Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1881-11-11
The Disagreeable Work Performed by
-f Female Prison Attache.

Perhaps searching female prisoners is
not one of the most grateful tasks in
the world, but that is the vocation of a
lady who resides in the Hawley Block,
and has lived there steadily in the same
suite of rooms for sixteen years. Mrs
Hoose, the lady in question. is pleas
ant looking woman, still young. Moth
ing in her appearance would indicate
any unusual strength or determination.
She was not at all averse to being inter.
viewed nor did she seem to think there
was anything unusual or unpleasant in
her calling.
- don't mind it at ALL" she said,
"when the ladies are sober, but when
they have been drinking they some.
times make ME good deal of trouble.
They are all innocent, every one OF
them, at least they say they are, and
when / find the goods ON them. they
wonder how they could have got there
l searched two colored girls the other
day who were accused OF stealing ST.
500 from man who strayed into their
| thought they wouldn't be smart to
carry the money around with them.
Anyhow, theY didn't have it."
nave you many SnOp-lIleTS!
"Yes; they are my best customers.
One was brought to me not long ago
who pleaded pitifully. She SAID she
would give me all she had in the world
If | would only let her go; that her hus-
band was a respectable man and it
would break his heart. had to search
her, and l found concealed under each
m-pit splendid silk and bead cord
and tassel. One smuggler whom !
searched had no underwear on, but
whole pieces of goods were rolled
around her; her hair was very thick and
| found several pairs of kid gloves
twisted up in it. Her husband never
came near her, but her brother tried
his best to get her cleared. ''7'1a9 .i.e
.'Do the women you search belong
to very low class?"
II search the worst and the best.
Many cases never get into the papers.
Well-dressed and respectable women
get drunk and disorderly, and are
brought in. and they send for me to 90
to the station and search their pockets
for their names and address, and for
morphine, rs these women are all NOR
phine chewers.
"If a husband is sent for to take his
wife home and pay n fine he always
lays her wrOng-doing to morphine.
There is another class of women; old
maids who work in shops by the day,
who once ortwice ayearg go out on aspree
with some gentlemen friends who are
sure to accuse them of stealing their
pocket-books. One man dropped his
pOcket-book on the street and had alady
arrested whom he said had picked it up.
searched her but found nothing, and
she was let 60"
" Are they very much frighted when
you examine themp"
eyes, and they offer me everything to
let them go; but tell them must do
my duty, and usually coax them lit
tie; ibut ii they resist they know /
would use main force. Sometimes 1
have such hard characters to search
that the policemen who bring them in
are afraid TO let me go in II room alone
with them. But they never offer me
any harm, Some of them are dressed
beautifully and with good taste, too.
1t is not allowable for the men to
search them; but one respectable lady
who was brought in for shoplifting, OF
'kleptomania,' rs they call il now. re-
fused to have me search her, and the
Captain of the Precinct searched her.
| tell you it would melt heart OF stone
sometimes to hear them cry and go on
The old ones get hardened to IL and
don't mind, but those that are new al
it, just as soon rs lind the goods, will
right down" M Alfi T no
"What do they steal principally?'
Everything. There was a gang O.
Polish women who went round taking
all they could lay their hands ON. ]
found children's agates and marbles II
, their pockets; shoes, clothing and gen
eral dry goods; but mostly luxuries. Il
is very rare case that any one steals
from necessity"
1t would seem as II nothing sustain
this class of humanity like the "blesseC
, consciousness of guilt" They who ar,
, tyros in the art OF stealing suffer pang
OF shame and conscience which the
searcher, II she has missionary spirit
, might tnrn TO their future good. "A
fifty cents head. however, she has al
she can do to attend TO their corpora
!, situation. 4qa "a,
The room in which she conducts thi
/ searching operation is furnished witt
apertures which give the police the op
a portunity to watch both the inspecto
4 and inspected, thus destroying any pos
sible chance Of collusion. = Detroit fosl
"a -------<s S---r----
a During the White Pine excil .men
OF 1868 Hamilton. New. had a popula
q tion of thouaanda t.vn la.e,a Ja M, ,,o.,,.