Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-03-20
Virginia Girl in Pants.

A Virginia Girl i'm Pants.
In Philadelphia last week, it was dis
covered that young attendant in a pistol
gallery was girl in boys clothing. The
police were sent for and the girl fed into
the garnet where she was arrested. Onar-
Ewing at the station house she was inter-
viewed by reporter with the following
result as described in letter to the N. Y.
Herald :" 4 a'iast
ssWhat is you name ~ asked. "Ber-
tie Winkler," she answered, promptly rails
ing her head and fixing her full eyes stead
lily upon me-. Her quaint costume con-
tras. ed strangely with her bright, healthy,
handsome face. The dingy breaches, the
tight fitting coat, the rude shoes, and the
coarse chevoit shirt, i'll became one so
5dainty and 50 young. Her dark raven hair
was cropped short, and parted low, upon
the side, just like boys. SsWhere is your
home ~ asked. iii Keysville, Charlotte
county, Virginia, 2 she replied. M
"Why did you leave home 2. Tell me all
about yourself went on. 'sAbout your
parents, your age, your life and your con-
dition.;' SIS ssGs
Her answer was plain, straightforward
and frank, bright, honest and humorous.
give it in her exact words
'sMy parents are German and they are
very old they are also very poor. II was
as much as they could do to support them
selves. Often have looked upon my poor
mother and pitied her, she was so old and
her family SO large to keep. / am only
sixteen. One day thought could as
sist my mother by going out in the world
and working for myself. told her all my
thoughts, and she said that | might CO.
She kissed me when 1 went away and told
me never t, forget that WAS lady and
that she was my mother. I wentito Rich
mond, the conductor of the cars allowing
me to ride free. I there first put upon me
the clothes Of a boy" .ts
.'Why ~ 1 asked. HM A3a
'sWell," she answered modestly, 81 did
not want to be insulted, and | thought a
ooy's outfit would protect me better than
a girls. / just laughed when 1 put the
clothes on, though she continued, smil-
ing, "because everywhere | placed my
hands there seemed to be a pocket. /
went to the captain of steamer bound
Cor Philadelphia, and, telling him how
poor l was and how much / 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
was too young to do work and that ne
would let me ride just like a passenger. The
Captain never dreamed that | was a little
girl. lie never once suspected it. I never
told him !; he does not know it yet. All
were generous and good to me on the steam
or no one ever spoke an nnkind word
arrived here about January. | was idle
for some weeks and found it so hard to
i've. By and by / went into the shooting
gallery and he gave me 8 place. have
been there until To-day. No one ever sus-
pected my being a girl; no one ever in
suited me- The proprietor himself did not
know Of my sex until this morning when
the officer came. / learned to shoot first
rate. I hit the centre of the target ten
times once right after the other. One day
a great big man came in the gallery and
he was drunk He shot many times and
then would not pay. ] made him pay, and
then he began to swear. One Of the peo-
ole then opened the door. | just put all
my strength against him and pushed him
right out. All the men laughed and felt
afraid of what I had done. l had nice
boarding place. I roomed all alone by my
self you can ask the woman who owns
the house if did not. My mot er knows
where | am, only she is German and when
she hears that have been arrested she will
think that they have taken me to jail. l
have never done anything wrong. | was
known at the gallery as Louis Winkler."
'sBut,' your correspondent interrupted
E'were you not in constant dread Of being
insulted ~
s'No,u she answered. "Why should L
have been, I was doing my duty, and was
not ashamed to work. If a person does
right she will never suffer. My boys
clothes kept me from insult, and no one
ever found me out. l have always sent
my mo her money-just as much as could
spare. Ask the Chief of Police if he will
notlet me write a letter to my mother now.
| want to so much. She will be worried
about her little girl" st 1851
Such was the story BERTHE told me. The
police cross-questioned her, and found in
her statements no discrepancies or CONTRA
dictions. Her identity was discovered by
a party residing near her home, who in
formed the police, and brought about her
arrest. ~ es
A lady came to see thelittle waif and in
terviewed her alone. When she came out
she pronounced BERTHE a thorough and per-
feet little lady. whose truth, sincerity and
virtue could not be doubted. In a. half
hour BERTHE became a great favorite.-
Everybody wanted to talk with her. No
one could help laughing at the little crea-
ture, sitting there SO gracefully, dressed
in those rude and ridiculous habiliments.
She seemed so cute, SO bright, so full of
innocent coquetry and mirth. She spoke
in English and in German with equal flu
ency.
A bishop, invited to open the Vermont
legislature by prayer, uttered the follow
ing s'May corruption and sin of every
form be as far from every member of this
legislature as Thou art. T.
Rev. DR.. Sunderland, the chaplain of the
Senate, prayed that God would make ssthis
Congress as the Sanhedrin to the Jew, =
but the telegraph reported it as thess.Sa-
cred Ram to the jew" s3 fs04ss3S a'i
'sChicago Heavy Weight Men" have a
club of that name. They range from $50