The New York herald., 1878-10-10
IRRECLAIMABLE. (.

YOUNG GIRLS FLIGHT FROM THE MAGDALEN
AsyLuM-rEARs IN coURr-cYSIc1sM In THE
CELLS THE DISCIPLINE OVER SEVERE?
sclf-accused and wresched, beautiful and young,
was this recaIstrant Nagdaisn, leaning aga,nss the
railing in the Jefferson Market Police Court yesteT-
day morning. Her tall wtIiowy FORM In neatly fitting
black, swaysd and pulsated; her small, white hands
convulsivey clutched the cold iron baPrier between
her justice, and her tearstained facc, upturned
to "the Bench seemed scarlet by contrast with her
luxuriant hair. which was like . sneaf OF sunbeams
up hastily bound around her shapely head
s.Poor Rachel O'Neii! Only nineteen years old! and
so irrrcamableln At least this is what bystandsrs
inferred complaint lodged against her. which
alleged that she was by choice cyprian and q
fugitive from the Msgdaisn Asylum in Eignty-e,gn.h
street.
sooolngy she asked permission Of the Court TO
tell Der own story. II Was granted. .Oh. Judgei"
calculated the trembling creature. 81 am only nine
tcen, and my mother is hardworking woman We
live a. No. lis West Third street In Angus. 1877
was = bad girl, and 10 save me from the streets
and iiie Of shame she sent mo TO ths Mag
dalen Asylum In Etghry.eighth street, near Filth
avenue. / remained shere, Your Honor. six monIbs
and nineteen days l thought; oh, meant TO be .
good girl, sir; Dui was out only few days when
isli back INTO my old com panonship. and again
arrested" Here the poor thing was chcksd almost
with sobs. and thsro vas scarcely dry eye IN she
auditorium. Even the officers, accustomed 10 human
distress as ,ney are, haa grave faces and nsrvous
twttchings ~ ths corners Of their mouths.
PgNITKNT AND MsKRABLk
sThen. SIR" continued the GIRL II resolved 10 make
effort felt that would be better Oh in the Asy
lum; but mad get ysen committed. ! went to
judge Wheeler and he sent me there Tor SIX months
Excuse me, Judgsin interrupted . low sizsd.
heavily joinssd woman OF middle age. In sombrs
gear aud speosaciss. ~ an ths masron She was
committed for one year"
.s,x months, please, Judgel Only six nenshsl !"
hystsr,caiiy inter1eo,cd the srL But on, eoaIdn't
stay thersl was wre,ehed Mrs. BA.tersby there
i icouidn'. seem 10 please her. on, Judssi Judgsin
exclaimed the prisoner, with caspsd bauds and sup
plant voice. Il cannot stay there ! cannot stay
thercl They put in = cell for thirty-two hours
bowl Of broth another time for twelve hours,
and time Tor twenty tour hours just because
asked girl into my room Tor moment without
permission and because laughed iu schooIp' Here
sne broke down completely.
THs hATsoSs srATExESr
"Your Honor this girl says Is entirely untrue
She never was unruiy. and never was punishsd. In
iacL never bad the slightest Suspicion that there
was any mag extraordinary the matter with her
until she climbed the ience with another girl tLottie
B,,ss) and fed to house Of iii-fAne"
.havs any cell 10 conhne these girls In,
madam Y'' remarked Judge OtterbourR.
.,You can't cali n a cell. sir. We have . room
'on, Juags. don't beneve her, sobbeo Rachol.
''it Is dark cell, near tas kitchen. There rs no
window 10 light IL, ouy little round hole N the
door gives air and = sirs4k Of light"
"ihis is very grave affair said the Court 'and
Wheeler, VINO mass oat ,ne eommismens and goa nm
10 look searcningy iato the matter The fullest pos
sble sht must 10 shed on this asylum. It's cells and
disci pine IN ust be examite cd"
I'VE claim and demand he iulless Investigation
because Of these cnargos open coarl" rstortsd The
matrop.
Al this point Aiuermaa Morris. who sitting be-
side Judge OtterDours, remarked gravsiy 20 the
iron that II the rirps true asylum
was anything but rsiormaory In tendency. Tnis
Ba,ssrspy. snicn vas heard only by The Jaaso, VIE
saia :-"Msdam, thn gentleman rs an officer OF the
city governmena and a. sucn - Interested In the
ntA nd 0f lha
tion. SUN cannot perrin. you po,n 10 bold heated
discussion across my desk Such is not bensting the
turned 10 the gri, ssytng:-"Kachei, you are com.
mhted TO await the action OF Juags wheeler" rhs
IN rnK rnfsos SHE TALKS rHssLr.
Half hour later a HERALD reporter visited her
aod ssssa her msny asss.,.ns inc most important
"Rschel we're you really abused as you told shs
Judge oy Mrx Ba,tersby 2"
'soi course l vas. Look hcrsi was In the iaundry;
that Joo, and used TO hsvs TO Get ~ six
O'clock and dosed with worship as they call
L. This dfdn't 20 down with me, aud wAsn't goin'
TO stay there no year to SUIT Mrs. Battersby. OF
course she pot me IN cell, Just as told the judge
mutton another; soup-faughl didn't iiko IL; 1
IL viii be seen from this that thsre was marvel.
Ioas change IN the girs manner. Sne Was absolutely
nippsnt; her tears had disappeared; hcr faos was
wrsatned with smiles ana nsr suppiIcatory vooaba-
larry nsd gwen place TO slang
"wsli, am 10 inier that you we're abused and that
you did not IKE the ratIous Is that nf'
GOT enough OF ths kind Of food ksd and coul1n't
stand being pat IN tho CELL as was before. NV lass
commi,msDt you SEQ, would keep me la the ssylum
for six mouths more IRON ne i7h OF this month. l
wasnt agoin' to stay. rney gave u out that mo and
Louie. we're gon' TO skip; so we old. We climbed
over the wooaen fence. wnicn Is ten iect high and
fell on the other SIDE ana hurt myself"
MRS. BArTKEsBy's HfoHTKoUs IsDiGsATioS.
Tho matfoo favored the HERALD reporter win her
vows oi the girps accusation aud denounced mo
court proceedings as ''disgusting.p Sbe put In q
gencrai and vory forcDtc dsaiai OF Rscnei's intma
tions
In the afternoon Mra 0'Nsn, the dsIinqusnvs
mother, appeared before Judge otterbourg and as
sured him that her daughter was very, very bad
GIRL aud not 10 be believed undcr aay circumstaace
About the asylum, beyond having pscsd her daughter
there, she knew nothing.
After listening TO her Judge Ottsrbourg, who has
heard the severity OF the hagdsiin Asyum's discp-
lbe ssrisusly complained OF In other quarters, re-
solved TO inquire into the matter himself and set
down the hearing for this morning.
The haRdscn Asylum, " vas explained, receives
girs committed 10 ts charge for reformation OF tnsr
morals and Is managed Dy board Of ladies' IL is
Protestant Institution, and the care OF It's inmates
Wh-n committed by msristrate 10 paid Tor, " vas
| sad Yesterday, at the rate OF IS month
Rachel, Inc latter-day hsguaien although she voL
unfairly surrendered herself at the Fifteenth precDct
ssauon house on the previous night spent last nEhs
/ p prison, while her friend Lattie was al large
SOFT, HONEST AND DRUNK"
\