The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-03-05
BECKY HAPPY JAIL.
She Has Been There a Long Time. and Has
No Troubles Except Aid. Farley.

She Has Been There a Long Time. and Has
No Troubles Except Aid. Farley.
Miss Becky Jones. the obstinate
hOuSekeeper of the late Mr.. Hamers-
ley, having been adjndged guilty of
contempt of court for refusing to tell
all she knew about her late employer,
was sent to Ludlow street Jail. She
was put in room about twelve feet
square, on the first floor, just of the
dining room. The single, iron-barred
window faces on Essex market place,
which is kept alive by the soul-stirring
imprecations of butchers. the screaming
cries of children, and the occasional
howling of half-starved dogs aud cats.
Miss Jones hung a neat white curtain
over the window and then examined
the bed. 1t Mortified her. and she made
life entertaining for Warden Phil Kier-
nan until she got things fixed. He NOV
ed in a marble-top bureau adorned
with mirror, and gave her a large
piece OF carpet and two chairs.
The first week Becky kept closely to
her room and was seen only at meal
times. She said she was i'll and the
warden never passed drug store for
few days without buying q bottle of
well. and the warden claimed the cred
it of it.
Finally Becky settled down into q
humdrum method of passing the days,
and seldom varies from it. She locks
her door about 10 O'Clock at night. If
she is not very sleepy she draws her
bedstead under the gaslight, and lies in
bed reading a novel or tract, if she
happens to have one that draws a hap
py parallel between a really good, and
q very bad boy. She never forgets to
turn off the gas before dropping into
sleep.
She is up about daylight, and tramps
steadily about the circular yard in the
center of the Jail for half an hour. Then
she uses up considerable worsted in
making tidies until breakfast is ready.
Breakfast is passed in kindly converse
with her other unfortunates, who vie
with each other in helping Becky to
bread. AS soon as the meal is over
Becky returns to her room and writes
several pages of her book, which will
tell the world about her troubles. Then
she reads little, uses up little more
wOrsted, and receives as many of her
friends as call upon her. She has be-
come attached to her home now; the
only thing she dislikes about it is
the name it bears.
Warden Herman met a reporter at the
door of the jail on Sunday and told him
that Becky had issued orders a short
time previously to have the first report
er that came along sent to her. Becky
sat near the window in black alpaca
dress. A little wooden trunk stood near
the bureau. The top of the bureau was
neatly covered with white tides. on
which rested q stubby black jug with
flat sides anda small neck. The jug
was painted black, and was stuck ali
over with little cupids with green and
gold, and these letters Been
''They stand for Becca," said Becky,
as she shook the reporters hand. L
was going to make it Rebecca, which is
my name. but couldn't find anything
to cut the Il and e out of. Sit down
over there while tell you what want
ed to see you for.
Its about Aid. Farley" she said.
He has been flirting with me in awful.
l told him if he did not stop coming in
here, I'd tell the reporters about him,
and now I'm going to do it. He comes
around and sits where you are sitting
now, and goes on hor-rid. He brought
his pictuEe around here and gave it to
ME. Here it is.
BECKY showed the reporter photo
graph of the alderman with his smile
and watch chain all complete. 1t was
hanging in the dark part of the room.
Becky pointed to row of blue labels
which were pasted on one side OF the
window casing.
Il paste one of these up there every
week." she said. | have thirty-three
there now, but the thirty-third week
will not end until next Monday night.
am willing to end my life here, and
if the price of my release is to tell all
! know about poor, dear Mr.. Hamers-
ley. l shall certainly die here. They say
am obstinate. If | am suppose it is
because l was born SO near the fourth
of July"
..'Have you anv hope of release?"
''William II. Shepherd is my lawyer,
and | believe he is doing something for
me-. | am contented here, and don't
much care. Everybody is kind to me.
The Rev. Mr.. Morgan. who breaches
here on Sundays, sent me a Christmas
card, and so did his mother. Somebody
else sent me book full of prayers and
q card full of verses. I've an awful lot
of novels sent me. too. and such an aw-
ful lot of letters. You'd be surprised
if showed you some of them, but l
won't though"
81 should think you'd get cat or
dog, Miss Jones, for company?"
'.Pooh! l hate them. ."-Neto York
Sun.