The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1879-05-14

| hdNc NOu w guy Ou
have been let off SO many times on good
promises that am losing faith in you"
Your honor, know don't deserve any
mercy at your hands, but for the sake Of
these darling children let me try once more
to be the good mother they think am.
God only Knows why can't help drinking,
and why | should degrade myself by get
ting drunk and then abusing these innocent
little children. thought this would be the
last time and that they would be so much
better off without me. that said would
drown myself and l was angry when a
policemen pulled me out of the lake and
saved my miserable life. don't do any
thing to feed and cloth them; why do they
love and pity me sol | only spend their
hard-earned money for drink How much
better for them if could be dead More
than once, your honor, have they gone hun
CRY for days, and been dressed almost in
rags just because had spent the last pen
mics for drink. have helpless little babe
at home who was almost starved, I know,
and yet none of them over complained /
am not fit to go back to them; send me to
the bridewell, where may find fit compan
ions in drunkards and outcasts and can
scrub and dig at tie lowest work till make
myself forgetful that ever had home and
such precious children. My God, what a
thing am You don't know how despise
myself Is there any hope for me, do you
think, sir2 wish l could deserve their
kindness and love, and your mercy. Ifyou
can let me go again my broken promises
shall be renewed aud I'll swear by the help
of my Maker to keep them in the future"
Let the fine be 800, but will suspend
it and try her again"
A scene in the North side police court
on Monday last is only half reproduced in
the above narrated colloquy between JUS
cice Kaufman and two others--one a wo-
man forty-fve years of age, but with an
apparent experience of the saddest kind
stamped on her features, and the other a
child not yet nine years old. There were
other parties present who did little but
smother the sobs which choked off any at
tempt to speak. There were other children
of the dissi pated mother-a daughter TWEEN
ty-one years Of age very neatly but plainly
dressed, and with an intelligent and some
what cultivated countenance; son two
years younger, and another boy about seven.
This last child and little girl who pleaded
for her mother were standing on either side
of the woman and clinging to her dress and
hands.
The woman was Mrs Mary Creigle, who
lives in rented rooms at the corner of Erie
and Franklin streets, and she was before
Justice Kaufman for being drunk and dis.
orderly. The term dsorderly" is well
known to cover multitude of sins and |
misdemeanors, and in this case applied
more to an attempt to commit suicide than
any thing else. On the day previous an
officer had seen her wandering along the |
lake shore, and kept so close watch on her |
that he was enabled to be at
hand and pull her from the lake soon after
she had plunged headforcmost beneath its
waves from one of the piers. She was re-
covering from drunken dcbauch, and had
settled so low into the gulf of despair that
she had determined to rid the world and her
family of respectable children of her worth
less life. She pleaded with the officer, with
tears and prayers, to let her die. He was
memorable, and conducted her to the police
station. She was placed in cell and her
eldest daughter sent for. That dutful
young woman never uttered a word of blame
when she arrived, but in the tenderest kind
ness set about making her mother comfort
.ble. She removed the wet garments and
'eplaced the soaked stockings and under>
clothing with her own. Food was brought
rom home, and everything done that could
,e to comfort and cheer the poor woman.
rhe other children came and shed the fra,
france Of their love and affection on the
leart of their despairing mother. On the
blowing morning they appeared in the
'olice court and became her attorneys in
nipple pleas for mitigated punishment
Shich outweighed any defense that the
blest lawyer could have made
Mrs. Creigle was once the wife of pros
'erous and comfortably>situated man of
BUSINESS. He died the second year after
he fire. but left the family provided with
good home and the means Of support
'hich well.equipped and wellstocked
rocery store could furnish. All these were
lear of debt and furnished good income.
oon after Mr.. Creigles death the widow Q
commenced to drink, and became an actual J
Six months after her husband
led child was born, which has lived q
III to-day, but which is physically helpless. q
he property was mortgaged from time to 8
me, as the business in the store declined d
trough lack Of attention, to furnish her q
'irb means of dissipation. At length sll g
ne property had slipped from her, and she &
ecame destitute. b
The children were always kind to their 4
,other, and did what they could to furnish d
npport for the family. Now the eldest 4
irl, a young lady Of twenty,oue and the ],
ldest boy, two years younger, have good I
tuatons. and, each week, turn in TO their "