Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-02-13
Police Matrons.

Police Matrons.
A woMANs STRONG ARGUMENT IN rHKn FAVOR
To the Editor Of TIE EVENING STAR:
The appointment Of women TO care for their
own seq in the different station-houses of this
city 10 move 90 evidently in the interests Of
decency and humanity that il seems strange to
find any objectors to it There are those, how
ever, who oppose it on what they seem TO think
good ground. These same objections have
been urged in every city where the expert
ment has been tried. but in every case where
the matrons have been fitted for their duties
the system has met with unqualified approval
and the most sceptical have been convinced.
Having given the matter much attention. and
coming from a city where the matter has passed
the experimental stage, am SO thoroughly as
sured Of its beneficial effects that desire to
see fair trial allowed il here, and wish mot to
hear it condemned untried
To many the fact that il IL an innovation il
suficient to make it undesirable. What never
has been ought not to be with them, and 40
women have never been cared for by women
they ought not to be now. Such reasoning a.
this would effectually block the wheels of prog
ress in every direction. Then, again, it is
urged that the duties are so extremely disa-
greeable that no women will be willing to as
sumo them. This same objection would work
against employing women in many positions
which they now fill. The position of an army
and hospital nurse during the civil war was
anything but sinecure, and those who filed
1t were subjected to sights and sounds from
which one would naturally shrink, but there
was no lack of noble women to fill it. Many of
them were delicately bred and nurtured. yet,
actuated by motives of duty and patriotism,
they stood by their posts in spite Of the disa-
greeableness and hardships Of the situation. The
Office Of matrons and attendants in insane asy-
lums nurses in hospitals, matrons in jails,
almshouses, asylums and refugees is accom-
panied by many disagreeable and repellant
features, but there is no lack Of women to fill
and retain the places.
woMAN's oUIErINa INFLUENCE.
At first sight the objection that women are
not possessed of sufficient muscular strength
for the place seems valid did not experience
prove that it was not a requisite. Women who
will violently resist a policeman become quiet
and docile when cared for by one of their own
sex. l have in mind a case in my own city,
where a matron was appointed, who, though
she had great power of endurance, was of such
a slight build that the policemen wanted to
know what she would do with Big Mary, who
they averred. was terror. Her first case
proved to be the equal of Big Mary. in the per-
son of large, stout Irish woman, weighing
nearly 200 pounds, and drunk enough to be full
of fight. 1t took four men to get her to the
station, and when there she made things lively
breaking away from the officers and hurting
spittoons and other missiles at them. Her wells
could be heard on the street. But when the
natron appeared she became another creature
allowed herself to DE searched and cared for
and, with the exception Of few sobs. was as
quiet as one could wish: Another young wo-
man. who had smashed the furniture and glass
in the house while drunk, and terrorized the
family. quietly submitted herself to the matron,
permitted her to wash and bind up her cut
hands and arms, and laid herself quietly down
in her cell. These cases are not exceptional.
In instances where a woman needs to be lifted.
If she should faint, an officer was or should be
on hand to assist. As the matrons are never
concerned in the arrest, the women do not
have any revengeful feelings toward them, and
are as rule even courteous in their treatment
Of them.
REFINING INFLUENCE.
When officers are SO averse toward caring for
drunken and disorderly women, it seems
strange that they will object to having a
woman appointed who will relieve them of
such an unpleasant duty. Wherever matrons
are on duty the conduct of the male prisoners
has improved and the general order Of the sta
tion-house has been much better the men
seeming to feel the refining influence and re-
straining their noise. That there will be less
freedom OF talk and action among the officers
at the stations where there are matrons is
probably the reason why they are SO opposed
But II they do no more than raise the tone of
speech and behavior of the police force when
on duty, their labor will not have been in vain.
The testimony of all high-minded policemen in
those places where they are employed is de-
cidedly in their favor.
/ predict that the police matron here has
come to stay, as she has in Philadelphia, Port
land. Springfield, Worcester, Cambridge, Low
ell and many other places. MRS. X.
The score in the female bicyclers' race in
New York at midnight last night was: Stanley,
19l; Baldwin, 1874; Won Blumen, 179; Woods
162; Armaindo, 112; Suallor, 159; Lewis, 15s;
Hart, 1923; McShane, 1ls; Cakes, l39; Brown,
113.
Orders have been issued on the Pennsylvania
railroad that no freight except perishables shall
run on Sunday. The men will stop work at 10
O'Clock on Saturday night. and will not return
to their labors until 2 o'clock on Sunday even
ing.
Snow is reported fifteen inches deep at Oak
land, Nd, and the ice is said to be ten inches
thick.
Tom Voolfolk, convicted of the murder of
his father, step-mother and six brothers and
sisters, near Macon, Ga. has been granted
new trial by the supreme court of Georgia.
1t Is stated at Ottawa that the Canadian gov
eminent will recede from its position in re-
gard to the seizure Of the American schooner
Bridgewater, at Shelburn, n. S., last year for
refusing to pay duty on repairs.
Two men, named Edward Baker and Robert
Criswell were killed, and two badly injured,
by runaway car of coal on the inclined rail-
road at Brady's Bend, near Oil City, Monday.
A dispatch from Manchester, Clay county,
states that five men implicated in the recent
miunlBut dssdSslnatOn OF Dill SlSemOre ana
Carr Smith, have been arrested and lodgedin
Jail.
Two masked men broke into the house of
John Arterburn, at Nabob. Monroe county. Ky.
few nights ago, and took $40 in cash and
notes to the value of several thousand dollars
The Arterburns are very old people, the hus-
band being neary ninety, and they live alone.
News comes from London that Mrs. Geo. L.
Lorillard, widow Of the noted turfman and one
OF the brightest lights in New York society,
M cd af 20 IL.
Count Casad Agreda, who visited this country
last summer.