The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-04-28

COuhuCICu ilbO pretty pdAAOlg duN az
once begged her to tell us all about her
case, which she did very clearly and
coneisely. When she was left widow
with two little children she had no idea
that the place would be given to her,
but it was rendered to her by unani-
NOUS vote of the Board of Freeholders.
At that time there were in the Jail
three desperate criminals-ProctOr,
Demsing, and Foley, bank robbers-and
some persons feared that a woman
could not hold them; but they were
safely transferred at the proper time
from the Jail to the States Prison.
"And," she added, with bright smile,
"I have never lost a prisoner, which is
more than many men jailers can say.
Some of them tried to escape last fall,
but had warning iD time, sent for the
police, and the attempt was prevented"
"And do you think there is any dan
ger of your being turned out ?'
''I don't know. l intend to remain
in the place until the end of my term,
if possible. AS long as the effort to
dismiss me is based solely on the
grounds of my sex, and not of my in
competency, it ought justly to be re-
sisted"
"But Attorney-General Vanetta gave
an adverse opinion to the legality of
your appointment"
ayes; but ex-Attorney-General Rob-
ert Gilchrist, very able lawyer, has
given an opinion in my favor, while
Mr.. Lippincott, counsel for the Board
when l was appointed, also held that 1
was eligible for the place."
She then went on to tell us of some of
the petty prosecutions and indirect
measures which have been resOrted to
in order to induce her to resign or go
away, as her term of Office will not ex-
plre for two years. When her husband
was given the position, the allowance
consisted of forty cents day for each
prisoner, fifty cents for each sick per-
son, twenty-five cents for every COM
initial, and twelve and a half cents for
every discharge. The daily allowance
has been cut down from forty to twenty
five cents, and all the other allowances
are entirely done away with. She is,
therefore, at this moment, running that
Jail on twenty-five cents day for each
prisoner. Out of this sum she must
pay for all food, all salaries of assistant
| jailers, etc., all wages of servants, and
even the furniture of the place. She is
supplied only with fuel and gas, but no
stores of any description. She has also
had other annOyances. The payment
of money justly due has been opposed
or delayed, and, whereas her husband
was required to give bonds for only
S., 900, she has been forced to give one
! for $4,000. She has also been troubled
by the visits of persons representing
| themselves to be reporters of papers,
who have wished to borrow money of
her, and, failing in this, have printed
| 4; l;sn Toln oh hn
has, of course, no salary whatever.
"HOwever, do as well as I can with
the money I receive,n she said, with
that pleasant smile. "And now, would
you like to see the jail?"
! OfcOurse we would, and we were pres
emily shown through heavily barred
door into the long corridors of the Jail
proper. Here we found everything as
neat as the most perfect cleanliness
could make it. The walls, and even the
floors being white washed or painted
white, were perfectly spotless. On one
side large windows gave ample ven-
tilation and showed lovely prospect.
on the other side were the cells, the
men in them reading, smoking, or talk
ing. There were some desperate look
ing fellows among them. One man,
who had been brought in the night be-
fore, was lying all in a heap, badly cut,
he having killed the man with whom
he had fought. Up stairs, in light, open
corridors, not locked in their cells, were
the people brought here for drunken
ness, the men on one side, and the
women on the other. There is in this
prison the usual proportion between the
sexes-130 men to 80 women. Not q
solitary woman criminal, those here be-
ing all sent in for intoXicatiOn. As we
approached the women's prison, we
heard a sweet chorus of voices singing
tsNearer my God to Thee" and we found
a group at work, looking comfortable
and almost happy. One women held a
baby in her arms, while another, very
tastefully dressed, was making crotchet
mats; but most of them were sewing for
the Jail, making caps for the men to
wear during the summer, when they go
out and work in the grounds. We went
over the institution in all its parts, saw
the store-room, medicine-roOm, and the
kitchen where dinner was in prepara-
ton. The allowance per day for each
prisoner is half loaf of bread and a
pint of coffee for breakfast, and half a
loaf of bread, half pound of meat, and
a pint of soup for dinner. We saw the
soup in preparation, and it looked very
wholesome. OF the bread, we ourselves
partook, and it was really excel
lent. Having completed our tour of IN
spection, and having been Hospitality en-
tertained, we bade the fair warden good
bye, with every wish that she might be
able to maintain her position to the end
of her term of office, and not be ousted
by any unfair means.
Ex-Attorney Gilchrist's opinion on
her case is an able endorsement Of her
position. He says in the first place,
that, as AttOrney-Gene Vanetta's ad-
verse view was not given officially, it is
not binding on the Board of Freehold
ers, and then goes on to cite prece-
dents. Alice Stubbs, in 1887, was ap-
pointed overseer of the poor in the
county of Stafford, England, and the
Court of Kings Bench sustained her in
the office. A woman was appointed
governor of the Work-hOuse at Chelms-
ford, England, and the Court held it to
be a good appointment. Lady Brangle-
ton was appointed keeper of the Gate
house Jail in London. Lady Russell
was appointed keeper of the Castle
of Huntington. All these cases are
reported in "Stranges R." as clearly es-
tablishing the right and duty of women
to hold Office.
The case of Ann, Countess of Penn
broke, Dursett, and Montgomery, who
was sheriff of WestmOreland, is very
we'll known. The opinion winds up by
saying: "The argument that woman
is Incompetent to fill the duties of such
an office is doubly answered. First, by