The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-07-24
This paper is Democratic IN principles
and Is Independent IN its vdea0s on all
local questions.
The Female Burglar.


The story OF the girl Marie Rosie
Beahreg is a strange one. She
first comes before the public with
a pathetic iiction-or was it true
about the theft of her savings
in "a New York horse car. We
have no doubt that her alleged mis-
fortune moved the hearts of many
people to liberality in her behalf.
Assuredly the story would have Sc
cured abundant patronage for her
husbands business, had she been con-
tent to get married and face the world
bravely and honestly.
But there seems to be some moral
peryersion in the girl. Not content
with imposing upon the general cred
Utility, she next breaks into the house
of a former employer, and steals a
number of garments, in order, she
says, that she may have a good dress
to get married in. Incidentally she
sets fire to the house, though some
doubt may be entertained as to
whether this act is deliberate or acct
dental. For the theft she is, of
course, arrested, and she spent last
night as a prisoner in a cell instead of
as a bride in her new home.
Now what is to be done with this
young woman. She is only twenty
five A century ago in England she
might have been hanged, or she might
have been whipped at the carts tail
and transported to a convict settle
ment. In England, today, she would
probably be sent to a convict prison,
and later might be shipped to Western
Australia, to be Professionally released
there. In France, she would be sent
for a couple of years to a n1GSSoa cen
taGle, and then would be deported to
New Caledonia, where she would
probably marry some ex-convict at an
early day, settle down, and do well.
Here, we shall probably send her to
prison for from twoto ten years, accord
ing to whether the arson part of the
business turns out. She will spend
the time in contact with the most de-
PRAYED of her sex. She will come out
mistress of every detail of vice and
crime, deprived of her character and
having lost those exterior good looks
which are almost essential to the sue
cess of a oma in life. She may be
too old to marry, too old to learn new
ways Of life. What is to become of
her? Would not the old-fashioned
moose be almost as merciful punish
ment, and a far lore salutary one,
since it would not involve the turning
loose upon the State in a few years of a
dangerous criminal?
1t appears TO us, as it does to many
people, that our modes of dealing with
criminals are crude, and barbarous,
and Intellectual. We believe that this
is especially true OF our ways of treat
ing first offences, and the crimes of
women in particular. Outlaws all seem
to ignore the fact that methods which
would be useless or worse as applied
to men might be highly efficient in the
cases OF women, and that the punish
ments-notably long Imprisonment
which are held to be most adapted to
male crime, involve inhuman hard
ship when applied to the cases OF
young girls.
The whole subject is one which is
li5tle understood, and unfortunately
little studied. In this country we are
behind all civilized nations in dealing
with it. 1t is time for a reform.
PROBABLY the most disappointed
man in Tasssav City vestardav xuas