Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-08-16

Brooklyn.-It was a quiet day in
the police station. Brownsville was
behaving itself and the matron Of the
station had a whole hour to talk, with
only one interruption to wipe the
tears from the eyes of a small, dirty
boy, induce him to tell the address
of his home and send him on his way
under the guidance Of a big, strong
bluecoat. And the matron, when she
talks, has a few things to tell. In
fact, Mrs. Cox says, with her good
Irish chuckle, that she thinks she will
write a book of her experiences to
make her rich after she retires from
the job of matron. The boys" have
suggested it to her. The boys" are
the b%luecoats, every one Of whom in
Brooklyn, knows Mrs. Cox and has a
joke for her or a word of guying
when ne meets her.
Duties of a Police Matron.
Intoxication is the usual charge
upon which the woman prisoner is
committed, with occasional charges
of theft, of assault, an attempted sui
eide and now and then a woman whose
hands have committed some bigger
crime, homicide OF infanitcide.
Whatever the charge, they all pass
through the station house on their
way to the Jail or the penitentiary,
and the matron has them in her care,
She gets them fresh from their mis-
demeanors and with the stain of their
crimes new upon them. She is the
first and often the only ministering
angel they know, for it is to the task
of ministering that most of the ma
irons, womenlike, give themselves,
with more heartiness than to the
technical tasks of their office.
Young Girls Saved.
One night two young girls were
brought into the station house for in
toxication, fresh, dainty girls,
dressed in the finest of evening gowns,
covered with long coats. 1t was New
Years eve and a bitter cold night,
The matron was used to the unusual,
hut lIe pl SoCllIC VI 5illo puIli as
these in her lodging house made her
stop and wonder. 1t vas only a lit
tie while before the sleep of intoXica
ton wore off and the girls woke to
the realization of their surroundings
and the horror of it. Finally, they
were calm enough to tell the matron
how it all happened. They had been
over to Manhattan to a dance with
two boy friends. 1t was so icy cold
that the escorts suggested before they
crossed the bridge to take something
to warm them, and they stopped in a
cafe and drank what the men or.
sdered for them. Unused to taking
%astimulants, as o o as they struck
the cold air out of doors the drinks
went to their heads and they knew
very little else of what happened I'm
til they walked to find themselves ir
the police station. What had hap
rpened was that the two escorts, find
ing themselves burdened with girls
too much intoxicated to know whaI
was happening to them, had opened
the door of a tenement house, showed
them in and left them there. The
girls had fallen Immediately to sleeI
and one of the occupants of the house
stumbling over them, had reported tt
the police and had them taken to thu
station. 1t was a hideous night TO
those girls, used only to the nicetie'
.l .o6pomoptS Of life
When the next morning came, will
its inevitable appearance at court
they pleaded not to be taken in tn
patrol wagon with the other prisoner
and the matron secured the permits
sion of the sergeant to take them t
court herself in the Car, and arrange
for a private hearing before tn
Judge. The circumstances related
the judge let them off with som
strong words of admonition.
Maggie a Regular Ledger.
With some of the prisoners the nj
irons become old friends, for the
almost make the station house the
regular dwelling place. One OF Mr.
Cox's old-timers is an Irish woma
named Maggie, whom everybody
the station house knows. She hi
been a habitue of station houses for
wears. and the matrons and sergean
get so they look for her and almo
miss her when she doesn't come. 81