The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-12-06
Sad Case.

We find the suhjoined narrative in the Day
ton (O) Gazette:
NAOMI lIARRIs.-This unfortunate girl, who
has been proven thief and Of whom we have
hefore spoken, is now in our Jail awaiting the
the mercy of u Dayton Court. There is some
thing in her unfortunate history which affords
lad commentary upon the power of some
wicke lily disposed persons who move in the
Image of their Maker.
young and pretty girl, mingled in child
ish sport around the old homestead and fond
father, kind mother and atfectonate brothers
and sisters were proud of her innocence
There were little silver bells ringing in the
distant future, and life was full of Joy and
promise to the 1ittle child Years rolled on
apace, and her beauty and intelligence drew
around her host Of admirers, among whom
was the daStardly villain who was destined
70 be the arbter Of her fate His we'll learned
s,eech aud manner concealed the hypocrite,
and his untring attentions won her affection,
and. she put her pure heart In the keeping of
The traitor who betrayed her love and virtue,
4nassent her out uponthe world, poor blight
ell bird, to witheE under the Influence Of a
ru ned reputation. Friends and relations dis
ca,ded her; the father, who was proud to play
with her faxen curls and her mother, who
loved to kiss away her girlhood's tears, turaed
away from the shame, and branded her as an
outcast from the household, and withheld the
kindly influence which might have reclaimed
her. Aud she was the victim of the first
errOr--a natural error of her ignorance Of and
confidence in this cold and treacherous world
The rascal who had done the wrong roa med
freely here and there, and like the serpent o
the Nile, spat his venom upon new victims
an named the pure as his prizes.
Her beauty and lntellis sence were attractive
and with no legitmlte or honest means oil
p-oyi ling the necesSaIies of life she emerged
by degrees into career Of crime, and while
yet girl Dayton court sent her to the Peni
tentiary for piliering small portion Of silk.
Her black eyes looked out through the bars
upon world that had no JOY for her. A child
incarcerated in a Fehitentiary erected io
those stepped in crime. A little girl haC
stolen bit of silk, and she groaned in the
cell near murderer, young girl having beer
betrayed, sacrificed all that was dear to he
upon the first error, and she eat her bread anC
water within hearing of the hardened wretch
es who had been gathered from the count,
jaiis from all parts of the State. She wa
there for correction;-it was thought that sh
would learn Il lesson from the resenerating in
fluenceS which were there engendered All
me, whataa task There wasno Work House
no House of Refuge, no Institution for tn
and the Penitentiary was the only resource
She WAS arrested upon her last charge a
NJ amiSburgh the residence of her people
Upon the approach Of the officers she leape
from the widow of the house dfshg5Wt
and took refuge in the yard, where shiverin
and cold, she was found by the police. TAX
ne."she cred, 'why should complain, 1'v
been in the Penitentary, my reputation is ru
lned, and don't want to live longer"
We do not wish 9 be understood as uphold
ing crime; the girl is evidently guilty, an
should be punished; incarceration in the Pen
itentiarylis too Severei there should be WOr
House for such offenders, where moderate pur
ishment may be, blended with redeemins il
fluenceS, where correction niay be administer
ed, and ashort. practical sermon preached, an
atwo fold work accomplished. We shoul
have Work House, and we hope dur citizeI
will move in the matter. Patry Grimes al
becoming of frequent occurrence in our cit
AMI an institution Of this kind would soon
hlled. ss.-.--1f a-