Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-03-13
4 LADY IN RREECErES.

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4 lady IN RKEECSEES.
Romantic Life and DOings sx Il
German EirgIssIan G1irl-FesnaIe
Eerois:n aud Nobi.ity-Arrest in
Philadelphia.
Our Geographic column contained
| on the morning OF the 9Th, brief ref
erence to the following circumstance,
given more fully by the Philadelphia
correspondent of the n. Y. Herald:
|. In passing through the Central Po-
lice Office this morning as usual, Your
corr espondent noticed the captain of
| the detective force engaged in earnest
conversation with bright and intelli-
gent little boy. There was some: hing
SO earnest and sincere III the little fell
lows countenance and grace SO re-
markable in his every movement that
instinctively I paused to take second
look at him. The face was dainty and
oval, the eyes full and sparkling, the
| nose Grecian, the lips full and deli
cately moulded and the forehead
crowned with u wealth of coal-biack
| hair. "A little italian lad, thought
to myself; 1.-The fair serf of some cruel
and heartiess padrone caught plying
an Illegal occupation upon the street
and brought before a justice to ex-
plain.
Let me tell you," said officer Levy,
81 made her arrest this morning; found
her away up in the attic of & shooting
gallery on Chestnut street. She WAS
croucIod behind partition like lit
tie animal. l brought her from the
shooting gallery to the Office. She put
! her hands i'll her pockets, walked
quietly by MY side, laughing and
chatting merrliy rs sprite, and
aroasing IN the pedestrians hurrying
along not the slightest suspicion of her
SEX. [ tell you sho is true and as
bright Is IL dollar. Go in and talk
10 her.
:rtIE L!T-T:.!: WOMAN ACCoJ:Nss Tor a.EE-
SELF.
"WLat j. your name :" [ asked.
''Bertie Winkler," she answered. she
answered promptly raising her head
and fixing her full eyes steadily upon
me. Her quaint costume contrasted
strangely with hcr bright, healthy,
handsome face. The dingy brooches,
the tight fitting coat, the rude shoes,
ard the coarse Chcviot shirt, i'll be
came one 30 dainty and SO young. Her
dark raven hair was cropped short, and
parted low upon The side, just Ike a
boys. Where is your home :" I
asked. In keysville, Charlotte cou,-
y, Virginia, she replied
why did you leave vour home ?
Tell n" all about yourself" l went on.
-, "cAtont your parents. yo'rr age, Eo"l
life and your condition"
H-r answer WIS plain, straiSiitfoI-
ward and frank, h.iGht, honest and
humorous. I give it in her exact
word@.
Ny parents are German and they
are very ola they are also very poor.
It was as much as they could 90 to
support Themselves. Often l have
looked upon my poor mother and pit
led her, she was so old and her family
SO large to keep. ] am only sixteen.
One day 1 thought l could assist my
mother by going cut Ill the world and
working for myself. I told her all
my thoughts, and sue said that I might /
go. She kissed me when L went away /
and told me never to forget that l was
lady and that she was my mother. !
J went to Richmond, the conductor OF !
the cars allowing me to ride free. I !
there tirstput upon me the clothes of /
a boy"
BREECHED FOR PROTECTION.
"Why?" 1 asked.
We'll" she answered molestly, 4
did not want to be insulted, and
thought boys outfit would protect
me better than girls. / just laughed
When put the clothes On, though"
she continued, smiling, 'because
everywhere / placed my hands there
seemed to be a pocket. [ went to the
captain of a steamer bonnd for Phila-
deIphia, and. telling him how poor I
was and how much 7 wanted to help
my mother. asked him if he would
not let me pay my way to the North by
working upon his vessel. The Captain
was very kind, and told me I was too
young to do work and that he would
let me ride just like a passenger The
little girl. He never once suspected
it. ] never told him; he does not know
it yet. All were generous and good to
me on the steamboat no one ever
spoke an unkind word. [ arrived here
about January. l was idle for some
weeks and found il SO hard to live BY
and by I went to the shooting gallery
and he gave me place. / have been
there until to-day. No one ever Sis
pected my being girl; nc one ever in
suited me. The proprietor himself
did not know Of nv sex until this
when the officer came.
learned TO shoot first rate. I hit the
centre OF the target ten times once one
right after the other. One day great
big man came in the gallery and he was
drunk. He shot many times and then
would not pay. I made him pay, ard
then he began to swear. One of the l
people then opened the door. 1 Just :
put all my strength against him aud l
pushed him right out. The men laughed ]
and felt afraid of what [ had Gone |
hada nice boarding PLACE. Iroomed
Ill a.o.." - !uyAe:I; Kni can AJAX the
woman who owns the house If L did '
rot. My mother knows where l am, =
only she is German and when she {
le ars that L have been arrested she {
will think that they have taken me to i
all. have never done anything
wrong. l was known at the gallery as
Louis Ninkler."
ViTTUOrS AND FEARLESS.
"But, your correspondent inter
'upted, "were you not i'll constant l
Tread of being insulted?' &
Ono" she answered. 'Why should t
have been? I was doing my duty, G
"a VIC "ot s,~l,nmod 70 work. If a G
,ofaol DO, ; t,..;-i ..4.J vii never suf- 6
er. My boys clothes kept me from t
INSULT. and no one ever found ne out. | Y
have always sent my mother money t
: just as much as 1 could spare. Ask d
he Chief of Police if he will not let a
ne write letter to my mother now. n
want to SO much. She will be wor-
led about her little girl. ,s-~; ,....
Such was tie story 3ertie told rae. v
The police ross-questioned her ana 2
ound Ia her statements no discreI y
,ances or Contradictions ident- s