Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-10-10
WoMANs INHUMANITY TO WOMAN.
Where sympathy Might Have Been EX-
pected From Any Wearer Of skirts.

pected From Any Wearer of skirts.
A little young woman turnedinto West
Twenty-sixth street from Seventh avenue
on her way to Eighth avenue about $50
:. m. yesterday. A jaunty hat sur
mounted her head, and her dark gown
was snugly fitted.
Opposite the stables in the middle of
The block all at once her step began to
'alter, and look of despair came into
her brown eyes. She gazed about like
hunted animal in search of place of
shelter, while her hands grabbed convul-
sively at her hips. A thin white line APP
Deared at the bottom of the skirt.
All at once her face lighted up as does
landscape when the sun breaks through
the clouds. She had found place of
refuge. The area gate of house near
Eighth avenue, which she had now
reached, stood invitingly open, and there
was no gate at all to the recess under
the stoop on which the basement door
opened. The basement door, too, was
open, and there was no one, as it proved.
in the dark hall beyond
1t was just the place to reclaim the
refractory underskirt, and the girl hur-
ried to the friendly shelter. Quickly
as she had passed under the stoop. she
had been seen by a big woman who was
dusting the first floor hall. The big
woman hurried down the steps and asked
aggressively of the young woman, who
was struggling with her skirt in the
basement hall:
"What are you doing thereT"
"Tm tightening my skirt, which had
slipped down." answered the girl, COM
pleting the tightening process.
you've no business there. Pm not
keeping a dressing room. I'll teach you
to trespass on my premises. l arrest
you. Come along"
So saying, the big woman grabbed the
girl by the throat and dragged her into
the street.
''Let me go. I've done nothing wrong.
Let me go to work. It's time l should
be at the shop" demonstrated the girl
as well as she could while nearly stran-
gled.
The big woman only tightened her
grip on the girls throat
"Tll not let you go until policeman
comes. Making dressing room of my
house! Too many have done it, and l
won't have itv'
While speaking, she continued to drag
the girl toward Eighth avenue and
looked up and down that tLoroughfare
for policeman. Apparently thinking
she saw one in the direction of Twenty
fifth street. she started down the avenue
with the girl.
Now, the spectacle of one woman hav-
ing another by the throat is unusual IN
Eighth avenue, at any rate at O'Clock
in the morning, and crowd soon sur
rounded the two women. By the time
they had reached Twenty-fifth street the
crowd was so great that their farther
progress was barred. The crowd wanted
an explanation, and when the big WON
an loosened her hold on her prisoner
throat, while telling of the trespas'
which had been committed, the younger
woman took advantage of the opportu
nity to tell her side of the story The
crowd believed her and began to jostlt
and shove the big woman. A sympa
thizing woman in the crowd stuck pins
into the big woman's arm to make hel
give up the hold which she still kept o.
her prisoner's neck. The big woman le
her prisoner go in order to draw rust!
file from her pocket with which sh'
threatened the jostling crowd. Thl
proved the prisoners opportunity. Sh
plunged through the crowd which open
ed to let her pass and then closed in be
hind her, and hailing horse car was
moment later being carried out of ne
captor's reach up the avenue, The crow'
prevented the big woman from following
her, and rubbing the arm into whlcI
the pins had been stuck she returned t
her home in Twenty-sixth street.-Nev
York Sun.