From the Sunbury Daily Item, December 11, 1942:
GIRL 13 FACES PROBLEM
County authorities were faced yesterday with the problem of caring for Ruth Flynn, 13 years old Shamokin girl, whose story on the witness stand in court before Judge Morganroth moved a crowd of more than 100 persons.
Her mother, Mrs. Marian DeWalt, with whom she lived was in custody, having been given an indeterminate sentence in the Muncy Home of not less than three years. Albert Domaleski, who lived with her mother, was under sentence of five to ten years in the Eastern Penitentiary, imposed by Judge Morganroth after being convicted on a statutory charge. The young girl who will become a mother in April was entirely unconcerned as she strolled about the court house corridors.
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From the Sunbury Daily Item, December 16, 1942:
SHAMOKIN MAN BEGINS 5-10 YEAR TERM IN PEN
Sheriff William J. Engle, and his deputy, Jack Winters, took Albert Domaleski, of Shamokin, to Philadelphia Tuesday to begin a five to ten year term in the Eastern Penitentiary.
Domaleski was sentenced last week by Judge C. K. Morganroth in criminal court on a morals charge involving a 13-year old Shamokin girl. he pleaded just before the jury retired in his case. This was the stiffest sentence given at the term of court. The man lived with the girl’s mother, Mrs. Marian DeWalt, and she was convicted of an abortion charge and will be sent later this week to the Pennsylvania Industrial School for Women at Muncy for a term not exceeding three years.
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From the Shamokin News-Dispatch, December 22, 1942:
WOMAN REMOVED TO STATE HOME
Sheriff William J. Engle and a woman deputy took Marion DeWalt, Coal Township, to Pennsylvania Industrial Home for Women at Muncy, where she will spend at least three years under an indeterminate sentence imposed by Judge Charles K. Morganroth, when the woman pleaded guilty to a charge of attempted abortion.
Mrs. DeWalt is the mother of a 13-year-old girl now in the county home approaching motherhood, for which Albert Domleskie, of Danville, is serving from five to 10 years in the Eastern Penitentiary. Domleskie was transferred last week from the county jail to the state penal institution in Philadelphia.
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From the Sunbury Daily Item, December 24, 1942:
WOMEN PRISONERS TAKEN TO MUNCY HOME
Sheriff William J. Engle took Mrs. Marian DeWalt of Shamokin and Harriet Bollinger, of Northumberland, to the Industrial Home for Women at Muncy today. Both have been sentenced to indeterminate terms there.
Mrs. DeWalt pleaded guilty to a charge of abortion during her trial at the last term of criminal court. She was sentenced by Judge C. K. Morganroth. Miss Bollinger was convicted by a jury in a morals case and was also sentenced by Judge Morganroth. Both women have been in the Northumberland County Jail since they were sentenced several weeks ago.
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From the Sunbury Daily Item, March 29, 1943:
AMBULANCE CALLS
Miss Ruth Flynn was taken to the Northumberland County Home from the hospital.
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From the Mt. Carmel Item, March 18, 1942:
TEACHER ASKS FOR LEAVE OF ABSENCE
The Kulpmont School Board met in special session last evening at 8:30 o’clock at the Roosevelt High School, to consider a communication sent them by Frank Domleski, Kulpmont school teacher, who recently was charged with the commission of certain offenses. The communication read as follows:
Board of School Directors,
School District of the Borough of Kulpmont
Kulpmont, Pennsylvania
Gentlemen:
I have recently been charged with the commission of certain offenses. I can assure you that I am guilty of no wrong. However, in fairness and justice to the School Board, the Kulpmont faculty, students and the community, I am requesting you to grant me a leave of absence until May 15, until such time as I have an opportunity to declare my innocence.
Thanking you for your consideration, I am,
Very respectfully yours,
Frank Domaleski
The School Board read and accepted the communication until further developments.
The following school directors were present at the meeting: Kutchen, Nestico, Barrett, Wargo, and Wydra. Valentine and Filipowicz were absent.
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News articles from Newspapers.com.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.