Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-02-18
Chronic jail Birds Sing GaiIy Before
the Office of Police Official,
but Receive Little Con-
ISOLATION

"Talk about your chronic Jail birds,
observed the desk sergeant at central
police station, basking in the alleged
fragrance of a, spurious cigar. there
comes the prize package of them all.
She's in Jail more days in the year
holidays included-and creates more
genuine fun for the inmates than any
man or woman that ever saw the in
side of the patrol wagon. That wo-
mans got them all faded--yes, sir
faded"
At this juncture a short, lean, gaunt
and wrinkled little old woman about
so years old staggered through the door
from the patrol wagon and stood with
arms al1imbo gazing contemptuously at
the desk sergeant until an officer took
her arm and started to escort her
toward the desk.
Don't you touch me, sir! I'm a
lady--d'ye comprehend? Where's yer
American manhood, that you'd lay
your horny hand on tn arm NV lady?
Shame on vel"
But the officer winked merrily at the
desk sergeant and the desk sergeant
passed 1t on to the reporter.
"Yes that's Kittie, all right" said
the sergeant, laughing. "She can as
sumo more wounded dignity and get
off more real Malaprop English in less
time than any Arkansaw politician that
ever ran for office and got defeated.
She's wonder. Listen-she's screw
ing up her face now to tell us what
an exemplary woman she Is.
Woman Is Wealthy
The prophet of the big book spoke
wisely for just then Kitty Moore, the
little old lady with the tangled lexicon,
broke into the sergeant's conversation
with another "How dare you, sir! ana
gazed witheringly at the arresting OF
ficer as though he were a small-sized
nondescript desecrating the holy pres
ence of the queen of Tahoma.
"Take your hairy old hands off my
arm. YOU big brute! May the Lord
preserve us from such dogs OF the law!
The idea--arrestin' a poor old aged
woman for nothin' except happenin' to
be takin' a small swig for her STONE
ach's sake. Your jail amt full enough
now, is 1t? You have to send the whole
police force out to prosecute me, and
il | happen to lynn down in a quiet
alley, tryin' to snatch small bit O.
innocent sleep, one O you big brutes
comes along and takes my mite o.
brandy from me and then subjects me
to the indignity of bein arrested. Go
away, you beast! How dare your"
kitty, we are awfully afraid you
are drunk again. This is the sixth
time In the last month we've had to
put you in the refrigerator. Tess UP,
now; haven't you been drinking?
Admits Drinking
Drinking? OF course I've been
drinking. Amt I an American lady?
Wasn't / born and bred under the
Stars and Stripes and amt any law
abidin', decent and honorable lady OF
self respect got a right to drink all
she wants to without one o. you big
bloats havin' her sent into that dirty
old jail-hole? For shame on you'll"
Nov, Kitty, honestly, aren't you a
bit drunk?" asked the desk sergeant,
patronizingly.
Drunk? Surprising 1 am drunk?
I'm q lady, l tell you, and whose BUSH
ness is 1t IL l drown my sorrows in a
swig o. brandy? How dare you-take
your good-for- nothin' old paw off Of
my arm I'll have you understand that
can walk alone, If have been
drinkin'."
But at that moment Kitty stepped on
one of her skirts, which had nearly
fallen off, and fell against the desk
sergeant's window She Immediately
recovered her balance, however, and in
a moment twisted her face into a we'll
feigned expression of mingled scorn
and pity. The officers who had gath
cred about her seemed to Kitty as so
many insignificant pigmies that should
be forever relegated from her gaze.
She stood in their midst slender and
less than five feet tall, clad In dirty,
mud-soiled black dress that appeared
to be of the vintage of antebellum
days, threadbare and exceedingly large.
Hair Streaked with Gray
Her hair, streaked with gray, had
once been of a reddish yellow tinge,
and now was streaming down in tan
gled, matted hanks over her forehead
and ears. A picture of degraded wo-
manhood, topped off by a crude black
straw hat, torn and dirty, which hung
down on the side of her head, resting
on her right ear, in which latter there
was a promise of springtime, when
the robin roosts again"
kitty is only one of the regular Wis
itors here,'' said the desk sergeant.
Most of them can be depended on to
come back about once month on the
average-but Kitty little oftener."
At that moment, amid showers of
belittling glances that were distributed
1mpartially between the reporters and
the various loungers and officers, the
jailer attempted to take Kitty's arm
again and lead her off to the familiar
"durance vile," but again Kitty's re-
serve of artificial pride asserted itself
and, drawing herself to her full height,