Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1860-05-15
The Modern Fast WOmHn--Her Mys-
terry, her Method and Career.
m tho New York Trlbunc.l

Among the swarmS OF male and female
adventures who lead lives compact of
subtlety ana recklessncss, and are drawn
to great cities by love Of luxury and by
the surer field there afforded for n cam
paign against society at large, the most
subtle and dangerous of all would seem to
be that arch adventures, the modern Fast
Woman. Her prototype existed ages since.
as long ago as when Samson bartered
everything for Dclilah; or, later, when
''Thais, like another Helen, fred another
Troy" You can trace her down to latter
times, through all historical fact and fc-
ton, finding her likenessin many comedy
of Meliere. in many novel of Fielding or
print of Wm. Hogarth. Bnt it is in the
exciting and fortune making modern Ame-
rcan life that she has more fully develop
ed her operations, gaining at pleasure the
entree TO our changeful and not over
scrupulous upper circles, and having her
own wicked say about half of our real life
tragedy and farce.
Here was the body of murdered wo-
man, found floating in the Jersey City
Docks about 81 fortnight since. Her head
preserved in spirits, after days of mystery,
is at last identified by men. TO whom,
more than to the passing crowd, it must
seem dreadful sight. For these features,
now foul and ghastly enough, to bG4sure,
not long ago were portion OF their sever
al lives; net long ago, those eyes, now
'staring through muddy impurity,' look
ed with the semhlance of love into their
own. For size was the lawful wife of one
whom she deserted to lead the dashing life
of an American fast woman. Becoming
accomplished in this life, she seized the
other in her tolls; took charge of his body,
character and purse, dchauched the first,
hecIoudcd the second, scattered reeklessly
the contents oft the third. She shifted her
abode, we are told, from place to place.
She IiYedLat her victims expense, sccccss-
iyely ut the Brandreth House, ut the ST.
Denis Hotel, at n doctors in the Astor
place, at the St. Julien Hotel, @t the Le-
iarge House, at more than one private
boarding house. All this within two years.
And when her providrr snw through the
limsey veil of her affection fur him, she
still maintained her extravaganza, played
upon his terror of exposure as skilifully rs
she had played upon his yielding folly
She spent $50 900 Of this one mans mon
cy in Two years. During all this time she
had other visitors, doubtless oil victims
How many she has ruined He only knows
who has nt last called her 10 her account.
Such was the life, and such the end, ot
one modern "fnst woman" Well might
the man we speak of. when asked to iden-
tifv those shnpelcss features, do so at his
first glance, and shudderngly turn away.
1t is only now and then that the career
ard terrible influence of the Fast Woman
are thus impressively set before the public.
An act of violence is committed, II bank
forgcr ruins his family and himself, q
broker comes to grief. and to the story OF
his wicked excuses, there is the invarlhOle
fast-woman accompaniment. She does
not share the criminals trial and convic-
ton, however. and the worlds interest III
her soon passes away.
But she is cverywhercnud busiiy present
in American cities, and in New York most
of all. Look, for moment, at her manner
and appearance.
The Fast Woman is by no means
common harlot. In nine cases out of ten
abe has never walked the streets, nor
boarded in house of bad rePute. Only
once in a while one of the vulgar sister,
hood rise by superior shrewdness aud
ACCOMPLISHMENTS to the ranks of the dSma-
monde. The Fast Woman affects the pri-
vate boarding house. But the hotel is tue
place to which she gains uuquestioned
access. where she lives most nj her ease,
and is enabled lin her own laugunge) TO
bag the most game. And 1t is owing,
first of all, to the wretchcd. conglomerate,
American hotel system, that fast women OF
late abound IN Sucu hEubStSi oH'% az 90
dangerous to society.
There is always a mystery hanging
about the Fast Woman's antccedcnts.-
Ono 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 a fast woman's career successful,
enter upon a fast woman's life. She comes
to us after an apprenticeship in Boston or
philadelphia, and she probably went to
those cities from the country long before.
But no one city, not even New YORK, can
detan her long. Hcr genus travel from
spot to spot. A place failing them IN
Boston, they go "prospecting" to other
towns From the Revere, where their last
arrangement WAS ''played out" they come
TO the st. Nicholas to see what they can
make" And in the summer they go in
throngs from one watering place to an
other, Generally two or three unite their
forces for the summer compaign. Not un-
frequently one accompanies genteel look
inp suortinc man as his sister, while two
others figure as cousins or family friends.
Together, they are n formidable set AyS-
terious as are the Fast Woman's antece-
dents her presents: except in the assumed
summer disguise referred to. are sun more
so. She comes to the ''respec.ab1e Prl-
vate boarding house almost always as
married woman. Unfortunately her nus
bands business is of nature that Keeps
him travelling He is col!ectorandgener-
al agent for some commercial firm, or ne
is engaged in buying -four at the West, OF
he is soiourning in Europe. The Calitor.
mia story of the husband in successful
San Francisco business, and of remittances
always expected, is about played out
The sobriquet of lCalifornia widow" pro-
vokes suspicion at the outset. Not q rev