Year: 1878

Dying of consumption in the Essex county jail at Newark, N. J., is female prisoner, whose sad history is, in large part, very like that of Tom Hoods cele- brated Bridge of Signs" She is thirty five years of age and is held on 8 charge of drunkenness and disorderly conduct.

 The story begins. fifteen years ago. At that time, residing upon one of the most fashionable streets of Newark, in a palatial residence, was Q gentleman of large means and the highest standing in the church and among business men. He bad four daughters, who had been brought up under the careful eye of a saintly mother. It is no figure of speech 10 say that all had been reared in the lap of luxury, and it was the general be- lief that the brightest of futures were in store for "the four graces," as the handsome sisters were called. In due time one of the lovely quartet married a r Newark business man. A second soon

 

 in the Fifth ward of Newark. A third if anything she was the handsomest and sweetest tempered of the batch-married 9 young bookkeeper.

 One day the young bookkeeper dis covered that his wife had begun to de- vote her attention to the bottle. He found her intoxicated. Heremonstrated, pleaded with his wife and prayed with her, but her promises of reform were made only to be broken. Again and again he came home from business only to find his wife stupid from excessive use of liquor. Finally her society be- came unbearable. His home had be- come hell upon earth ; his household gods devils. He procured divorce. He married after time, and is now in the full enjoyment of delightful home.

 The divorced wife went from bad to worse rapidly. She became frequente1 of unguilded palaces of sin." Saddest of all, she prevailed upon her youngest sister, who was still unmarried, to join her in the road to moral and physical ruin. The two passed along, hand in hand, into the valley of worse than the shadow of death-into the wilderness ol disgrace, shame and infamy. Theil friends and relatives tried their utmost to turn the erring ones aside, but thei efforts failed, and the two were aban' doned, at least for time. Frequently have they been arrested for brawling and drunkenness iD the streets. About g year ago their friends had them arrested and removed to the Inebriate Asylum or Wards Island. There they remained till October 1, when they were dis chraged.

 No sooner was she her own mistress than the younger sister entered low dive in New York as "a pretty waiter girl" She is there still. The other one went to Newark, but before she was there an hour she was arrested again ano thrown into the police cells, drunk Thence she was removed to the Esse1 county jail, where she is now nearing her end, being in the last stages of con- sumption. Possibly she may be removed to hospital, so as to be spared the dis grace of dying in @ prison. It is proper to say that the relatives and friends ot both poor wretches have exhausted every means to try and save their kinswomer from the terrible fates they have courted but, as set forth, all their efforts have proved futile. For the obvious reason of not wishing to add poignancy to tht family misfortune the names of the par ties are withheld.