The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-07-24
DC srRoNeEsT woMAN.
She is in the Brooklyn Penitentiary-
Some OF Her Feats.

ptuibeutldfS woman VINO, Tor eXtruOrdl-
nary strength, has, probably, no match in
the history Of the institution. This is all
the more remarkable when IL is taken in
TO account that this woman is a midget.
not monster. She is still a young
woman of scarcely more than % years of
age, a mere girl, she has passed in and
out Of those grim portals through a
scarcely pretermitted series of incarcera-
tions 1t is due this strange incorripible
to state that, although her life has large
ly been spent in the company of criminals,
she has never once, so far as can be
learned, been committed for crime of any
sort. She has never been photographed.
The name by which this famous scrap is
known over the city is Mary Ellen. As
the product of vicious surroundings. she
is more to be pitied, helped, and, if posi-
BILE saved, than scorned and Stunned
There runs almost direct in front of the
Raymond street jail little street. It's
name IS Lafayette street. On the first
rlght-hand corner of the street, as YOU
pass down it from the jail, stands an old
wooden rickety tenement row known as
the Rookery. It's three doors are cut and
carved about their lintels with the names
of many of the crooks who once perched
there and piled the entries with drunks
in the history of this strange caravansary.
anu IlAcl4b d NuIIOuS anu CdDdllStlC sign Is
traced ominously upon the weather-beaten
boards, which long since parted with their
paint, if indeed they ever had any.
Twenty-Five years ago, when Mary Ellen
was born, and for years afterwards. this
corner may be safely said to have been
the hardest corner IN the city. 1t was
the headquarters of the Underhill gang,
whose nightly encounters with the Brick
gang, which organization they not infre-
n1nnflV cd nda
about the neighborhoed The city park
was their summer resort. 1t was on this
spot, amid these abhorreut surroundings,
that Mary Ellen was born. She has had
many names. Her real name, as she her
self and others state, and under which
she is now registered at the penitentiary,
is Egan. A single member of her family
still lives about the place. Her father
and mother are both dead
Mary Ellen was born looking out upon
the prison and its scenes. She grew up
among motley set of toughs, whose de-
light was to jeer the poor unfortunates as
they passed out of the Black Maria into
the Jail, and who cared no more for the
terrors of the lookup than they did for
the patrol that feared and dreaded them.
A pile of lumber that lay heaped opposite
the Rookery served as a sort of grand
reviewing stand for the rocks, among
whom Mary Ellen sat balcony queen. It
is not to be wondered at that, suffered to
grow up without restraint, the creature
of her own will, she soon became head
strong. Her strength was enormous.
She could hit more than a man,
and when she took hold she kept
hold. Her exploits and encounters were
frequent and desperate. At such times
she would rather fight than eat. So
greatly was she dreaded that, for fear of
infuriating her, all who knew her said:
IF Mary Ellen wants anything, let her
have it" The truth is that Mary Ellen
has vicious andu ncontrollable temper,
which she constantly suffers to get the
best of her Such a state of mind is rem
dered almost chronic by the thought that
she has been unfortunate, has gone from
bad to worse, and naturally feels that, at
last nobody cares for her. She has some
good traits, nevertheless. She can be
grateful for a kindness. She has never
committed crime, and, if brought under
good influences and got away from cor
ner saloons, she would probably
work. The following official state
ments concerning her will be read with
interest:
Alonzo Brymer the former warden of
the Raymond Street Jail, said: 81 have
known Mary Ellen for years. She is
monstrouSly strong. She is known as
the girl who bends the bars She is
stronger than a great many men. When
she first came under my charge | had to
have her put in the black cell but l soon
made up my mind that I would try kind
ness. did, and I got along well enough
with Mary Ellen after that. The trouble
is that she thinks that everybody's hand
is against her, and that makes her des-
perate. If the good people who help for
eign missions would help poor Mary Ellen
and put her out of the way of tempta-
ton on farm, think she could be saved
and it ought to be done. l have great
sympathy for her, and would do anything
l could to help her"
1 called on Warden Hayes at the peni-
tertiary.
SIS there woman here, warden" 1
asked, "by the name of Mary Elem"
A curious expression came over the
warden's face as he replied:
There is such a woman here"
Il would like very much to see her"
said, "but before seeing her would like to
ask you some questions"
The warden assented.
us it true that Mary Ellen, as she is
called, is the strongest woman who has
ever entered this prison?"
THAT is the belief of all who are here"
replied the warden. II believe that for
her size she is the strongest woman that
can be produced in this country to-day.
I know that sounds like very sweeping
statement, but, nevertheless, that is my
conviction. have mad the custody of
good many women, from all parts of the
country, and have met good many strong
ones, but never any woman that APP
preached Mary Ellen in strength Every
body here will tell you the same thing"
us she not a midget"
"She is a small woman, with small
hands, small feet, small bones and ner-
vous organization. But every rib is iron,
every sinew whipcord every nerve light
ming. Her grip is wise, and the person
she clutches a limp Ginger She has
quite bit of science, too, and when it
comes to putting up her hands, she would
be more than match for Maggie, the
boxer of Mulberry Bend"
"Can you give me any instances of her
wonderful strength2n
''There are enough of them to fill a
book replied the warden. 'When, for
cause, it is found necessary to put her in
the cooler it takes two men to manage
her, and then they get roughly handled.
When she once gets hold of you she never
let's 60"
''One OCCASION" said the warden, "a
bar of iron had lain out in the rain and
had grown rusty The burr that, at one
end of it, was screwed on a thread. had
rusted fast. 1t was necessary to use it,
and, in order to do 50, it. was found nee
essary to remove the burr. We called in
co,,,o Nf tho cf1or eract NOR, in 10 r,ofifn,