St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1881-11-19
The Disagreeabie Work Performed D.
q Female Prison Attacl.c.


Perhaps searching female prisoners is
not one OF the most grateful tasks in
the world, but that is the vocation Of
lady who resides in the Iawlev Block,
and has lived there steadily in the same
suite of rooms for sixteen years. Mrs.
Hoose, the lady in question. is a 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.
IL 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 Isfind the goods. on them, they
wonder. how they could have got there.
/ searched two colored girls the other
day who were accused OF stealing ST.
500 from a man who strayed into their
den. They laughed at me and asked if
l thought they wouldn't be smart to
carry the money around with them.
ANYHOW, they didn't have it.
"Have you many shop-lifters?'
eyes; 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 respectable man and it
would break his heart. | had to search
her, and | found concealed under each
arm pit splendid silk and bead cord
and tassel One smuggler whom l
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"
''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 60
to the station and search their pockets
for their names and address, and for
morphine, as these women are all NOR
phine chewers.
'sIf husband is sent for to take his
wife home and pay a 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 a year 60 out on spree
with some gentlemen friends who are
sure to accuse them of stealing theil
pocket books. One man dropped his
pocket-b book on the street and had lady
arrested whom he said had picked it up.
l searched her but found nothing, and
she was letgo."
care they very much frighted when
you examine them?e
Eyes, and they offer me everything to
let them GO; but | tell them l must do
nv duty, and usually coax them a lit.
tie; but if they resist they know
would use main force. Sometimes
have such hard characters to search
that the policemen who bring them in
are afraid to let me 60 in a room alone
with them. But they never offer me
any udTlu. pOluc VI oACIu tAAO VI o'oco
beautifully and with good taste, too
It is not allowable for the men to
search them; but one respectable lady
who was brought in for shoplifting, OF
.kleptomania,' as they call it now, re-
fused to have me search her, and the
Captain of the Precinct searched her.
I tell YOU it would melt heart of stone
sometimes to hear them cry and 60 on
The old ones get hardened to it and
don't mind, but those that are new al
it, just as soon as find the goods, wilt
right down" ,.. x, -,
"What do they steal principally?"
81 Everything. There was gang o
Polish women who went round taking
all they could lay. their hands on.
found children's agates and marbles il
their pockets; shoes, clothing and gen
eral dry goods; but mostly luxuries. L
| is a very rare case that any one steals
from necessity"
1t would seem as if nothing sustain
this class Of humanity like the "blesset
consciousness of guilt" They who art
tyros in the art of stealing suffer pang
of shame and conscience which the
searcher, if she has missionary spirit
might turn to their future good. A
fifty cents head, however, she has al
she can do to attend to their corpora
situation.
The room in which she conducts thi
searching operation is furnished witt
apertures which give the police the OPP
portunity to watch both the inspecto
and inspected, thus destroying any pos
/ n:I i oE ll,1cinra lpfa.01f SlQt