The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-04-26
An ANGELS KINDLY VISITS
Strange Little Woman Who Sings
and Prays With Prisoners.
KEEPS HER IDENTITY SECRET
First Precinct Policemen Call Her
"tile Angel"-rHas Come to the
Station Every Sunday for Two
Years to Comfort the Erring.
None There Know Her Name.

She is little woman with soft gray
nair that waves about the temples. The
lines in her forehead and about her eyes
tell OF care and trouble and suffering The
big policemen at the Twelfrh-street sta
ton cali her The Angel She comes
the prisoners. She has been doing this
for two years now, aud yet there is not
a soul there who knows even her name
or the slightest circumstance about her.
Her dress is black, with something soft
and white at the neck and wrists, and
sine carries a little black bag filled with
papers and smelling salts and sometimes
an orange or two.
I'VE noticed her first summer before
last, said the sergeant on duty yesterday
1T was one hot Sunday in July. The
sun was coming down just awful, and it
was 50 hot the asphalt was melting, and
you could see the prints OF the horses
hoOfs in it, l was sitting over there at
the telephone desk where you get the full
breeze from the heat-fan, when she came
hundred, aud the poor devils cooped up
there were crying for water every five
minutes She came in and stood by the
rail- a moment and then stepped forward
tInid like and Hooked al me.
May 90 back there and Xix to them,
Mr.. Officer she asked Well Of course,
/ didn't know what She wanted, and it
was too hot to argue, 50 nodded, and ehe
thanked me and went in. That began 1T,
and she has been coming ever since. Some
of the old regulars have got to know her,
and every time they are in on Sunday they
watch for her. S he talks 10 'em q good
deal, and sometimes she knneIs dcwn by
the door and prayS with EN-, and some
times, when there are a lot OF women locked
up, they sing hymns. II sounds fine some
times. You would be surprised to hear
what good voices some of 'en have Last
Sunday there was regular quartet lack
there, and they kept it up all day. You
see, we had made "a raid, and there were
lot OF coiored women locked up, and Two or
three cOiOrpd men. The most Of them were
olt-tiner5, and had been here before. They
were all drunk when we got EN-, and hey
raised Cain all night. The section upstairs
didn't get a wink OF sleep, and You know
they only have six hours rest, anyhow
"WcIl, Sunday morning there was "A lot
OF singing, but most of the songs We're
pretty tough. They don't care much what
they say, audit isn't very nice to hear EN-
But in the afternoon she came in, and,
can tell YOU, they quit in a hurry. It's
just wonderful what an influence that lit
tie woman has over those people She
just came in here and smiled at the men
sitting in the squad-ToOm, and put down
her umbrella, and then went right tack in
the cell room. 1t wasn't five minutes be
fore they were IS quiet as lamhs Then
she stared a hymn and they al joined III.
and, believe it or not, as YOU please, but
have never heard Sweeter voices or better
singing
The big sergeant glanced out of the
window, and his feet came down off the
table with a bang She's coming now"
he said
There was a kindly smile Of greeting on
the little woman's face as she hustled in
and spoke CheeIily to the group Of IOunging
officers The sergeant followed her back
to the cell-room. They're very quiet to-
day, MiSs." he said anelogetically. Tine
Angel stopped in front of a cell and peercd
heSit atiRgly in to the seniddTkReSs be
yond the bars. A woman lay on the rough
iron bench. Her dress was shabby and
worn, and her yellow hair struggled down
over her shoulders. She got up and came
s,Illenly to the door at the sound of the
sergeant voice. The paint on her sunk
en-. cheeks showed CHASTITY in the dim
light and she shUddered with the damp
OF the cell. The little woman outside
started forward impulsively, and her hand
went through the narrow opening bet wcen
the bars with quick gesture OF sympathy.
why, you poor child. You've been in
here all night. l must do something for
you right away. What a horrible place,
and you have ha d no sleep, l know. Ser
Geant. can't you put her up stairs in a
witness room?'
No. Miss: they are all full She was
awful when we got her last night Shed
been drinking, you know"
The girl flushed under her paint, and
looked wonderingly at the first woman
who had spoken kindly to her in many
months. Then the little woman leaned her
white head against the bars and took the
girls hand in hers. She began to talk in
a low sweet voice, and she smiled al she
spoke and patted and stroked the hand.
The big sergeant moved away quietly and
made a pretense Of filling water can
for man in the last cell When he re-
turned the girl was crying softly, and the
little woman was kneeling on the dirty
stone floor, with her arms stretched
through the bars and her hands clasped
about the girls neck A policeman came
in from the street and walked back to
tire ccIi-roOm whistling. The sergeant
met him at the door and caught his arm
Don't" he said, softly, 1.-THE Angels in
side.'