Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-02-16
A WOMAN-SEARCHER.
Che DisaEreeable Work Performed by
Female Prison Astaehe.

Female Prison Aitaehe.
From the Detroit PostI
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
mas 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
ng 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.
81 don't mind it at ALL" she said,
''when ladies are sober, but when they
nave been drinking they sometimes
make me good deal of trouble. They
are all innocent, every one of them, at
least they say they are, and when find
5he goods on them they wonder how they
could have got there 1 searched two
,olored girls the other day who were ac-
FUSED of stealing 81, 500 from man who
strayed into their den. They laughed
1t me and asked if I thought they
wouldn't be smart to carry the money
around with them. Anyhow they didn't
nave 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 husband
was respectable man and it would
break his heart. l had to search her,
and found concealed under each arm
asset. One smuggler whom I searched
ned no underwear on. but whole pieces
IF goods were rolled around her; her
aair was very thick and found several
pairs of kid gloves twisted up in it. Her
husband never came near her, but hel
brother tried his best to get he,
cleared"
"Do the women you search belong tc
a very low clasp
81 search the worst and the best.
Many cases never get into the papers.
Well-dressed and respectable women get
trunk and disorderly, and are brought
in, and they send for me to go to the
Station and search their pockets TO,
their names and address, and for NOR.
phine as these women are all morphine
chewers.
eff her husband is sent for to take
her home and pay 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 OF
twice year go out on spree with some
gentlemen friends who are sure to &C.
cuse them of stealing their pocket books.
One man dropped his pocket-book on the
street and had lady arrested whom he
said had picked it up. 1 searched her,
but found nothing, and she was let go. ,
care they very much frightened when
you examine them?"
eyes, and they offer me everything tc
let them go, but tell them I must dc
my duty and usually coax them a little
but if they resist they know I would use
main force. Sometimes I have such
hard characters to search that the po-
licemen who bring them in are afraid to
let me go In room alone with them.
But they never offer me any harm.
Some of them are dressed beautifully
md with good taste, too. It is not
allowable for the men to search them
but one respectable lady, who was
brought in for shop-lifting, or 'klepto-
MANIA as they call it now, refused to
have me search her, and the captain OF
She precinct searched her. L tell you it
would melt a heart of stone sometimes
to hear them cry and go on. The old
ones get hardened to it and don't mind,
but those that are new at it, just as soon
rs 1 find the goods, will wilt right
DOWN"
The room in which she conducts this
searching operation is furnished with
apertures which give the public the op
portunity to watch both the inspector
and inspected, thus destroying any pos
sible chance of collision.