I'm keeping her true identity to myself even though it was revealed in newspapers at the time. I'll omit her last name entirely and use her stepmother's maiden name because this crime involves an underage victim but to make the story easier to follow I'll assign the victim an alias. For the purposes of this narrative, I shall call her Maggie. Don't think these omissions and changes on my part reflect a failure to accurately research the crime. It is instead my attempt to protect the identity of someone who already had so much taken from her against her will that I felt she deserved some anonymity, even though she's passed on. And because I promised her granddaughter that I would.
Pulmonary tuberculosis claimed the life of Maggie's mother Minnie, aged 32, on May 25, 1911. Left behind was a grieving husband and 4 children. One son had died in 1908, at the age of 7, after being hit in the head by a baseball. Already so much sadness for this Thornhope, Indiana family.
Maggie was the eldest of Minnie's children, she was 12. The youngest child was a son named Forest, 3-years-old. In the middle were two daughters, 8 and 6. Maggie's father James was employed by the Pennsylvania Railroad as a foreman and his motivation for finding a second wife seems obvious because he married Rosa Flanagan on October 22, 1911, roughly 5 months after the death of his wife. Knowing what we do about James, it seems unlikely he had Rosa waiting in the wings as his wife lay dying. He clearly needed someone to help raise his children while he worked long hard hours to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads. Desperate and blinded by grief, he made a poor choice.
Rosa Flanagan was 8 years older than James, twice divorced and had 2 children of her own from her first marriage, a daughter 22-years-old and a son 19-years-old. To quote Jackie Kennedy, "The first time you marry for love, the second for money, and the third for companionship." Well, with friends like Rosa, nobody needed an enemy.
The depths of Rosa's depravity became known on December 13, 1912 when 13-year-old Maggie and a 49-year-old man named George Dirton were arrested by Logansport, Indiana police as Dirton was picking Maggie up at the train station.
According to newspaper accounts of the time, local police had observed Dirton greeting the comely young girl as she stepped off the train as often as two and three times a week for months and they'd found it suspicious. Was it the look of fear of Maggie's face? Her reluctance to get into his car? Dirton's leering and overall lasciviousness? Who can say but thankfully someone was looking out for her, even if they were too late.
When questioned by police, Maggie told them the sordid and terrible truth. Her stepmother Rosa had entered into a financial arrangement with George Dirton and had essentially sold Maggie to Dirton. Maggie would board the noon train to Logansport several times a week and was told to obey Dirton completely until the 4 PM train would take her back home. It was most important that Maggie be back home before James walked through the door at 6 PM. James had no idea any of this was going on. His anger upon being informed was palpable.
James returned home from work on December 13th and found Maggie missing. Rosa seemed just as concerned as James and claimed to not know where Maggie was. Without realizing it, Rosa was telling the truth. She certainly didn't know Maggie was talking to the Logansport Police and that a squad car was on it's way to arrest her.
James asked around town and learned his daughter had boarded a train for Logansport so he hired a car. [Google Maps estimates it's 30 minutes by car.] James and Rosa headed south together but were met midway by a police car. Rosa must have assessed the situation quite quickly because she hopped out of the car and start running away on foot. As if James wasn't already confused. Police easily caught Rosa, brought her back to her husband and informed him she was being arrested for selling his daughter. According to the Fort Wayne Sentinel, in the presence of the police, James told Rosa "If I find that this is true. If I find you've sold my daughter, I'll kill you."
Early newspaper accounts say that Maggie's compliance was rewarded with pretty dresses and while Maggie's testimony confirms this was true she also said she would be forced to comply whenever she refused. Any attempt on the newspapers' part to imply Maggie was on board with this arrangement was completely wrong and inappropriate.
A dual charge of rape brought against both George Dirton and Rosa leave little doubt as to what was inflicted upon Maggie each afternoon as she was picked up at the station. How dreadful must the train ride have been each and every time?
