Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1878-04-08
The Story Of a Woman who
Never had a Chance.

If you want to see the inside of a sta
tion, you'd ought to have been here last
night. 1t isn't often, ma am, there is
night that would be suitable for you. l
don't think there's been half dozen
this winter that I'd want you round if
you was my daughter or my sister-beg-
ging your pardon, ma'am, as the best
way | can put it to you to express my
meaning and the feeling that man has
about such things.
Ever see our books =? No. Just you
look here, if you please. Just count
those pages, will you, from there to
there We took in all those in Decem-
Der. In the month of December, 1868,
we had in this one station two thousand
two hundred and ffty-two men and wo-
men. OF course, there's the usual share
of arrests. There's Mahoney, and Jones,
and Sullivan, and Pete Cartwright, and
Julia Henderson right under my finger,
all arrests. All drunk. But most of
'em are vagrancies IN the winter time
You see it was pretty cold, last Decem-
ber. especially nights. And then we are
careful about our officers. Don't allow
kicking and no more swearing at 'em
than circumstances require. These cree
turs get such things round among them
selves They have fancy for this sta
ton, maybe. don't know how that is.
We mean to be humane on this corps.
That's our theory. Some of our officers
have very gentlemanly way. Not that
we think it makes much difference. 1
tell you, madam, Vou may better un-
derstand it at the outseD L don't know
what your intentions are, of course-but
ladies come with so many charitable and
curious designs which it seems pity to
disappoint; but tell you the folks that
get into these places are hopeless lot
They're folks without chance. Most
of US have chance, reckon, in this
world, some time or nuther; even them
poor devils. But by the time they get
here their chance is as dead as John
Browns body. | don't say there's nev-
er an exception. Now, there was that
creetur last night. Maybe if somebody d
taken her in hand several years ago-if
a lady with the way you seem to have
d hope you'll excuse me, ma'am, but
there is difference in q lady's way,
such as | think you'd have to be a man,
and do a pretty rough mans work, like
mine, for instance, to understand SO
clearly as you might.) | wished, last
night, | will confess, that there'd been
lady here. 1t did occur to me to 90
home for my wife. But never bring
my wife into the station house.
Here's the entry-the last one,
mean. See
"D :-Doherty. Ellen, February 23d
1877. Vagrancy." When l get tim,
I'm going to count up how often tina
woman's name has been on these books
But it would take good deal of time
It's some years.
| remember very well the first tim
she came. Don't know how l happel
to. There's such lot of young girls
And pretty ones, too. This one wa
more than common good looking
Irish girl. She had a dark style an
was paler than most of 'em. l think
must have been five years ago. 1t wa
the first time she'd ever been arrested
She took on dreadfully about it. Sh
hadn't begun to drink then. And wha
she was taken up for had never happer
ed before. 1t was the first time, sh
said. Someways, l remember, belle,
ed her. Seemed as if she'd break ht
heart. Hadn't any folks, she said. Her
were dead. She cooped up in a lit
, heap in the corner on the floor that nigt
, and sat crying all the night. 1t WASH
7 till nigh morning that the other wome
could get word out of her. If l r
member straight. we had an uncommon
ly rough lot of women folks on th
: night. 1 wouldn't have put her in amor
J, 'em, but there's no other way. 1 new
get quite used to that-shutting up
e young thing with an old one.
n Well, so she was sent to the Hou
IS for thirty days, and by and by she W
back again. She came out of her ov
accord that time. Said she couldn't Q
, - anything to do. Seems to me she sa
8 she wanted honest work. They do s.
e it once in while And it was pret
re cold night. She came for a place
sleep. So after that we got pretty W
m used to her, but mostly after she beg
" " to drink and alter like the rest. 1t
At not take long. Their own motht
st wouldn't know EN- mostly in three ye;
or so less, maybe, as it happens.
he Well, yes. Our rule is Come fo
in night and you 60. When one con
o. q steady for two weeks every night, tt
~ 1t is case of vagrancy, and we can Sc
nj 'em to the Aims House. But Doher
she was pretty careful. She grew SIN
on as she grew worse. If she got taken
H. ! macr1'f for l.,