The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-12-03
A WoMAN's LIFE or CRIME.
Arrested ~ the Ago Of II ycars-At so
She Goes to Prison 10 ME.

f@'''fRN ~ wv fIs' ~ - Nv OF
She Goes to Prison 70 ME.
Tho oldest professional 81 cak thief
in tho country hasegain been arrested
And she IL a woman. SiXty-nine
years ago she began the criminal
career which she still puisucs, and yet,
Strange to say, she bears upon her
features but little traces Of the life she
led. OF the four score years that have
passed over her head more than forty
have been passed in prison During
that time all The sunshine that came
TO her was what struggled through the
prison bar Her friends were the
companions with whom crime had
brought her III contact Honest people
Sac had scarcely ever known. In
deed it almost must have seemed to
her that she had no place whatevcr IN
the great free world outside A cum
ous and a cod sight she presented as
She sat huddlol up IN a corner OF
the pea il the Tomb police court
Her clothes were comparatively
neat hood was on her lead, from
beneath which the purost OF locks 81
silver gray showed out Her face was
psllid, and, dressed differently and
surrounded by brightorcircumstance5
she might have passed as an old lads
Of most respectable ancestry. She had
no Haunting aira, exhibited 10 out
ward sembllnce 81 covering, gave no
funivo glances that indicated the soll
Of the criminal looking Out through
the eyes. The pluce seemed natural
for her Well, perhaps II might. Tor
many and many u lime she had been
there before. Others who looked upon
her might pity her She did not seem
to realize why they should DO So. She
was merely going back again to tha
only home she had ever remembered.
Mary Fitzgerald Is her name. The
war Of 1912 took from her h5r father
and when she was 10 her mother dled
She became a waif OH the world, drlt-
inc hither and thither in search Of hu
food and Of a rOof to shelter her
Many a time she could lind neither,
and want, possibly more than any
evil inclination. made her a thitt
She Joined one 81 those gangs oi hide
criminals who at the time made me
vharyes and the river fronts thor
homes rs wei as their headquarters
Tho fields and woods that then stood
where fashionable up town nov eE-
isis would have afforded those ufchnS
better quarters. though ones not 50
safe. Mary was only II years Of age
when she first was brought before ne
courts. and had to be held np IN the
arms Of the sergeant 50 that the Judge
could see her and hear the little story
She had TO tell. She had no excuse -
offer then. Indeed through her whole
career she has never had. Stealing
has seemed to be as natural TO her -
living. the only variation IN her con
duct before the authorities bc.Hg
that she would occasionally claim
identity with some other ", j known
criminal. On one occasion some III
teen or sixteen years ago she insisted
with the utmost gravity that She
was Sarah Alexander, the notorious
French Sally" who had made 80
many little stoTekeepeIs mourn her
visits TO their establishments. One oi
the peculiarities Of this trial was Tat
the Judge who presided had only .
short time before sentenced the origi-
nal Sarah Alexander and informed
Mary Of the fact. Her persistence III
this matter was the only lit of char.
acter she had ever exhibited. and she
was then deemed worthy OF place IN
the famous rogues' gallery at police
headquarters. She prepared for the
event as well as she could, and TO this
day the picture bears evidence Of her
anxiety 10 look as well as possible. 5
broad smile sufiUscs her face, and II
had not the slightest trace Of that al.
most involuntary if not willful I'M
willingness to be photographed, that
marks the pictures Of nearly all tic
other criminals.
Mays last stay out Of prison was
one ofthe longest she had ever made
five months-cnd the police were
beginning TO hope thot at least tic
sunset Of her lie might be in the
honest air Of the open world, but obey
were doomed 10 disappointment She
was arrested by Detective Sergeant
Woodbridge for picking the pockets oi
Reatrica Mezzano in an auction room
on Catharino street. Tie detective
was present and saw the interesting
performance lie arrested Mary, and
was marching along with her when
Thomas Whalcn, n resident Of Cherry
street, who Is alleged to be the Wo-
mans accomplice, assaulted the dotec-
tive. In the melee Mary escaped, but
only to fall into the hands OF ali Of
hcer of the Fourth precinct Both
were eventually arrested, and Mary
will, in all probability end her life
within prison walls.-New York Press.