The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-04-24
Story Of q Female Thief.

Minnie Watson, with dozen aliases,
was visited by New York newspaper
reporter in the Tombs. She is little
spare-faoed woman of about thirty
years. s... -....' -...
"How long have you been following
such life ?" asked the reporter. ,
"Almost ever since I came to this
country" she said, "and that was over
nine years ago. I went to board with a
woman named Sophie Myers, who kept
a house in Henry street, and she got
me into it. She was bad one. She is
on BlackwelI's Island now for robbing
q lot of working girls. She talked to
me until she persuaded me to go into it,
and she picked ont house for me to go
to. It was on Madison street, near
Rutgers, right opposite to the church
there. I went there to board, and after
I had stayed there while I left with q
lot of clothing."'" ''
"Were you not arrested for that p
asked the reporter. ..,.r,. :,
eyes, ard was tried and convicted
and sentenced to four years in the State
prison. It was only an ordinary affair
that was arrested for. T only took a
few clothes, but Judge Hackett told me
that my sentence was more for the COM
pany I kept than for what I hsd done.
1 was with this Sophie Myers, you see,
and the people at her house.
"Did you serve out you term"
"Yes I was three years and six months
at Sing Sing, and then got my dis
charge. But I was ten times as bad
woman when I came out as I was when
T went there" '..3l. %. ,..... 80
"Why 80 ?" Fl. j.. n>.'.. ... ,....
"Because I was with all the old
thieves and criminals Of every kind
there, and I learned things from them
that I knew nothing about before" =.
"Then did you go right on stealing
when you came out ?" 49,.
"Yes, I was married in June-a few
months after T came out" a''. -.."r
"Did your husband know what You
were ?" ...-',~.,,I,,,..,I.-. u.."..,, =
"No. But when he found ont what
was he was contented to live. off me. I
supported him, and he never did any
thing toward supporting me. He was
mechanic, but he didn't work any after
he found out about ne" ,..... '' ......,
"Where is he now ?" asked the re-
porter. .,u.rl. :'...-
"He is serving time in illinois fol
committing q robbery in the Palmer
House, Chicago"
"Was he professional thief"
"No; he let me do the stealing" she
replied, bitterly. =; =,
"Have you any children ?"
"Yes, two. One is two years old,
and the other nearly four"
"Where are they ?"
"They are in Washington. I left
them with some people there when ]
went there last summer for pleasure.
Yes, suppose they will take care o:
them, but they will expect me to pay
for it. :
And she hastily wiped away two big
tears that came in her eyes as she spoke
of the little ones. - r...-. c.,.s
"Did you never have any narrow es'
capes from detection by the people ir
the different houses from which outlook
things2" ."..' :''''...'., -. ..,,,,. ~.
"No, I always waited until I was Ger
tain of what I was doing" .y..,r
"What did you take, clothing OF
jewelry, as a rule ?"
always jewelry when 1 could OF
money"
"Do you know how much you have
stolen ?"
"No, I never kept any account; but
the money that I got went as fast as il
came always, and never did me any
good"
"suppose you should get clear o.
thisp
"I would lead very different kind O
life," she interrupted. II would taxi
nv children and go back to the Ole
Country My father and mother ane
sisters ara living in England, and
would work at my trade. I have goot
trade, dressmahng, but I never worked
at it after I came to America, or only
little"