The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-08-16
MRS. M'GANN'S WORK
AT Central station
General Public Knows Little of
What Police Matron
is Doing.
CHANCE TO DO GOOD
Girls Brought Under Her Care
Through Many and Varied
Changes.

| Probably from twenty to twenty five
young girls are brough in here year
for street walking" said Mrs. McGann.
matron at police headquarters on Court
street. to Journal and Courier re-
porter yesterday. Most of these are
reprimanded, and, after being Nouched
for by their parents, and promising.
themselves that they will not be guilty
of the same offence again are allowed
to go to their homes. They must re-
port once in so often to Mr.. Preston and
it's not often they are brought up
again. Others are sent to the Home Of
the Good Shepherd, or other industrial
homes, and are there taught to sew
and become proficient in domestic sell
ence, SO that when they come out they
can take care Of themselves.
Most of the cases that come under
my care are those Of intoxication and
breach of the peace For these the pen
atty is a fine, or jail for from ten to
one hundred and eighty days, and in
many instances this period Of punish
ment is Of the greatest benefit possible
to the offenders. They are regularly
cared for, and their minds occupied
with their work and perhaps it's the
only really decent sort Of life they have
led for months.
Some of these poor unfortInates who
have served the limit, one hundred and
| eighty days, are only out a few days
when find them here again, others
who have served as long or may be a
shorter sentence are not brought in for
months and many of them we never
sec again Sometimes the condition of
these women is so pitiful that they are
not properly clothed to go before the
judge when they are called ito appear in
court In such cases an ever ready
needle and thread is brought forth and
i the necessary repairs are made to make
each presentable.
"No, one can't become hardened to all
Of It," Mrs McGann said in speaking
Of her work, there are so many temp
tations nowadays, and when the homes
OF some of these unfortunate ones are
absolutely robbed of all that makes life
worth while it's not SO much wonder
that they fall into error. And then too,
tne hasty temper of many a woman
brings her in here charged with breach
of the peace. In many of sucn cases
the fear Of a second arrest keeps them
from committing the offense a second
time.
shoplifting is one of the most pitiful
of ali the offenses for which women
are brought here. That's disease with
most of them
The women of the street? Yes
that's dreadful, too, particularly when
they are brought in for the first time
And for lot of these there Is only a
first time.
After paying their fines some of
them are left penniless, have no place
to go, and they say almost hopelessly
that If they could only have little
help they would be better, they would
never be seen in court again--and lots
lof these women were given the chance
and they never did come back, Isn't
that compensation enough for anyone
whose heart has prompted them to do
q kind deed?"
Probably no woman holding a posi-
tion in public life has the opportunity
to do the gbod that this little woman
has, and 1t Is doubtful II the majority
of people realize any part of the good
she really does for the poor unfortun-
ates,' as she calls them. She is con-
stantly receiving words of appreciation
from some of those who have come
under her care, for whom she has not
only performed the duties Of her office
but she has given kind words as well
and done little acts of humanity that
she could do to make life worth living
even after they have been made, some-
times all too bitterly, to see the error
of their way.
On the way down stairs after a
glance at the courtroom, the police
mems quarters and the office of the
detectives, as Mrs. Mccain stepped to
the desk for the key of the women S
lcell an attendant said to her; 80 and
So Is in there, and she's waiting to
tell you what she thinks of YOU
Mrs, Mccain smiled and said, Yes;
they talk horribly to me when they
are first brought in, but they always
apologize in the morning"
A trip around the portion of the
building allotted to the unfortunate
. uUbS anu d SldhfC at VIC menu pIO-
vided for their refreshment, made it
seem impossible that any temptation
could induce them to go through the
ordeal a second time. The cell is clean
but MY How bare, and the beds CD
are-well, they make ones back and
bones ache every time one thinks of
them; under some circumstances hard
crackers and water might satisfy hun
ger. but with nothing else in sight the
meal has no alluring sound, has It'll
And when one is unfortunate enough
to have to remain over Sunday at the
station, and dine three times day WI
nothing new on the bin Of fare is ii
any wonder that a woman's heart /;
soft--in spots, anyway-and that Mrs
McGanns parting words were: 80 you
see, that about all one con do for then,
Is to help them all one can;H or thai
the glamor of the outside world holds
out no inducement that makes this lit
tie matron of ours begrudge the time
| she snends with her "unfortunates