Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-05-18

society at large, the most subtle and danger
Gus Of all would seem to be that arch adyen.
turess-the modern Fast Woman. Her pro.
totype existed ages since, as long ago as wheE
Samson bartered everything for Delilah or
later, when "Thais, like another Helen, fired
another Troy" You can trace her down tC
later times, through all historical fact and
fiction, finding her likeness in many a comedy
Of Moliere, in many a novel Of Fielding, OF
print Of William Hogarth. But It is in the
exciting and iortune-making modern Ameri-
can life that she has more fully developed 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 a murdered woman,
found floating in the Jersey City docks about
a fortnight since. Her head, preserved in
spirits, after days of mystery, is at last iden-
tilted by men, 70 whom, more than 10 the
passing crowd, it must seem dreadful sight.
For those features, now foul and ghastly
enough, to be sure, not long ago were por-
ton of their several daily lives, not long ago
those eyes, now starring through muddy
impurity," looked with the semblance of love
into their own. For she was the lawful wife
of one whom she deserted to lead the dash
ing life of an American fast woman. Be-
coming accomplished in this life, she seized
the other in her tolls; took charge of his
body, character, and purse debauched the
FIRST beclouded the second, scattered reckless
ly the contents of the third.
She shifted her abode, we are told, from
place to place. She lived at her victims ex-
pense, successively, at the Brandreth House,
at the st. Denis Hbtel, at doctors in Astor
place, at the ST. Julien Hotel, at the Lafarge
House, at more than one private boarding
house. All this within two years. And
when her pT2vider saw through the fimsey
veil Of her affection for him, she still main
tanned her extravagance, playing upon his
terror Of exposure as skillfuly as she had be-
fore played upon his yielding folly. 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 her account. Such was
the life, and such the end, Of one modern
"fast woman Well might the man we
speak of when asked to identify those shape
less features, do so at his first glance, and
shudderingly turn away.
1t is only now and then that. the career
and terrible influence of the Fast Woman are
thus impressively set before the public. An
act Of violence is committed, bank forger
ruins his family and himself, a broker comes
to grief and to the story Of his wicked ex-
cesses there is the invariable fast woman ac-
She does not share the crimi-
nails trial and conviction, however, and the
worlds interest in her soon passes by.
But she is everywhere and busily present
in American cities, and in New York most
Of all. Look, for moment, at her method
and appearance
The Fast Woman is by no means a COM
mon harlOt. In nine cases out of ten she has
never walked the streets, nor boarded in
house of bad repute. Only once in a while
one of the vulgar sisterhoOd rises, by superb
or shrewdness and accomplishments, to the
ranks of the demi-moHde. The Fast Woman
affects the private boarding house. But the
hotel is the place to which she gains un-
questioned access, where she lives most at her
ease and is enabled lin her own language)
to bag the most game. And it is owing,
first of all, to the wretched, congIomerate,
American hotel system that fast women of
late abound in such numbers, and are so
dangerous to society
There IS always a mystery hanging about
the Fast Womans 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
to render fast womau's career sue
NagT
comes m rs after apprenticeship IN. Bss.s-.
Or Philadelphia, and she probably went to
hose cities from the country long before
But no one city, not even New York, can de-
tain her long. Her genus travel from spot to
spot. A placer failing them in Boston, they
90 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 water
ing place to another. Generally two or three
unite their forces for the summer campaign.
Not unfrequently one accompanies a genteel
looking sporting man as his sister, while two
others hgure as cousins or family friends
Together, they are formidable set
Mysterious as are the Fast Woman's ante
,edents, her presents, except in the assumed
summer disguise referred to, are still more so.
She comes to the respectable private
boarding house almost always as a married
woman. Unfortunately her husbands busi-
ness is of snch nature that keeps him trav-
cling. he is the collector and general agent
for some commercial firm, or he is engaged
in buying -four at the West, or he is soourn-
ing in Europe. The California story of the
husband in successful San Francisco business,
and Of remittances always expected, is about
played out. The sobriquet of "California
widow provokes suspicion at the outset
Not few fast women hunt in couples; one
who has passed through years of atrocious
experience, unites her willingness to the
beauty and youth Of another new to the trade,
and the two, as mother and daughter, or more
aunt and niece, easily locate them
selves in any boarding house they choose.
Once settled down in a new place, Fast We
mems method is simple It is true that she
slternates, through life, between stages of
and squalor. Rarely saving
ler extortionate gains, she is frequently una
Die to pay her board or buy her clothing,
when fairly shaken off by an outraged vic
i'm. But suppose her in funds and Just ar
'1ved on new ground. She has her quali-
les, to begin with. She is a woman of pas
lion, and handsome dresses with the usual
good or bad taste of moneyed American fe-
males, sings a little, plays little, dances q
great deal. Is quiet, and behaves herself
But, Mesdames boarding house keepers, you can
always tell her by one sign. Before she has
been with you one week, she will be acquaint-
ID with every man in the house who is open
70 attack-be be lawyer, broker, merchant,
or merchants clerk-and will know very few,
f any, of your lady inmates. The latter,
with their finer female instincts, will find her
1ut, at any rate to their own satisfaction.-
By-and-by, perhaps, though very quiet and
at first, she will have many
gentlemen visitors
Perhaps you viii then recollect that when
'he applied for board she referred you only to
yentlemen-and highly respectable gentlemen
hey were, too-for information as to her
IL Al a.