Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-07-31
THE woman IN BLACK
She malcs Al" i1noit To Drawn ltcva,lt im
the Misseuri.--S Something About Nr,
Condition and paat life.
Sionx City Journal. som.

wv - NV .4Lh
Sioux City Journal. aoth.
Yesterday a. a reporter of Tho Journal
was making his daily perambulations, he
received the intelligence that n woman was
about to throw herself into the river at a
point in the rear of Peavey's elevator. lie
fastened to the spot, and there found a wo
man lying in Il PROSTATE condition on the
brink Of the river, fifteen feet down the
bank. This woman ia better known in these
parts as THE woman in black" She is an
abandoned female who has for years led a
life Of shame, and is now an outcast and a
wanderer. The poor woman was lying in
a PROSTATE condition upon her face, while
mud and filth covered her face and clothing.
Her feet were bare-she having taken of
her shoes aud stockings and thrown them in
the river, declaring she was going to throw
herself in next and end her miserable life.
The reporter spoke to her, and the only re-
Spouse he received was a groan. No one was
near and it was impossible to reach her
without a ladder, for the bank was steep
and high How she got there ia Il mystery
uni. IS she fell down the declivity. From
indications upon the bank it is evident that
she went down %hastily-the earth being dis
placed, and the imprints Of her feet plainly
visible where they had slipped down the
bank. The reporter asked her what che
was doing there, but received no reply. The
woman was grooming as if in intense pain,
and no doubt she was. She finally answered
the reporter, and told him she had gone
down there to drown herself. She said she
had no desire to live-her life was a failure,
her hopes all gone-and before her WAS
something far more repulsive than the grave
to a woman in her sad condition. She
said she was not always so. Once, she
said, she was a virtuous woman, the idol of
q happy home, and the hope of loving pa.
rents. But she met the temptcr-as many
pure women do-in the form of a man with
a smooth tongue and winning ways, whose
heart was as black as the ravens plume,
and she fell. She gave the reporter the
name of her destroyer, but we withhold ii
from publication. He is now a resident O!
st. Paul, and a man in comfortable circum.
stances, while she whom he ruined and
robbed of woman's choicest gift, is now 8
wanderer and IN Outcast-a Magdalent
whom the world despises, She said she
once had hopes and high aims, and in hel
childhood was handsome and gay. But hel
home was gone and her friends had left her
She saw nothing before her but shame and
misery, and death was even more preferable
than life.
fastening up town the reporter made
known her sad condltisn to several persons
and IN a few minutes a large crowd had
gathered about the place. A ladder was
procured, and the poor woman wasrescued
from her perilous condition. We say peril
Gus because had she turned oyer once she
must have fallen into the river. As She
came up on the bank it was discovered tina,
she had been drinking. She had in hel
hand a pitcher with which she had carried
some intoxicating beverage, hoping tc
drown her pain and sorrow in a drunken
stupor, and then take her life by drowning
AS she passed through the crowd utterina
loud imprecations and profaning the name
OF her Maker, many persons who ought to
know better laughed and jeercd at her as
though it was q matter to make light Of
Shame on such men!
The unfortunate woman was taken to
the calaboose and locked up. She does not
belong there. Her condition is q delicate
one, bordering closely upon child. birth. In
a few days it is said she will be a mother,
but to put her in such a swcat.boX as this
%calaboose is, and submit her to the taunts
OF the idle crowd that hangs about the open
window, is a shame and a disgrace. OF
course, the officers of the law have no other
alternative. They can do no more than
this. But it is the duty Of the christian
women Of Sioux City to do something fol
this poor woman in her deplorable condit,
ion, If they do no more they Can see tina,
she has a home in the county house. VIVA,
more perfect act of charity than this can be
done? Is she the less a sister because she
is a fallen one? She is far more sinncd
against that SHINING. She has no other
course than one of shame. Her own strength
is not enough to raise her from her fallen
condition, Try she ever so hard. No one
will receive ner into their home, for she is
under the ban. What, then, is there before
her but q course Of shame and a life OF
sin?