d the woman in front of a saloon
on Broadway on Saturday night. She had raised a great disturbance, was
fighting and brawling with men in the saloon, and the saloonkeeper put
her out. She used the foulest language, and with an awful threat struck
at the saloonkeeper with all her force. I then arrested her, took her to
the detention house, and locked her up." The saloonkeeper was called to
the witness stand, and said: "I know dis voman's vas making disturbance
by my saloon. She comes and she makes troubles, und she fights mit me,
und I put her de door oud. I know her all along. She vas pad vomans."
The judge turned to the trembling woman and said: "This is a pretty
clear case, madam; have you anything to say in your defense?" "Yes,
Judge," she answered, in a strangely calm, though trembling, voice:
"I am not guilty of the charge, and these men standing before you have
perjured their souls to prevent me from telling the truth. It was they,
not I, who violated the law. I was in the saloon last Saturday night,
and I will tell you how it happened. My husband did not come home from
work that evening, and I feared he had gone to the saloon. I knew he
must have drawn his week's wages, and we needed it all so badly. I put
the little ones to bed, and then waited all alone through the weary
hours until after the city clock struck twelve. Then I thought the
saloons will be closed, and he will be put out on to the street.
Probably he will not be able to get home, and the police will arrest him
and lock him up. I must go and find him, and bring him home. I wrapped
a shawl about me and started out, leaving the little ones asleep in bed.
And, Judge, I have not seen them since." She did not give way to tears,
for the worst grief can not weep. She continued: "I went to the saloon,
where I thought most like he would be. It was about twenty minutes
after twelve; but the saloon, that man's saloon"--pointing to the
saloonkeeper, who now wanted to crouch out of sight--"was still open,
and my husband and these two policemen were standing at the bar drinking
together. I stepped up to my husband and asked him to go home with me;
but the men laughed at him, and the saloonkeeper ordered me out. I said,
'No, I want my husband to go home with me.' Then I tried to tell him
how badly we were needing the money that he was spending; and then the
saloon-keeper cursed me, and told me to leave. Then I confess I could
stand no more, and said, 'You ought to be