Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1861-08-30
Very Romantic, Very.

A fine looking, brght-eyed girl Of 1G was
yesterday placed under the protection of Miss
Foster, the matron Of the City Prison whose
case presents features of more than ordinari-
" interesting character. Her name is Bridget
Dokay, and her parents still live in the city
of Dublin, which is her native place. The
particulars of her romantic career were given
by herself, with such an air of modest truth
fulness that no one would wish to question
her veracity. She stated that when thirteen
years of age she became acquainted with a
worthy young man named Kelly, a carpenter,
who wished to marry her. Her parents who
were well-to-do, prudent people, objected to
the match, because of her youth, and pre-
vailed upon the young man to leave the
neighborhood, giving him fit out of 800.
His departure grieved her, and she deter
mined to follow him. After the lapse of a
few months she learned that he had procured
employment on board vessel as ship car
penter, and that he sailed out of Liverpool.
Thither she repahed as quickly as she OBJ
tanned the means, but only to learn that Kel-
ly's vessel had few days previously sailed
for New York. The damsel was disappoin-
ted, but her desire to see her truant lover
was not conquered. She Immediately pro-
cured suit of sailor. boys clothing, for which
she discarded her own girlish attire, and then
shipped under the name Of Edward johnson,
as cabin-boy for trip to New York, whittier
she arrived, but still failed to accomplish the
purpose she had undertaken. Friendless,
and without means, after she had been here
a week or two, it became necessary that she
should obtain employment, and notwithstand-
ing the hardships to which she bad been SUBJ
jccted on her first voyage, there was GER
tain fascination about sailors life which in
duced her to follow it. So, for three years.
she has been voyaging from port to port, two
of which were passed in the capacity of cabin
boy, and the third as an able seaman, her ro-
bust constitution enabling her to take her
"trick at the Wheel and perform the varied
duties of her lot as well as the best man on
board. During all this time, notwithstand-
ing an evident refinement Of manner not
characteristic of an ordinary sailor, and deli
cacy Of appearance that ought to have be-
trayed her sex, her secret was never discov
cred. She performed her duties so well that
her three last voyages have been made in one
| vesscl-the ship Resolve, of the Black Ball
line" -" Captain having pressed her to re-
main with MIN, and co:'nllmented her as a
promising young man. "~.tt; ami2 All m 'ne
harlships Of her condition she lost no OPP or-
tunity Of searching for the young carpenter
of whom, however, she had lost evG..v trace.
On Thursday night, cherishing hope :ha.
she might encounter him in some Of the low
saloons in Water Street, which sea-far.ng
men frequent, she determined to explore
them. Mixing freely with the unruly char
acters there, she found i. necessary to treat
them to liquor. An attempt, however, to i'm
pose upon her liberality, which she resisted,
and one of the ruffians made an assault upon
her. The discovery of her sex was then
made, and created such excitement that the
police were attracted by the disorder which
the crowd occasioned. The young sailor girl
was taken to the Station-hou where she
made partial statement to the Police Cap
tain, who was favorably impressed with her
ingenious manner, and provided her with
good accommodation for the night. Yester-
day morning she was arraigned before JUS
tice Osborn, who lectured her upon the i'm
propriety Of her conduct, and informed her
that she had been guilty of misdemeanor
at which she seemed to be greatly surprised.
her male attire for one more appropriate to
her youth and sex, and she is now metamor-
phosed into very pretty girl, rather, sun
burnt it is true, and having her hair cropped
too closely, withal interesting and womanly.
She acknowledges to feeling great restraint
in her new garments, but declares she will
never discard them again. Her great hope
now is to obtain some respectable employ
ment, and doubtless it will be found for her
N Y Times