Cloverine

Cloverine

by Rachel Marie-Crane WIlliams

ood anh

s wa

wom

Glad y

that liminal space betwe n i g en g din irlh n a t s ood t jus a

nd

s 12 ,

1930

Her life was complicated. She lived in a small house in Johnstown, NY with her mother and step father. They rented out rooms to male boarders to make ends meet. In December of 1930, just 14 months after the start of the great depression, Gladys’ life would change forever.

On a cold night in the middle of December, Gladys was sexually assualted by a 46 year old man, Simon Aurillo who had lived in the house for a week. Her stepfather had noticed the man’s attention toward Gladys in the days leading up to the attack.

December

Mamma! I’m

afraid. It’s going to hurt!

The following night her mother played a role in revictimizing her.

Quit pouting! this is

all your fault. I’ll be right back, I’ve got just the thing...

She helped a second man, Monte Baleau, age 35 assault Gladys.

Perhaps Gladys’ mother thought she was asking for it, or was afraid of how rumors of the attack might impact her business. Perhaps her mother had no empathy for gladys, or had experienced something similar herself and did not recognize it as out of the ordinary. Maybe she was plagued by shame and guilt or feared Gladys would become pregnant.

She tried to make things easier by rubbing Gladys with Cloverine.This ointment was sold door to door, often peddled by children who saw it advertised in the back of comic books as a way to get-rich quick or win “Prizes” Galore.

It’s perfectly legal, they got married last night.

scum..

Gladys and her second rapist, were forced to marry at 11’oclock the same night as the assualt in a small town less than ten miles away.

The ceremonly was performed by a justice of the Peace. Her mother, who secured the license, lied about the girl’s age.

Gladys was charged with Juvenile Delinquency and sent to the Troy Orphange.

Tell us more Gladys, did it hurt?

At the orphanage GLadys naturally tried to process what had happened to her with the other girls and the matron.

...We consider her a moral menace and not a proper child to have here to contaminate the morals of other children.

The matrons labeled Gladys a menace and moved her to the Humane society shelter in Gloversville, NY due to a fear of moral contagion.

Eventually she was incarcerated at the New York State Training School. She wrote her first letter home on December 28, 1930.

It is unclear if the letter ever reached her mother. It was transcribed and added to her case file.

ing

wro wa she

Judg

n the letter Gla date o dys

te,

he by t

s

er

the knowledg e th spared at h

abusers had bee

, ted

n ar res

two days before, on the day after Christmas.

2021

babl

her story, like the st ory o fs

om any

oth er

ls gir

Tod ay G la

o s pr yd s i

but rdust, a t s y

is still relevant. LIke so many girls in the system she was victimized repeatedly by institutions and people she thought she could trust.