The Washington times., 1930-10-20
CHAPTER 8

Polack Annie could not for
get her man. The long hours
In the detention cell made her
grief no more bitter, but gave
her more time to think. With
the blood Of her breed, the
heritage Of generations that
had been knouted and herded
and raviShed and robbed, she
was more orientated to feeling
than to thinking. But here
she was, where she had to
think or sleep. and she couldn't
sleep.
She was thrown in with
other women, in nearby trans
sounding cells, who made the
days raucous and the nights
hideous. Hoph e a.dS S, street
walkers, thieves consorts, a
hysterical chambermaid who
had strangled her illegitimate
baby, q mulatto wench who
who had badgered a State
senator, the female product OF
the dregS and the drugs and
the yeggs and the thugs of a
metropolis.
tron, was as sympathetic as
might be asked for. A husky,
not unhandSome woman, she
could be kind and she could be
brutal. Her blacksmith arms
could enfold or could knock
cold. She was a civil service
employe, but she knew hel
politics. Four Of her six
brothers were coppers. and the
other two worked in City Hall.
Goldie Gorio was to her a big
shot. And Polack Annie was
her star boarder. , .o
There, tn ere, child" sne
said consolingly as she brougnt
her good-looking red-halred IN
mate her, supper, sent for from
the outside and paid for from
the outside, 1T ain goin' to
get YOU nowheres, cryin' them
pretty eyes out. They never
convict women for m ur er;
cert'nly not women with your
looks, an least of all, with the
inflooence you got-so-
"Oh, it amt that" sobbed
Annie, The rap is boloney.
It's the Kid I'm cryin' over.
I fell for him after I thought
I never could fall for a man
that way. An they got him
after I got to love him, an
they got him becus I loved
him.
Gave Him the Works
The matron slid her brawny
arm around the slender girl.
well, you'll meet him above,
in a happier place" she
breathed. Pray an have
faith"
"They didn't even give him
q chance to confess-to have
a priest" wept Anne. "They
gave him the works from
acrost the street-an' on a
Sund'y. All on account O. me.
An he was even goin' to
marry me, ne was that sweet
an square. But We never
could let 60 of each other long
enough when we were TO-
gether for that"
The matron patted her.
1T was the only happiness I
ever had. Them few months was
heaven. Ever since I was born
for no reason I could ever figger
out never had no life like
other girls. My oil man was
killed blowin' a safe. My OF
lady stole to feed me. She was
a terrible stew an half the time
she was in the hooSegow an me
an my three sisters an one
brother parhandled or starved.
/ grew up on the streets an in
the alleys. Boys an men was
maxim a play for me ever since
I can remember, even when I
was in romperS. There's some
thin about red hair, matron,
that makes men go cookoo.
We'll. bein' exposed the way
was, don know why didn't
give in sooner. They say my Of
lady come Of a pretty good
family. an maybe I had streak
from her. She come from Po-
lish dukes or somethin', but she
ran away with my father, who
brought her over here. I was
born in Cleaver Street, an born
honest, at that they was mar
ried two weeks then. When I
was eight I was runnin' the
pail for beer. an fightin' buns
an bartenders to get out again.
Thrown Into Asylum
when I was thirteen, ma
got a stretch as a habitual. The
kids was thrun in an orphan
asylum, but I hid out. I hiked
to Milwaukee, where I had an
uncle. thought he'd give me
p'tection. He did-great. When
1 crawled out o. his house one
mornin' at four. after I'd
Drained him with a chair as
soon as I come to an found
enough stren'th again. I knew
tie If you know What I mean"