The hydraulic press., 1860-06-30
The Fast woman,

-. Vne Fast WOmoW,f y
Tie New York Tribune givesthe following
graphic sketch of the modernFast Woman:
Several weeks ago there was the body of
a murdered woman found floating in the
Jersey City docks Her head, preserved in
spirits, after days of mystery, is at last iden-
tilted by men, to whom, more than to the
passing crowd, it must have seemed dread
ful sight, For those features, now foul and
ghastly enough, not long ago, were portion
of their several daily lives. Not long ago,
those eyes, now "staring through muddy
impnrity, looked with the semblance of love
into their own. She was the lawful wife of
one hom she deserted, ITO lead the dashing
life of an American fast woman Becoming
accomplished in this life, she seized the other
in her toils-took charge Of his body, char
acter and purse--debauched the first, be-
clouded the seconds. scattered recklessly the
contents of the third.
She shifted her abode, we are told, from
place to place. She lived at her victims
expense, successfully at the Brandreth House,
at the st. Denis Hotel, at doctors in the
Astor Place, at the ST. Julien Hotel, at the
Lafarge House, and at more than ope private
boarding house. All this. within two years.
And when her p-oyider' saw through the
flimsy veil of her affection for him, she still
maintained the extravagance, playing upon
bis ternor of exposure as skilfuIly as she had
played upon his yielding folly.,n y ;,.,,.v
She spent $4,000 of this one mans money
IN two years. During all this time she had
other visitors, doubtless other victims. How
many she has ruined, He only knows who
has at last called her to he, account. Such
was the life, and such the end, of one of the
modern fast women. = Well might the man
we speak of, when asked to, identify those
shapeless features, do SO at his FIRST glance,
and shudderingly turn away l;.:s-:s
There is always a mystery hanging about
the fast woman's antecedents. One thing is
certain, though found'on every New York
square, she is rarely New Yorker by birth.
Few city girls who have the accomplishments
necessary to render fast woniaH's career
successful, enter upon fast wQman's life.-t
She comes to US after an apprenticeship in
Boston or Philadelphia, and probably went
to those CITIES from; the country long before.
But no 0ne city-not even New York-can
detain. her; long. placer failing them in
Boston, they go prospecting to other towns.
FROM the Revere, where their last arrange
neptwas played out, they come to the st.
Nicholas, to see what they can make. And
in the summer they go in thsengs from one
Watering place to another. Generally two
or three unite their forces for the summer
campaign. Not unfrequently. one accompan
les genteel ,,lookipg sporting man, as his
Sister, wiile two others figure as cousins or
family friends. Together, they are formid-
aotle set-i,.is -. II = ~,
>. Mysterious as are the fast woman's ante
cedents, her presents, except in the assumed
all
She comes to the respectable
priFy,sste pF,s, boarding house. almost always as a
married woman. Unfortunately her hus-
bands. business.is of natere that keeps
him travelling, He is collector and general
agent far apme commercial firm, or he is en-
gagged in buying -four at the West, or he is
sojpurning in Europe.
Once settled down. ina new place, the fast
method is simple. !; 1t is. true she
alternates. through ilife,t between stages of
magpiEcence and squalor. Rarely saving
her extortiopate gains, she is frequently UNI
able to pay herboard, or ouy clothing, when
fairly shaken off by an outraged victim. But
new grounds. She has her qualities, to be-
gin with. She is a woman of passion, is
handsome, dresses with .he usual good or
bad taste of moneyed American: females,
sings little, plays little, dances a great
deal, is quiet and behaves herself. But Mes
DANES Boarding pg-house-keepers, you can al
ways tell her by one sign. Before she has
been with you d week, she will be acquainted
with every man in the house, who is open
to attack-be he lawyer, broker merchant
Or merchants clerk-apd will know very
few, If any, of your lady inmates. The lat-
Ter, with their finer female instincts, will
find her out to their satisfaction. By and by,
perhaps, though very quiet and companions
less at. first, she will have many gentlemen
visitors. You will recollect that when she
applied for board, she referred you only 20
yentlemen-and highly respectable gentle-
men they were, too-for information as to
her means and character. s..t..,
Now, if all these things are in combination,
you may be wronging an innocent female in
doing what we say you have right to do
that is, strongly suspecting your fascinating
and unprotected lady boarder to be a fast
and in keeping very close watch
upon her movements-in expecting, sooner
ur later, to hear of her fastening herself upon
some fellow with more money than brains
to hear of her living in great splendor at
some hotel-to hear her name vilely exposed
to connection with some cases of fraud and
hear, sooner or later, of an
evil ending and an uncared-for grave.
81 rr
CHALLENGE 70 FIoHr.-Matt. Tracey,. of
Nevada, puts forth the following challenge
for prize 6ght, addressed to |. L. Hill; Sir,
Having heard that you have been using diss
graceful language towards. me (; also, that