St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-20
The Region of Shame the
Scene Of a Unique
Funeral.
A Phase Of Lies Hollow
Moekery Shown on First
Street.
Sisters in Sin Gather About
the Bier of One Of
Them.
Pathos Finds It's Way Into
Lives of Reckless Dis
sipation.

The big white house that stands in
the middle of the row of houses that
give First street south its unholy dis
tinction, was yesterday the scene of a
sad and truly pathetic event. Mary
jackson, who for a year has been an IN
mate of Lilly Goodrich's home Of pros
titution, died Friday night, after a
| three-weekS' illness. from quick con-
sumption, and yesterday a white
casket covered with fragrant flowers
lay in the front parlOr, which was dark
ened and deserted. There is something
peculiarly uncanny about funeral or
death in house where revelry and
dissipation are the order. All the
women on the street recognize this and
tn ely have horror of dying in the
houses where they ply their shameful vo-
quiet and in the house where the dead
woman lay the silence was oppressive.
The frightened girls were huddled to-
gether in the side pallor talking in
whispers and looking with timid glances
across the hall into the room where the
casket lay. They said little, and their
looks were not those which their faces
are wont to wear.
In another room sat the clergyman,
who had gone down to
- THIS PALACE OF SIN
to say the last words for sister who
had died in her sin. Long before
O'Clock the fallen women from the vari-
Gus houses OH the street began to arrive,
and by the time mentioned for
the funeral over 100 OF the
dead girls sisters in shame had gather
ed at the house to pay their last respects
to one who had gone from earth. There
was no noisy hilarity, no exaggerated
composure, no gayety in dress, nor any
of the peculiar actions which usually
mark women of this class A few who
had known the deceased and remem-
bered her kindness of heart and many
good qualities, shed tears of sincere
grief as they gazed at the dead face
surrounded by the wreath of flowers.
Lilly Goodrich, the keeper of the
house, sat by the head of the
casket and wept bitter tears. She
reproached herself for having had the
dead girl buried from house of prOstl-
tuition, and her apparent remOrSe as she
walled, "Oh, | know Mary never
thought | would have her laid out
here" was something pitifuf.
There were few men in the company.
The undertaken, reporter or two and
male friend of visiting woman from
a neighboring house were all.
TIE PAIL BEARERS.
Six inmates OF the house, who had
been the companions of the dead
woman, were chosen as pail bearers,
and all of them stood in the side parlor
dressed in new gowns of Somber black
and each wearing a white ribbon on her
arm. The casket was an elegant affair,
covered with white brocaded satin and
with panels of plush. The floral
tributes from her sisters in sin
were many and beautiful, and
most of them had cards attached
on which were written the names of the
senders and words of sorrow for the
dead. A beautiful harp of white flowers
bore card inscribed, "Mav your sleep
be peaceful, is the wish of your mOtherly
friend, Lilly Goodrich" Another de-
sign was marked, TO Mary from Laura
and TriXy. May her soul rest in peace"
This was from two sisters who are in
mates OF the house. And there were
many others as touching and pathetic
as these.
Rev. DR.. Graves. of Gethsemane
church, officiated. and when the hour
arrived for the service he read a Scrip
ture selection referring to the shortness
| of life, the uncertainty of human at
fairs and the mercy and goodness of
| Him who Ordereth of all things. He
then spoke feelingly on the text he had
| read and referred to the solemn warn
ing that all present stood face
to fare with, and urged them to not
neglect the lesson thus given. but turn
| from evil ways and seek the help OF
| the Savior. After short prayer, in
which he invoked the blessing OF divine
| mercy on the soul of the deceased and
| on all who were in trouble of mind or
agony of soul. he read another short
| Scripture selection and the service was
| ended.
THE REAL NAME
| of the dead woman was Rosa Gross, and
| she was the daughter of farmer in
| Illinois. She had lived at the house
where she died for year, and previous
to that had been in a house of a similar
character in st. Paul. AS is common
with fallen women, her one ambition
beyond the present was to get money
enough to enable her to leave
her life of shame. She had saved
81, 200 for that purpose and had depos-
| tied it i'll a bank in this city. She had a
| husband who is a railroad man living at
| Ashland; he had been telegraphed sew
| eral times since it was known that his
wife could not live, but he has not been
| heard from and it is suspected that he
| has in some way obtained possession OF
the certificate of deposit held by the
woman.
The house where the woman died has
| been closed ever since her death.