The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-06-01


committed both the girls to the County
Jail for fifteen days as disorderly per-
sons.
A PITEoUs SCENE.
When the sentence was pronounced
the girls, who had been led to believe
right along that the Judge would either
discharge them with a reprimand or fine
them about one dollar, realized the tuli
import of the sentence. They created q
scene the like OF which has been seldom
seen in court. Both of them cried,
begged and pleaded and almost got down
on their knees and implored the
Judge not to send them to jail Maggie
Mcdonald seemed to take the sentence
the hardest, Her grief was pitiable. She
is q pretty blonde and does not look over
fifteen years old, although she said she
was eighteen. Her eyes were red from
weeping and it looked as il she would go
into Mysteries in the court room.
The Recorder, in his wisdom, however,
turned q deaf ear to their pleadings, and
IN stern voice told Policeman Ford to
take them back. After a great deal of
they did not look like the majority of
criminals, and he did not attempt to use
force, the girls were again led back to
their cell
But the worst was not yet.
At eleven O'Clock the girls were told to
gtb fehtty w 80 W JAZZ. 4utu tHer5 WAS
another scene; but the law had already
done half its atrocious work. The girls
were beginning to realize their position
and had summoned all that was hard or
bold in their natures to face it. They
were again led out to the station house
desk Right behind them came well
dressed fellow with q crooked eye, and
another boyish looking prisoner. The
two male prisoners We're Joseph Farley,
who was accused of robbing the poor
box i'll ST. Joseph's Roman Catholic
Church, and Henry Elliot, a suspicious
character.
After the handouts had been fastened
on the wrists OF these fellows, the ser
geant in a brusque way asked If it was
necessary TO place a pair of bracelets
ON the young ladies. The policeman said
it was not necessary, and the journey to
the County Jail began.
PUBLIC CRIME.
Now one word by way Of depression.
The mode of transferring prisoners from
the Hoboken Police Station to the Hud-
son County Jail is disgrace to the city
and the county.
They are taken from court to prison on
the horse cars, and who can tell the ago
MES Of shame which these unfortunates
have iendured upon these heartrending
of public observation. women almost dy-
ing from the overwhelming disgrace have
for years been thus dragged through the
Streets a spectacle for che curious aud a
mark for the fiippant and the cruel.
And, again, what outrages have been
inflicted on the passengers on these cars.
There is no grade of filthy wretch, male
or female, however rotten morally or
physically, who has not been placed
shoulder to shoulder with the honorable
citizen, the sober matron or the shrink
ing maiden.
Donald are well known in H0boken,
where they have resided all their lives.
They are girls who go about seeing life,
and having what is termed "a good time, .
but they are not low girls. To this time
nothing worse could be said of them than
that they were careless and gay.
Who shall describe the feelings with
which they faced this trip to the Jail
The policeman with the two male prison
ers led the way from the station house.
Behind them came another policeman
having charge of the two girls. At this
hour of the morning the streets are
crowded, and among the crowd the girls
recognized acquaintances. They begged
the officer to walk ahead little, and not
to make noticeable the fact that they were
prisoners.
Bnt.the-erowd could not be fooled.
and their covering walk betrayed the
truth. Nearly everybody turned and
looked at them. and passed some remark
Two young fellows. who perhaps knew
the girls very well, or imagined they
knew all about them, Kissed at them
One said:-"Ah there, my beauty How
long are you in fore I'll meet you when
you come down."
The girls staggered along, crushed
with shame. with heads bowed down,
and at last the elevated railroad station
was reached and they entered the cars.
The car WAS pretty well filed and the
passengers stared the prisoners out of
countenance. Some were mean enough
to pass disparaging remarks The fellow
who robbed the church tried to strike up
a conversation with Maggie Mcdonald,
but the girl miserable as she was, re :
sented this aggression, and the police
man gave the nippers an extra twist
which made the church robber remember
his place.
AT THE JAIL.
After half an hour of this slow torture
the jail was reached. The girls managed
to bear up under the ordeal until they
were within the gates. Then they again
broke down and cried bitterly. After
giving their names, employment, age
and birth places to the clerk in the office,
they were sent up stairs to Ward No. 5.
This ward consists OF a long tier of cells
and is in charge of the female prisoner
who has the best record for behavior.
4 "A JOAh5 6tA4S lGPC4tCQ W tistO they lldQ
told the clerk, and then they were led to
their cells. The cells are small and have
TWO cots, one above the other.
At two o'clock in the afternoon the
aunt of Maggie Mclaughlin, a respect
able woman, went TO the Jail and paid her
fine and Maggie was released.
Then Maggie Mcdonald, who is said to
be good girl, languished alone in the
cell. II would be well if she should be
left there during the whole term which
she must serve if nobody pays ner fine.
For the cell is nothing to the intercourse
with the other women in the place.
If the Mclaughlin girl had not been
released the two young women would no
doubt have occupied the same cell Who
will now be Maggie McDonald's cell
companion no one can tell 1t may be a
female pickpocket who is awaiting trial;
1t may be a woman arrested for adultery,
or it may be a common prostitute.
HER DAILY LIFE
At six every morning the prisoners
are awakened, and in turns they scrub
the floors of the cells and clean up the
place. At nine O'Clock breakfast is served.
It consists Of half a loaf of bread and a
cup or black coffee. From nine till two
o'clock the women and girls sit around
and tell stories-and what stories! The
prostitute will tell all about her loves and
the pleasures of her reckless life.