The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-05-29
STARVING IN THE STREETS.
Tired Of the Struggle for Bread, Miss
F. E. Downs, Commits Forgery and
then Burglary in st. Louis, that
She May be Imprisoned.


her expenses thither in order to be rid of
her as nuisance. The story of her num-
erous episodes during her weeks stay here
her assault upon Chief Clerk Willerton
at the Harper house, because he present.
ed her with her bill for payment, her ar
rest and re-arrest, and final sentence to
the county Jail for VACANCY, and shipment
to St. Louis at the expiration of her term
is to fresh in the minds of the people
of Rock Island to need full REPETITION
now. When she departed for the Bridge
City, the ARGUS predicted that she would
get into trouble there as she did here.
The following from the st. Louis Globes
Democrat of yesterday morning speaks for
itself:
At IL O'Clock last night Officer Barnett,
who was standing at the corner of Fourth
and Market streets heard loud crash of
glass. fastening to the spot whence the
sound came, he saw woman running
away from the show window of the jewel.
ry store of John Boland, No. 8 South
Fourth street. He at one pursued nd
captured the fleeing woman, and found
that she had large package of books, a
fine silver cardcase and silver caster in her
arms. Taking her back to the show wins
dow the woman, in firm voice that be-
| tokened culture. admitted that she had
broken the window and more than that,
that when she discovered that, in order
TO get at the goods in the showcase, she
had to break it also, she did so with the
same brick used in shattering the window.
| At the Chestnut street station she at first
refused to disclose her identity, but after
| few minutes reflection she gave the
name of Flora f. Downs. with her age as
% With cool and calm demeanor the
woman followed the turnkey to the cell
room, and seated herself on the hard
bench, still preserving her unnatural self
possession. She shed no tears, and the
officers pronounced her a strange case.
Shortly after her incarceration, Globe
Democrat reporter interviewed her in her
cell, where she was found reading a book
To him she told about the same story of
her career, as the one related to an ARGUS
scribe during her stay here. She said
that since her arrival in st. Louis, she
had applied at all the newspaper offices
for work, and although she had met with
much sympathy, she found little work.
She failed, however, to mention her visit
to Rock Island, saying she had come di>
rect from Chicago Continuing she said
MY condition is most deplorable. Sick at
heart. have continued to look for employ
ment of any kind, but in vain. Yester-
day the impulse seized me to do some
thing desperate that would send me to the
state prison for number of years. All
| wanted was rest and shelter and food
The hardshi1s which l have encountered
Eof late have been driving me nearly in
sane | feel nervous and restless at all
times. concluded to seek arrest by at :
tempting purp osely clumsy and palpa>
BILE forgery, and went about it in this
way; While visiting several of the banks
for copying work, learned that a gen.
tleman named Leonard Mathews, of the
firm of Matthews 6 Whitaker, brokers
was director in the Third National
Bank, and surmised that he would surely
deposit his money there. Going to my
room, wrote out a check, payable to
Miss Flora E. Downs, for $50, and signed
Leonard Matthews name. l also wrote a
letter signed by Mr. Matthews, stating 10
the paying teller at the bank that the
signer had cut his hand, and for that rea>
son the signature was not the same as
usual"
She went on TO tell how she presented
the note TO the paying teller at the bank,
and his reply that, as the signature was
not that of Mr.. MATHEWS, there must be q
mistake about it. She then waited, she
said, few minutes, in hopes OF being ar.
rested, but not succeeding in this desire,
she walked about re streets until even
ing, when she said this idea of breaks
ing window seized me. Going about
from place to place l at last found a jew
elry store, and procuring brick smashed
the window. Reaching my hand in
found that there was a show case there
that contained some kinds of goods,
cared not what. | was about to use nv
hands in breaking the glass, when !
thought best to use the brick again, which
did. Getting few articles out, was
about to make off with them, when the
police officer overlook me and placed me
under arrest
Now, my friend. what did | want
with those few petty articles? All de
sired and determined to do, was to gel
locked up and be sent away for few
years to prison. The only favor have
to ask of any one is that they do not do
anything III my behalf, not even try to gel
day off from the sentence that | shall
receive by the court. And if should es,
cape or be set free for this act, | will al
once do something more desperate
. The Globe Democrat, in conclusion
says of her:
The prisoner is dressed in shabby but
once expensive cloth dress, partially hid
den by large light winter ulster. Hel
manners are those OF a highly edu>
, Gated lady, and when conversing she
selects her words carefully, and speaks
with an .unmistakable English accent
She states that all of her friends and rela,
tives are in England, but in America the
dog has been her only friend. There i:
4 some sad life history behind this unfor
/ tunate.woman, but all efforts to ascertain
a its details were unavailing She has
face striking in appearance, intellect pre-
dominating over the generally conceived
idea of womanly beauty. She write;
/ clearly and rapidly in the bold, plair
] oharantorc ofTactad bu lad;ac Of onIt,,re