Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-24
MAY KEEP HER DOGS
JENNIE ELIZABETH BROWNS
FINES PAID BY sYMPATHIZERS.
Woman Who Was Sent to Workhouse
for Inability to Pay Tax on
Her Protectors.

saved exclaimed Jennie Elizabeth Brown,
an elderly colored woman, as she stepped
from within the gloomy gray portals of the
workhouse for females into the bright and
bracing autumn sunlight yesterday.
The pathetic story Of how Jennie threw
self to the winds Thursday afternoon, and
decided to submit to Imprisonment that her
two faithful dog friends and protectors
might live, told in The Star of that
day and attracted widespread attention. A
number of persons, some OF them high in
the social life of the capital, after read
ing the story in The Star came forward
and offered to pay whatever sum was neces-
sary to secure the old woman's release from
prison and the immunity of her faithful
canine friends from death. Before the mill
or justice began to grind at the Police Court
yesterday morning more than enough
/ money to secure her release from prison
ara TO purchase license tags for her dogs
mad been placed In the hands of Mr. Sc
prlng, the fine collector at the Police Court
Jennie r. Brown was tried before Judge
- Neal on the charge of failing to procure
tags Ior her two dogs, as stated in The
star Thursday She said she was unable
70 pay the amount of the license tax, and
"hen IL was suggested that she might Sc
cure her release by turning the animals
over TO the pound to be killed. the old wo-
man emphaucally declined to listen to such
proposition and declared that the dogs
were her protectors and friends and she
would rather go to prison than To hove
them harmed. Judge O,Neal sajd that ,,nde,
IN, ,ie circumstances there was nothing for
nm 10 90 out to impose fine which he
uiu. making the amount SO, with imprison
trent IN the workhouse for nine days &C tha
ueiauit Not having the money WITH u,btnh
Farm VIM oo"h oh the
Term of Imprisonment Brief
i'ef stay behind prison bars. however
vas oiiiy Tor short period as she was re-
easeo yesterday after having been in Gus
'ouy less than twenty-four hours Tbis
was brought about by Judge ONears ac-
'ion In accepting her personal bonds and
reporter of The Star was present when
light of freedom o 'iie euii-
Judge O'Neal himself was among those
s wy aufiireo the woman's devotion to her
20 'rnal canine friends and her willingness
~ uiuerSo Imprisonment that their lives
might be spared He had intended he said
10 order her relaese Thursday when the
court adjourned, but the matter slipped his
memory. 1t was recalled when he read tho
story in The Star and he ordered that bar
personal bonds be taken the following
morning. Ae
The first caller at the court house yester-
oay morning in the old "auntie's" behalf
was lady who lives on New York avenue
Sne expressed deep interest in the case and
lett with Mr.. Sebring a sufficient amount
tags q
two dogs. Later in the morning several
other persons called for the same burmese
put were informed that enough money had
peen received already. Judge O'Neal also
received several letters from ladies and 9TH
ers who were anxious about the fate of the
woman and her two dogs, and in each in
stance the writer volunteered to furnish
money In sufficient amount to pay Jennie
Browns fine as well as to procure tags for
the CANNES. Among those who wrote such
letters was little Laura Merriam daughter
OF Gov William r. Merriam, and Mrs. c.
b. King of the Mount Vernon flats. Those
who called at the court for similar purpose
failed to state their names, with the excep-
ton of DR.. Wallace Neff of 1887 X street
northwest.
After being released from. prison. Jennie
proceeded to Mr.. Sebrtng's Office and thence
to the District building, where she procured
two tags for her devoted animal friends
with the money he had received. Feeling
happy that their tenure of life was assured
for another twelvemonth, the venerable col
ored woman became communicative. She
expressed her gratitude to the judge, to the
ladies and gentlemen who had manifested
SO much interest in her behalf and to The
Evening Star.
Her Faithful Friends.
My dogs?" she said in answer to the re-
porters inquiry; Yes, sir, they have been
mere faithful to me than people have. They
are true friends and don't deceive me or
injure me, some people have. They pro-
tect me, too, when there's no one else about
to take my part. That is why love them
so much, sir, and was willing to go to
prison to save them from being killed.
What are their names? Why, one of
them / named Alfred Brown after my hus-
band, and the other is named kllraln They
are mixed Irish and Gordon settlers, and as
pretty as pictures, and they know as much
as most people. Kilrain can stand on his
hind legs and fight with his front paws just