The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1879-09-25
THE MOTHER OF THE TOMBS
$ rapS of the Story of Old Mary Valentino
Who ninI IN tLn D,;snn

s rapS of the Story of Old Mary Valentine,
Who Died in the Prison.
From the New YORK World aug. IA.
Mary Valentine (Which, by the way, is
not her real namc) the OCtOgenArian whose
approaching death i'll the Tombs prison
Was reported Yesterday, died yesterday
morning al Caybrcak. She will be bur
led today, in a plot of ground at Green
wood cemetery, which had been saved by
a distant relative, who is now very poor,
from the wreck Of former fortunes Her
relatives. no >evcr aic too poor to pay
for the burial and cX Commissioner Of
Charities. Isaac Bell, has assumed the cX-
penscs Of the funeral. As was said yes
terday, Miss Valentine was one of the
first inmates of the Tombs Mr. Bell, as
guardian OF the aims house, under the old
regime, and Us commissioner afterwards,
was nearly twenty years in office. lie
took a great deal Of interest during her
lifetime in the eccenirlcitics 0i tie
old woman's habits and the story of her
life.
"IEavo you ever read Llttlc Dorritl"
asked a little old man whose face is IA
| miiiar in the corridors Of the tombs,
''Thcn, OF course you remember the father
OF the Marshalsca prison. In Ii e man
| ncr Mary may be said to have been the
| mother OF the City prison, or at least Of
| the two main branches of 1t; and in many
respects Dickens description Of the IA
ther Of the Marshulsca and of toc consd-
Grafton that was paid to him by the Other
and younger prisoners would apply to this
mother Of the Tombs. Mary was the
| J.,,,, .i,t e. T.
heard my father say that she was one OF
! the most beautiful of woman in her youth.
| Ii you look ut her rs she lies in her coffin,
there you will see Meg Mcrriics, because
the only beauty she had prcscrvcd--hcr
cyes-arc closed. She was noted for her
pretty teet and pretty hands. A temper
ancc lecturer or member Of the female
Guardian society could get an excellent
moral out Of Mary's life. She went
to the bad under the inspira-
ton OF a Wall street man, who was after
wards killed III duel could give you
names and dates of all, but it would be
no matter. Much Of it is told in Mack
cnyic's pretended life Of Jessie IIoyt.
The broker VAS very good to her 50 long
as he lived. Then she was beiriendcd by
one of the most popular hotcI-kecpcrs of
fifty years ago. Mary, who had lived
twenty five years in the tombs and con
sorted with all the drcgs Of humanity
without being herself entirely among
them, cncc rode IN her coach on the old
Bioomingdalc road, suppcd at Cato's
and @ratited her vanity behind her fan
ut the old Park theatre. She contracted
n taste for strong drink and it was an
easy slip for her down the pyramid bad y
You do not remember Bridcwcll, nor do
but have heard my father tell about il
us it stood in the City Hall park, midway
between the City Hall and DcvIn's cloth.
ing store. Mary was one of its tenants
often enough. Finally her thirst for drink
and especially for nice wines was un-
Guenchablc. On one occasion when she
came to the Tombs soon after it was
built, she surprised Miss Foster, the ma
tron, by asking permission to remain
and for quarter Of :. century she has
been voluntary prisoner. Like the ia
ther of the Marshalsca prison, she became
one cf the objects OF interest to all visit
ors, and in her way she rather liked hel
consequence as Queen of the Tier Wo
men, S never left the prison except
, twice year. Then she would first gC
and see her relatives and next havea Jolly
spree and return to recuperate- During
, the time she has been in the TOmbs, sht
has probably supervised the clothing
cleanliness and cells OF three OF iou
r thousand women. T ere is Il wretchet
French provcrb that women are not kline
to each other in times of distress
{ especially that kind Of distres
) which comes from habits which ladic
abhor The proverb was untrue in he
case. Charged 10 maintain under Mis-
| Foster discipline in the Ter on which sh
, was engaged, she always lad kin'
r word, smile or bit of CHEEKY advic
: for the poor women who went either t.
r tie sessions to be acquitted or who lef
fer State prison after conviction. Sh
| was especially delighted when any of tn
r temporary charges was acquitted. Mar
5 never grew to be IA cynIc. Perhaps in he
way she has done thousand times NOR
/ good than has been done by some of thos
t in their iiic-t time whose faring monu
ments will look down upon t e humbl
, grave that is. now being prepared TO
' her