The Washington herald., 1909-07-27
IncOnsOlable When Women
Prisoner Is Set Free.
PATHETIC TALE OF FRIENDS
Jail a Refuge from Cares of World
and Her Mind Becomes Unbalanced.
Freedom SOt to Her Liking-FeIine
Becomes DiscOnsOIate and Refuses
60 Make New Friends.

as developed WDen MaBl~~-
in the YorRviHe Police CourS,- committed
Charlotte Graether TO Bellevue h2spitai
fol observation as TO her mental eoadl-
ton.
Life in the district prisons OF this city
is usually very prosaic, very monotonous,
and devoid Of sentiment, but the story OF
Charlotte and Rubin has in it pathos. SEN
timent. and tragedy. Charlotte was
woman who voluntarily underwent five
years Of Imprisonment. and Rubin was
cat that died oGta broken heart when
Charlotte left the prison.
Perhaps II Charlotte had been allowed
TO continue her life OF imprisonment there
would have been no necessity OF sending
her 20 the hospital. for there is a suspi-
con that separation from prison life so
affected her mind that her friends thought
II prudent 10 place her under medical
care.
II was three weeks ago that the woman
left The prison connected with the York
Vile Police Court. Most people are filed
with happiness at leaving prison. Not SO
Charlotte, although a place had been OBJ
tanned for her where she was 20 do light
housework. She seemed to have misglv-
lngs that she was leaving happiness be-
hind her and mournfully bade farewell 10
Mrs. Lynch. the warden's wife.
Bids Farewell To Cat.
As she was about to leave she asked
permission 70 go back 20 the dormitory
once more to say good-by 70 her Rubin. a
blend OF maltese and tiger cat. She pat
ted her pet with many endearing phrases
and seemed 20 leave It with a heavy
heart
Rubin was born IN the prison on Inde-
pendence Day year ago and never knew
any home except the one behind iron
bars. a strong attachment developed be-
tween the woman prisoner and the animal
that never saw the sunshine except IN the
mornings, when the suns rays darted be-
tween two buildings TO the east OF the
prison and entered through the bars OF
the women's dormitory windows.
on such clOudless mornings the shaft OF
sunshine fell on the iron cot OF Charlotte,
which was on the westerly side OF the
durmintOry. II was here that Rubin usu-
ally lay curled Up on the bed covering at
the time OF the suns visit and got his
only experience Of the bright world out
side OF prison walls.
"Ah. sweetheart, You're too lazy 10
catch mice when the sun shines"' Char
lotte would say as She stroked pussy's
head and back.
Rubin would purr IN great conteutment
and stretch out his paws and unsheath
and sheath HIS sharp claws and look UP
into his friends face as though anxious
20 express his satisfaction.
rrrTr~ fr
whom the cat was az Ell friendly. She
shared her meals with the animal and at
night the cat slept upon her bed when
not mouse-huntiug The friendship start
ei when. as d kitten. Rubin's mother one
day spTang through a barred window and
made her escape 10 the big outside world
and never returned. Charlotte adopted
the prison orphan and named him Rubin.
I had a German girl for a chum once
that / thought a good deal of. Her name
was Ruby She told me the German OF IL
was Rubin" the woman explained when
she named the cat. That was before she
learned that pussy was Of a different sex.
Rubin knew that he had a good friend
In the woman prisoner, as, indeed. he had,
and so began that association that has
been the gossip of the prison for months
With every one else IN the prison the cat
81
or tried TO pet him he would seek refuge
under q bed or in q closet and from his
hiding place hiss defiance. He would fol-
low Charlotte about the dormitory and
into other parts Of the prison when she
was engaged m work. II she sat down 20
do some sewing. pussy would jump into
her lap and play with the cloth she was
working upon.
Charlotte and Cat HaDDv
And Charlotte seemed 70 be happy with
her cat as the cat was with her. What
mattered it that iron bars hemmed them
in and there was no egress except by
turning a big key IN a big lock by due
process Of law? Their prison was a pal
ace according 20 their way Of thinking.
After Charlotte's departure Rubin be-
came dlscOnsOlate. His grief grew so
great that the warden and his STAFF and
the women prisoners took notice OF IT,
When Il strange woman took possession
OF the absent ones bed Rubin abandoned
the only place he had slept In since HIS
mother left him. No amount OF coaxing
on the part Of the strange woman could
win his friendship.
For several nights he wandered through
the corridors in search Of his lost COM
panion, meowing at intervals as If calling
to the missing one. He would go along
the tier Of cells. stop in front of each
irOn-barred door. and emit a Meow
that aroused the sleeping prisoner inside.
Scat, SCati" would come from the
sleepy prisoner and a shoe orFsome other
article would come hurtling against the
bars. The cat would go on In his quest,
skipping a few cells and then again stop
ping at others. Down the corridor 10 the
ground floor and then over TO the mems
cells Rubin went seeking his fellow-pris-
oner. until the truth seemed 70 come TO
him that she whom he sought had gone
cut OF his life
Other cats make new friends when they
lose the old ones, but this prison cat
would not do So He refused to accept
the food offered by the women prisoners
who took pity on his distress. He lost his
sleepy appearance and became slabsided.
Grief and lack Of nourishment caused his
death on Tuesday.
Died of Broken Heart.
"He Just died Of a broken heart. the
poor thing. Who would think that of a
cat. now2" was the way a woman prls-
oner expressed Il.
Charlotte's history was mostly a mys-
terry to Warden Lynch and the prisoners.
Most Of the magistrates knew her as an
woman, for they have good
neturedly committed her repeatedly at
her own request when her terms Of i'm
prisonment would expire. She was con-
tented in a prison: more so than she
would be out in the world, as she fire.
auently explained From the workhouse
she was sent to the various district pris-
ons as a ''trusty." serving her last six
months term in the Yorkville Prison.
She was a willing worker. quiet in man
ner, and not much given to talking She
was never quarrelsome and did not in
dulge In grumbing. From what little she
told about herself Il was learned that she