Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1878-09-05
HER LAST SONG.

night that would be suitable for you.
don't think there's been half dozen this
winter that I'd want you round if you
was my daughter or my sister begging
your pardon, ma'am as the best way
can put it 70 you to express my meaning
and the feeling that man has about such
things.
Ever see our hooksf No! just look
here, if you please. Just count those
pages. viii voui From there TO there
We took in Ill those in December, 1876
we had in this one station two thousand
two hundred and tit'y-twn men and
women. OF course, there's the usual
share ofarrests. There's Mahoney, Jones'
Sullivan, Pete Cartwright and. Julia An
derson, right under my finger, all arrests
All drunk. But some of 'em are vagran.
cies in the winter time. You see it was
pretty cod last December, especially
nights. Aud then we were careful about
our officers.
Don't allow kicking, ard no more
swearing at EN- than the circumstances
required. These creeturs get such thin es
round among themselves. They have q
fancy for this station, maybe. I donl
know how that is. We mean 10 be hu.
name ON this corps. That's our theory.
Some of our officers have very gentle
manly way. Not that we think it makes
much difference. tell you, madam (you
had better know it at the outset,) | don't
know what your intentions are, of course
but ladies come with so MANY chart
table and curious designs, which it seems
a pity to disappoint; but 1 tell you the
folks that get into these places are a
hopeless lot. They're folks without a
chance. Most Of us have a chance, l
reckon, in this world. some time or an
other; even them pOol devils. But by
the time they get here their chance is as
dead as John Browns body. l don't say
there's never an exception. Now there
was that creeter last night. Maybe, if
somebody'd taken her in hand several
years ago if lady with the way you
havc--Q hope you'll excuse me ma'am,
but there is difference in lady IS way,
such as think you'd have to be man,
and do pretty rough mans work, like
mine, for Instance. to understand so
clearly asyou might wished last night,
I will COME 8, that there'd Deen lady
here. 1t did never occur to me to go
home for my wife. But never bring my
wife into the alton house.
Here's the entry-the last one mean.
See!
"D:-Doherty, Ellen, February %,
1877. Vagrancy" When get time I'm
going to count up how often that woman
name mas been on these books, But il
would take good deal of time. It's
some years.
I remember very we'll the first time she
came. Don't know how l happen to-
There's such lot OF young girls. Ar
pretty ones, too. This one wss more than
commonly good looking-an Irish girl
She had dark style and was paler thar
most of 'em. think 1t must have been
five years ago. 1t was the first time she q
ever been arrested. She took On dread,
fully about it. She hadn't begun to drink
then. And what she was taken up fol
had never happened before. 1t was the
first time she said. Someways L rcmem.
Der, believed her. Seemed as ii shed
break her heart. Hadn't any folks she
said. Her'n were dead. She cooped u.
in little heap in the corner on the floor
that night, and sat crying all the night
1t wasn't till nigh morning that the other
women could get word out of her. Il
/ remember straight, We had an uncom.
monty rough lot OF women folks On thai
night. I wouldn't have put her among
'em, but there's No other way. I never
got quite used to that = shutting up 8
young thing with an old one.
Well. go she was sent TO tn house for
thirty days; and by and by she was back
again. She came Of her own accord tina
time. Said she coulIn't get anything tC
do. Seems to me she said she wanted
honest work. They do say it once in 1
while. Aud 1t was a pretty cold night
She came Tor place to sleep. So aftel
that we got pretty we'll used 10 her; bu
mostly after she began to drink and alter
like the rest. Itdon't take long. Thei
own mothers would not know EN- mostly
in three years or so; maybe, as it hap
pens.
Well, yes. Our rule is; come tort
night and you go. When one come
steady for two weeks every night, then il
is case of vagrancy, and we can senc
'em to the almshouse. Bat Doherty, sb,
was pretty careful. She grew smar
as she grew worse. If she got taken up
1t wasn't for long pull. Never knev
her In the house at the lOgest more thai
three months at time. And when sh
come to lodge, she steercd pretty clear O
the law-cominG for few nights yo
gee, and then off again on her own ways
They're more afraid of the almshous
than they are of hell, these folk.
C. ho 20 bo oil n
always come to this station. / don
know but that Tas- nay fault. Once
give Der pair of my wifes shoes.
was one January morning, twelve belo'
zero. She hadn't any stockings, only
pair of old rnbbers, and her bare Ieet cam
through onto the pavement, and it ws
pretty icy. I suppose l might hav
lost my place for ii. EhS Cap'n! BIZ
I don't think Doherty ever told o. me.
She grew to be a pretty tough case, Dol
erty did. And yet there was alway
something | liked about Doherty. Yo
see she used to sing. Sometime
they do. And once or twice "
had chap here who could draw portrai
of the rest. Scrawl the walls all over,
he wasn't watched. One of the wor
cases we ever had ON these books, h
name was Gaffery-Peter Gaffery. Xii
ed an officer, finally, with horse-sho
He used to talk Latin when he was drum
and some other language. l thought
was Dutch; but the chief heard him, an
he guessed it was Greek. The fello
used 10 get the rest all ranged round lii
an audience. and then go att. Bat ge
orally they talked religion. It's mo
popular. This Doherty that speak {
she had beautiful voice. Time al