Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-17
SHE LIKES JAIL LIFE.
A Southside Woman Sent up for Ten
Days, Nearly Three Months Ago,
CAN'T BE FIRED BY THE WARDEN.
Her Sanity Questioned by Her Own Father,
and She is Committed.
NO ATTEMPTS TO PROVE SHE'S CRAZY

Had Warden Berlin, of the county Jail,
the same charge upon his hands as he has
to-day he could have given Charles Reade a
pointer for another good insane asylum
novel. On November 25. 1882 he received
Miss Mary McClosky, aged 80, committed
by Judge Brokaw for ten days, to be exam
ined as to her sanity. She was accompanied
BY certificate from DR.. W. j. Martin, Of
the Southside, stating that he had known
her for five or six years, and in his opinion
she was insane and dangerous person to be
at large.
As in all such cases, Warden Berlin took
charge of the woman, but during the ten
days, and, in fact, ever since, neither he nor
any of his officers discovered any signs of
insanity DR.. Chessrown, the jail physi-
clan, declined to make any affidavit as to
her insanity, and the Warden SAYS she has
been industrious and obedient, doing what
ever she was told by the matron, and doing
it well. She sews well, he said, and could
write a good letter, although she's not we'll
educated, and he could see nothing about
her TO indicate insanity. The only trouble
he saw was disinclinstion to return to her
home.
DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE
When the time allotted had expired and
the Warden set her at liberty, he says she
sat on the steps in front and cried, saying
she was afraid to 60 home. Warden Berlin,
after vainly persuading her to go home, saw
no course open but to take her in again, and
consulting District Attorney Johnston on
the subject, he was told that for the small
expense she would be it would be better to
keep her until some family could be found
who would employ her as a domestic. for
which position she is both capable and will
ing.
Warden Berlin states he sent word by
Mrs. Wright, a lady living at No. 10 Cliff
street, in whose service the woman was for
over two years, and who took considerable
interest in her welfare, to both her father
and Dr. Martin, that if they would produce
two witnesses who knew her and would
swear she was insane he would have her
sent to Dixmont. No reply was sent to the
request He wrote a formal letter to DR..
Martin. asking him If he would make affi-
davit and procure two other people who
knew tine woman to also make afidavits as
to her insanity. The Warden has not vet
received the courtesy of an answer. He is
at a loss to know what to do in the prem
ises. He cannot send her to a hospital, as
she is not sick, nor to DiKmont, as no one
will make affidavit that she is insane, and
he cannot turn the woman out into the
streets.
Deputy Warden Soffel will next week
take her to do homework at his residence
in the Thirty-second ward, and thus relieve
the county of a boarder who pays for her
keep In work and pay her wages.
AS SHE TELLS IT.
The woman's story, as told by herself, is
q rather peculiar one. She states that she
was ill-trested at home. She worked hard
to keep house and attend to the boarders,
from whom her father, Bernard McCloskv,
derived living. He was old and feeble,
but had an unfortunate failing in an appe-
tite for whisky. When he got hold of any
of the income of the boarding house he
would proceed to blow it in with CELEBRITY.
She then made up her mind to go out as a
domestic, and did so, but her father would
use mp her wages which she contributed to
the household expenses, and her mother in
stead of being thankful for the help she
rendered, scolded her.
She says she was visited in the Jail by her
parents, whose accusations of violence and
of slapping her mother in the face she
promptly denied in the presence of the
Warden. To a clergyman who had taken
her TO the jail she gave evidence of re-
tentive memory, if not of sound mind.
She said: You sent me to st. Francis
Hospital before for treatment and got 1t
BY being put to wash the dirty clothes of
the patients. I was sent out of that institu-
ton on a rainy day, without even cents to
pay my car fare home. In this Jail am
better treated than 1 was in the hospital.
When you put me in a cab, saying YOU were
going TO take me to another hospital, you
landed me in Jail, and don't think it
looked very well for you TO tell an untruth."
The only violence she admits to have
used was against one of her own sisters, who
was said to have been guilty of an indiscre-
ton, and whom she threatened with castiga-
ton unless she confessed the circumstances
and told the name of her lover. This, she
told the jail authorities, the sister had done,
under the circumstances, but Mary had been
told since that her sister had been married,
but she did not believe il, as she had
frequently demanded to see the certificate,
but had been put off with one excuse or an
other, and this was the excuse her parents
had for accusing her of insanity and vio-
lence.
WHAT THE DOCTOR SAYS.
Dr.. W. J. Martin was seen at his home at
1712 Carson street. He said be had been the
lamlAg physician lor many years, ana he
had always heard the daughter spoken of as
being an unruly girl. He had always
noticed something peculiar in her actions
and thought that there was something wrong
with her mind He wrote the recommends
tion at the request of Mr.. Bernard Nc
Closky, the girls father. The latter told
the physician that Mary was unruly,
abusive and obstinate, and the family could
not get along with her. On occasions,
when matters would go contrary to her
wishes, she would get beyond all control.
DR.. Martin simply said in the recommends
tion to the Jail officials that he considered
Miss McClosky's case worthy of an investi-
cation.
An effort was made to find Mr.. McClosky,
but be has moved from Sankey's row, on
Harcum street, where he was said to live.
None of the neighbors could tell where be
now lives.