The Washington herald., 1909-08-04

What shall be done with Ada CROSSE
Ada has been a problem since she was
in her teens A product OF the Washing
ton slums. half her young life has been
passed behind the bars. Much OF that
time she has been under physical re-
straint For no short period-it seemed
an age 10 Ada-she was confined in a
dungeon That was In the Moundsville
penitentlary. To-day. an inmate Of St
Elizabeths, she is kept under control by
means OF handouts, which permit only
partial freedom OF her arms and hands.
Ada Cross hands have more than once
been stained with human blood. An In
corrigIble child, she became a wanton in
girlhood. and developed into an habitual
criminal. The authorities at Moundsville
have pronounced her "criminally insane. ."
and will not keep her. So she is In the
custody OF the Government Hospital FOR
the Insane-lmown as St Elizabeth
vigilantly guarded. But she is not in
sane. She is simply vicious. depraved
little black product OF the slums, whose
brief life has been one long-drawn-out
story Of sin and crime and suffering
There is evidently a slight element OF
good in her-a very slight element. which
never had any cultivation on he. part
for yesterday. crouched on a cot in her
little room. and toying with the steel
cuffs about her wrists. she spoke in a
crudely affectionate way about her
mother. who had been out to see her. and
said frankly, at amt my folks fault
that I wasn't a good girl"
Then, in a half-sad. naive manner. IN
response to questioning. she gave q blunt
recital Of her wrongdolng.
ssss
When she was only fourteen years old
that was fourteen years ago-Ada had
a lover older than herself. and he quar-
relied with her because she went 70
dance south OF the Avenue with another
colored fellow lie not only quarreled.
but struck her 10 the face. This aroused
Ada's vicious ire. and she stabbed him
In the side lie almost died. Ada was
locked ~.
1T was Jest a little knife" said Ada,
indicating with her fingers the length OF
a couple OF inches.
While Ada was IN the reform school
for incorrigibles. or some other institu-
ton. under a sentence Of a year and
eleven months, her lover recovered. got
caught stealing, and was sent 10 prison
for a term OF years. upon completing
which he returned and soon died a nat
mal death. Ada meanwhile gained Ter
freedom and grew IN wantonnoss. Size
resumed the hayward. depraved ne be-
low the avenue. One night a house was
robbed In South Washington-it was q
good haul-and Ada was one OF tho cul-
prits. She was arrested. and on account
OF her bad record was given the max
imum penalty Of twenty years at
Moundsvile.
Behind prison walls she was tractable
enough. save for occasional outbursts Of
temper, until Lucy Hawkins. another
young Washington negress, who drowned
her illegitmate baby in Anacostia River
became a fellow prisoner at Moundsville
Lucy, It seems, got on Ada's nerves. She
twitted Ada about her twenty years. SEN
tence. Ada scornfully retorted that she
never drowned a baby. Thus they kept
up a belilgerent attitude toward each
other as the months dragged along. One
day when Lucy Hawkins sentence was
about expiring. she twitted Ada again
about her long servitude. Lucy was com
ing back 10 Washington. Ada must stay
and finish her twenty years. They were
employed sewing, and each had a pair
OF scissors hanging by a cord from her
neck. Ada made her usual retort: Il