It's unusual that Rosa was charged with rape and not pandering or pimping. Rosa's lawyer, Frank V. Guthrie, would later file a motion to quash the indictment of rape on the basis that it was not only untrue but not possible.
Guthrie did he what he could to defend Rosa or at least guarantee her a fair trial. A motion for a change of venue was granted and he also asked that Rosa be tried before and apart from George Dirton who, rumor had it, intended to plead guilty. This latter motion was not granted. Maybe Dirton felt he'd be safer in prison. Two of Maggie's uncles, Charles & Stephen, had already tried to visit Dirton in his holding cell but they were turned away at the door when it was discovered they were heavily armed.
Maggie meanwhile was being kept safe in her own prison - she was being sequestered at the St. Joseph's Hospital until the case to come to trial. The hospital staff was instructed not to allow her any visitors under danger of being held in contempt of court. News from the outside world was disconcerting. Maggie was under the impression her father James had sided with his new wife and her health suffered severely. However, nothing could be further from the truth.
The Prosecuting Attorney, Michael L. Fansler arranged for Maggie to be present when he interviewed James. The question put forth was "Have you retained an attorney to defend your wife against the charges made by your daughter?" The answer was immediate and definite - "To defend her? I will give every assistance to send her and Dirton to the penitentiary. If money is needed to hire more lawyers, I'll get it."
Maggie's testimony to the Grand Jury was given in private. Both Dirton and Rosa had trouble raising the $5,000 bail. Although Dirton was widely reported to be a wealthy bachelor farmer, his property was heavily mortgaged. A second lein was obtained so that he could hire an attorney. I'm not positive but I don't believe Rosa was able to obtain bail money and she stayed in prison until her trial in January 1913.
On January 22, 1913, George Dirton stood up in open court, entered a guilty plea to the charge of rape and admitted he had "bought" Maggie from Rosa. "I am guilty," Dirton said, "but now I can scarcely realize how I ever came to permit myself to be a party to such an offense. I had too much money and my unoccupied mind turned to evil."
The Indianapolis Star reported the following day that Dirton had implicated another local farmer in the crime but State's Attorney M.L. Fansler refused to make that name known to the public or provide details of that individual's supposed involvement. That same Indianapolis Star newspaper article claims that this second man visited Dirton at the jail and threatened to kill Dirton if he didn't shut up. As far as I know, nothing else came of this accusation.
Judge John Lairy sentenced Dirton to serve a term of 2 to 21 years in the Indiana State prison.
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| Mug shot for George Dirton, provided by the Indiana State Archives |
Next up was Rosa. She continued to maintain her innocence and defended herself by saying Maggie was the problem not she. George Dirton's previous admission of guilt didn't help Rosa one bit. I've seen many court documents relating to this case, including subpoenas but not one for George Dirton. I can't imagine the prosecution wouldn't call him as a witness against Rosa.
On February 14, 1913, with or without the Dirton on the witness stand, Rosa was also found guilty of rape and sentenced to a term of 2 to 21 years in prison. She was 43-years-old.
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| A most unusual prison photo of Rosa. She looks like she's recovering at a tuberculosis sanitarium or vacationing at a friend's summer house |
George Dirton was granted parole on January 30, 1915, left the prison on February 18, 1915 and was discharged from parole on January 29, 1916. He was free to live his life.
The 1920 US Census has George and his older brother William living together and working as farm laborers. By 1930, George was an inmate at the Northern Indiana Hospital for the Insane. He would die there on June 8, 1931 of a cerebral hemorrhage with dementia precox listed as a contributing factor. He was 68-years-old.
Rosa, having exhibited good behavior while incarcerated, was paroled on December 16, 1918 and released into the custody daughter Elizabeth. On January 2, 1920, Rosa was discharged fully from parole and free to live her life. She died February 19, 1930 at the age of 60.
