The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1904-08-06

Miss Nora Williamson, Who spent "a
Night In a Vacant New York Flat.
Sought Closer Knowledge Of the
Lower HaIf, whom she Is study
Ing.
Because she wanted to see life from
the viewpoint Of the masses Miss Nora
Williamson. a New York society girl
ana student Of sociology. recently
spent a saturday night III a tenement
house fat, says the New York World.
1T was only birds eye view that
enjoyed she said, @and ] must con.
fess it was sufficient YET II was rare
treat, an experience would advise
any one to undergo who is interested
in the way the lower half lives
4 hunted up a vacant fat next to
the top floor Of a house up four dark,
narrow flights Of stairs. Saturday
night, about S o'clock, found me 49,
cenHng the dark, riekety stairway to
my quarters. where / came face to
face with a man. His face was COW
cred with a dark stubby growth of
beard, and his ragged clothes hung iii
loose folds over his stopped body as he
leaned there heavily against the rail-
AT first / thought lie was sick, bur a
strong berry 0d0r convinced me that
he was afflicted IN another way lie
nodded to me as | hurried on my way
The door was closed a fear swept
over me, my heart fen ana 50 it the
same instant did my hand upon the
knob. and TO my great relief the door
was not locked | entered into kitch-
en-. On either side was a small room
which | judge even in the brightest
time 81 day to.be Ia semidarkness. The
ceilings were low. and the walls were
painted a dirty BLUSH green. The dir
was Sitting and hurFiedly l raised tAe
windows. Whifis from a nearby livery
stable poured III. but with them came
music,
tThe tenement dwellers seemed fond
of music. The better Off class had
rickety pianos while those less well "a
do had graphophones, accordions. nth
ers, jewsharps. triangles or mouth or
gans. oh, yes. / had almost forgotten
the cats. which added their quota to tile
assorted sounds. 10 get tie full benefit
of the evening concert l climbed out On
"a fire escape. The back yard was q
network Of clotheslines from which
hung half washed garments. On the
pavement / could zee perhaps a dozen
persons. and | could get an occasional
ascending Whit Of the beer that they
were enjoying The light from inside
the house shone upon them.
a man began to count, One, two
three. four married men die before
single: one, two three, ana then bic
spread out in a drunken sleep Some
Of the other men rolled him out Of their
way into a corner.
i climbed back into my rooms and
began preparing for the night / open
ed my suit case aud pulled out a blan-
ket. which was to be my bed, and ther
lay down with an attempt to sleep AS
time wore on | began TO fear that an
attempt was all it was to be, for as
morning came the music increased. Al
Old Latin hymn next rent the air
looked out of the window which open
ed into The court and saw at the bot
tom tie figure Of a woman. Then my
eyes wandered to the room across and
to the mark of q black hand upon tbs
window curtain. 4 chill ran through
me. lad read Of the Mafa nd
had heard that the black hand wa;
their sign
Il slammed down the window and
had hardly reached my blanket wher
there came scream from the fiool
above, then i crash, q seuflie and Z
heavy tlud right By my door ! coulc
hear excited voices Of men and WON
en-. Then tile distinct voice Of a woma1
cried Haul me to Bellevue! Police
| poHcc! He's thrown me head over M,
heels ana broken me bones. Haul m'
to Beileyuor
j" WHO didT asked another voice
/ Alt nhnbAA4N4 Vas INV WY
Nav, / amt her husband came ;
voice Of disgust i amt never seen he
before
.The wife Of tie accused man mes
IanpeaFed and told how taA q akel
woman had entered their lat t99inl
over the lamp, and Of how her hasban'
had thrown her out
.AIaybe, then, | didn't wish to b
safely out Of It all, for even a sum
moned police officer had refused Z
| give his aid. 1t was all could d
to keep from bolting out Of the doc
and down into the street. But | hell
my peace and in a short time tn
tenement was again quiet except 70
the music and poker chips.
rhe next thing ] knew ] heard