Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-01-17

wedding of II of New Works richest
laCies, and as | was assigned to write
il il is needless To say that she figured
conspicuously in my report. In fact,
10 be brief in the description of her
personality, she was the pettcd daugh-
ter of wealth and a society belle.
AT about tins time the police got
wind of the existence of a gang of
young thieves of both sexes operating
in the slums of one Of the down town
wards, either the Fourth or Sixth, |
don't distinctly remember which. One
of their number. a hardened aud incor-
rigible young thief Of the Artful
Dodger type. was arrested for picking
pockets in the Bowery. The property
which he ~purloincd from his victim
was ultimately recovered, butthe iuve-
nile delinquent ohstinately refused to
tell who were his coufederates. Upon
being informed that he would be the
recipient Of judicial clemency if he
complied with the request of the au-
thorities-in other words. and the
ones he understood best, If he squeal-
ed or gave away his pals he would
be turned up'-he made a full con
fession.
lie told of the existence of a sub
terranean dive in one of the most
wretched of the down town quarters,
over which the presiding genius was
an attenIated and wrinklcd old bag, a
veritable scnile fury. This wretched
and rpulSiye old fence used to re.
ceive the stolen property Of the young
thieves, whom she harbored and in
strueted in the reprehensible tricks Of
their calling. The boy told that the
Owl, as the antiquated fence was
called, used to disappear for weeks at
a time, and when she did condcscend
TO act rs high priestess over her youth
flu, though thoroughly depraved pu-
pills, it was invariably atnight. 1t was
when the great city was wrapped in
profound gloom, that the Owl would
crawl out of her hole-the location Of
which was always a mystery 10 her
patrons-and entcrt the wretched haunt
over which she presided.
The information which the boy
gave wa productive of no permanent
good, however. The police, of %course,
raided the place and bagged a number
OF depraved youngsters of both sexes,
against whom, however, they had no
eliminating evidence, and after impos-
ing a light fine the magistrate dis
charged them. The Owl was among
the number, but having a good deal Of
this worlds goods, no matter how nc.
quired, She WAS able TO employ good
legal talent and she got OFT with a fine
like the others"
Tie cigar of the journalistic nara.
tor having gone u he proceeded to
relight it, and, after drawing a deep
sigh, us If ~deprecating the depravity
of the inhabitants of this sublunary
spheroid in general, continued:
Being, rs you doubtless know by
this Time, the possessor of a penchant
for gazing at the morbid or seamy side
of life, | saw here an opulent field for
the exploitation Of my peculiar lido
syncrasy. Undermined at once TO be
a visitor at the den Of the Owl and
If possible 10 cultivate her acquain-
lance. NY object in this was Of a dual
Snature-tirst, | wished TO crafty my
peculiar taste, and again, being a re-
porter, there was a chance for the ac.
QUESTION Of material for a genuine SEN
sation, something reportorial gentle
men are always in quest of. Accord.
ingly u wild, rainy night, late in
the autumn, after attiring myself to
sustain my assumed character of an
out of town burglar who wished to dis
pose of some 'swag' in the shape of an
old silver watch and a much worn
gold ring, both of which were pur-
chased at a pawn shop for the occa-
sion. | presented myself at the door
Of this old Jezcbel and was admitted
after making my Grand known in the
language Of the crook
''The place 30 which 7 was admitted
was a dark passage. as black as the
portals of Erebus, which led 10 an in
ner apartment, the door of which was
guarded by a Cerebus in the person Of
a bull necked and repulsive looking
thief Of the Bill Sykes type. This
apartment, which was the haunt Of the
Owl and her foul brood, was low cell
inged and lighted by a few kerosene
lamps stuck against the wall, behind
which a few furnished tin ~reflectors
were placed, under the impression that
they augmented the light Of the
lamps. A few tables were scattered
about, behind which were seated a
characteristic assortment Of young
criminals of both sexes, smoking.
drinking and planning sins anew
son a few settees placed along the
wall, mcn-the only ones in the place
apparently old enough to be designated
as such, the rest being boys and strip
lings-were reclining, putting at bad
cigars or sucking old clay pipes. The
Owl sat behind a little counter and TO
her ! addressed myself. She received
my supposititious 'swag' with a lecr
which gave me a strange feeling. This
old bag as | remember her-and her
image in the light Of subsequent de-
~velopments will ever be impressed
upon my mind-was stopped and
wrinkled. An old hood enveloped
her head, c~oEcealing the greater por-
ton Of her forehead and a great deal
Of her face. Around her rheumy eyes
were a pair OF well defined circles,
which appeared 10 me at the time 10 be
the beginning Of a pair Of diabolical
balos which, when they spread all
around her head, she would die in the
odor Of deyiltry.'
"Perceiving that / was not disposed