I had hoped to see some confirmation, perhaps in testimony transcripts, of a long-term amorous relationship between Dirton and Rosa, as was reported in December 18, 1912 edition of The Huntington Press - "To satisfy perverted passion of her lover of fifteen years, her own greed for money, it is charged that Rosa Flanagan of Thornhope, sold her 13-year-old stepdaughter to George Durton , a local parcel delivery man." Alas, no such transcripts exist. I suppose I was just looking for some reason, however twisted, for Rosa to ruin a young girl's life and devastate a family.
George Dirton, West Virginia born and raised, seems a most unremarkable man but there is a history of insanity in his family. His paternal grandmother had been institutionalized and his younger brother Joseph, from the various newspaper accounts I've read, seems to have been a dangerous paranoid schizophrenic.
Joseph Dirton had once become severely delusional and shot a man. The wound was non-fatal. Joseph was locked up in several hospitals including the Spencer (WV) State Asylum, a place he escaped from in September 1894 because he claimed the living conditions were horrendous and he wasn't receiving his medication. Joseph's parents petitioned the court to be appointed his guardians.
The Dirton family eventually relocated to Indiana. The change of scenery did not make a difference for two years later (May 19, 1896), Joseph became extremely agitated and had to be removed from the family home. He put up quite a struggle, during which Deputy Sheriff Charles Davison received a severe cut to his hand, and Joseph was sent to the Long Cliff Asylum in Logansport. On September 15, 1899, 33-year-old Joseph died at his parents' home.
Even with Dirton and Rosa in prison, more tragedy awaited Maggie and her family for on August 14, 1913 the body of Maggie's father James was found lying by the train tracks. The death certificate lists his age as 36, the cause of death was a "railroad accident," and his marital status was "divorced."
Now orphaned, Maggie, her two sisters and a brother were taken in by their Uncle Truman and his wife.
On October 16, 1932, Maggie's brother Forest was one of two neighbors to die as a result of a buzz saw accident. Here are the facts, cobbled together from two articles printed in The Times (Muncie, Indiana) newspaper - "Arnold Konietz and Forest were sawing up some old railroad ties at the Konietz home with a buzz saw borrowed from a friend of Konietz. Forest and Konietz had rigged up a belt from the rear wheel of an automobile to furnish power to the saw.
It is believed that the vibration of the saw loosened bolts holding the frame castings together. Arthur Ostrander, another neighbor who had strolled over to watch the work, was standing near. He said it appeared that the shaft bounded from the bearing at one end under the pull of the belt. Then the other bearing broke and the rapidly whirling saw and shaft hurtled at the two men who were standing right in front of it with a heavy tie."
"The saw struck both men. Konietz's left arm was almost severed at the shoulder joint and his left side was laid open from the shoulder down. Konietz died immediately. Forest's left side and left leg had been ripped open. He died 3 days later while in the hospital. He was 23-years-old. He left behind a wife and son."
Maggie lived to the age of 97. She remained haunted by the crime until the day she died and kept it a secret from her children and grandchildren.
Michael L. Fansler, the State Prosecutor in this case, went on to become Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court.
Rosa's attorney Frank Guthrie, shown here in 1939, was elected Mayor of Logansport three times, serving from 1914-1917 then 1922-1929.
I did a bit more research for this story, hopefully it'll be reflected in the narrative. I relied heavily on newspaper archives, as usual, but I also want to give a public shout-out to Dave Birnell and Sherry Raber at the Miami County (Indiana) Clerk's Office. After tirelessly and eagerly digging through a great many boxes of records down in the basement of an annex building, they struck gold and made available to me scans of everything they had found relating to this case including the original indictment for George Dirton and Rosa, The Original Warrant for Rosa, Motion for Separate Trial, Motion to Quash, a Motion to hear her trial first, Motion for Change of Venue, Transcript of Costs, run down of everything filed Subpoenas, The Verdict, and a letter from the Indiana Women’s Prison releasing Rosa for good behavior.
Also, my thanks to Keenan Salla at the Indiana State Archives for all of her assistance. In addition to allowing me access to prison records, which provided biographical info (and possible topics for future blogs), we wouldn't know what George Dirton looked like were it not for her and my $15.00.
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