The , Omaha Sunday Bee
FEATURES
MAGAZINE
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VOL. 51 NO. 25.
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By ELLA FLEISHMAN.
"The law" in petticoats!
No longer do minions of the
law start forth with a hitch of
"galluses," a tighter pull on the
revolver holster and maybe a chew
of "tobcer."
They are just as apt to start out
by powdering their noses, careful
ly adjusting their, veils or tilting
their hats to a more ; becoming
angle.
For
Omaha, alone, boasts 10 regular
ly appointed women law enforce
ment officers, equipped with police
stars, authority 'n everything
There is, one in Lincoln, too
Mrs. Gertrude Thompson, deputy
state iheriff to Gus Hyers.
Twenty years ago, who'd have
thought it? Nobody but cartoon
ists and humorous writers, or those
few far-visioned women largely
responsible for bringing it about.
But take a survey today of the
centers where the law hold forth
police station,' county jail and "
court, and the federal court. ; " ."
: Women Everywhere.
Women, women everywhere.
Omaha even has a policewoman,
Mrs. ilargaret Ormsby, sister-in-law
6 Chief of Police Dempsey.
Of course she doesn't walk a beat
with a cap and a "billy' club. Her
cap is apt to be a "mighty fetch
ing" ionnet, and her only weapon,
the hatpin adjunct thereto. But
her authority is there just the
same. ' '''.' '
Talk about attractive "officers."
Mrs. Frank Bandle bids fair to
lead them all in "class," with Miss
Florence Moore, deputy clerk in
the federal building, runner-up as
fashion 'mentor. "
Silk hose, georgette , blouses,
manicured finger nails and femi
nine charter replace the familiar
"flat-foot" characterization for of
ficers of the law.
And they don't interfere with ef
ficiency either.
How inhumane it seems, that
women, sometimes genteel , and
carefully nurtured, were placed in
the care of officers hardened by
long contact with depraved charac
ters. That a woman's hand or
kindly word of sympathy was
nlver stretched to ' break a rebel
lious, insolent spirit, at last heart
frightened and sick.
This work now is being done at
A Plethora of Chicken Livers Men
aces Their First Dinner in
Naples.
"I won't ride behind that horse!"
.flamed Helen, as the cab Warren
had signaled drew up to the curb.
A volley of protesting Italian
from the dirver, who sensed her ob
jection. "It's cruel to drive such a horseT
stroking the pathetic, starved ani
mal, that, divining her sympathy,
turned its head. "Dear, can't we
do something?"
"What can we . do?" shrugged
Warren. "We can't even speak the
language and that horse is no
worse than most of 'em,"
"Tomorrow I'll find out H there's
a humane society here. Helen was
still stroking the scrawny neck. "It
there is I'm going to contribute."
"Well, just now we're going to
get dinner. Here comes another
cab."
"That horse is just as bad! Td
rather walk and we may see a
taxi."
But a little farther on they hailed
a cab with a better looking horse.
. "Via Roma," instructed Warren
a they got in.
"No nor Helen tugged at the
driver's coat tail as he whipped up
a steep hill. "Don t do that!"
With a shrug at the idosyncrasies
e4 Americans, he replaced the whip.
tm
the city jail by Mrs. Ella .Gibbons,
police matron, and Mrs. Ormsby;
at the woman's detention hospital
by Miss Grace Pierce; at the coun
ty jail by Mrs. Ella Johnson and in
juvenile court by Miss Esther
Johnson and Mrs. Bandle.
Other women officers are Mrs.
E. W. Johnson, dance hall inspec-
tor, Miss Helen Eaton, chief of
the sales tax department of the in
ternal revenue department and Miss
Grace Bcrger, chief deputy county
. clerk. , .
Mrs. Johnson is the woman
"copper" perhaps best known to
the night life of the city. That
is because of her nightly rounds
of all public dance halls in the city.
But though she is armed with a
police badge, it seems an anomaly
to designate this motherly-appearing
person as "copper," even if
her presence is enough to quell any
'incipient trouble, according to
dance ball managers. i ,
"We know she's our friend."
That's the testimony of bob
haired "flappers": and the more
sophisticated sisters with dark,
tired lines under their eyes and a
harsh laugh besides alike fre
quenters of public dance halls.
The sight of Mrs. Johnson
makes the girls "watch their step"
in more ways than one and woe
be to the man who tries a wicked
"shimmy" while Mrs. Johnson is
on the floor.
Rescues Many Girls.
' She has rescued many young
girls from compromising situations, -
- returned many runaways to their
homes; besides inducing married
women to go back to their deserted
homes and babies.
Miss Eaton's work is quite dif
ferent as head of the "nuisance"
Uax department.
But this job doesn't make her a
nuisance quite to the contrary,
she is the most valuable woman in
the internal revenue department,
. say those who have had govern
ment business with her.
"Nuisances" . are all the penny
addendums, taxes on movie tickets,
theater tickets, ice cream sodas,
face powders and toilet creams, the
- bugbears of . the late war. Miss
Eaton has had charge of the im
portant task of collecting this coin
for Uncle Sam, ever since the de
partment was instituted.
"You'll have a job reforming all
the cabmen in Naples," grunted
Warren. Don't like to see horses
abused any more than you but
what can we do here?"
"We can make them understand
we won't' take their cabs if their
horses look so 'wretched. If every
body did that it would help a lot."
"Jove, you get a good view of
Vesuvius from herel" when they
reached the hill. The old girl's act
ing up a bit," for the twilight sky
v p black with smoke from the
after..
"I wonder if he's taking ns right,"
worried Helen, as they turned into
a narrow street.
.Probably not He'll take us a
roundabout way to boost his fare.
That's part of the game of trimming
Americans."
Through narrow streets of dingy
shops, the dusty windows cluttered
with moulds of cheese,- strings of
garlic, and gayly labeled cans and
wine bottles.
"It's along here somewhere,"
when they finally turned into the
Via Roma. "Guess we'd better get
out," Warren nudged tbev driver with
his cine. '
Whatever his tip, a Naples cab
man is never satisfied. They walked
off, leaving him grumbling over
Warren's generous fee.
"Dear, it was on the other side
MAGAZINE
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citi aeretiTiotz
ho9bira.l respond to
Rittdfy cttv of Miss. Grace Pterce :
. If there's a "comeback" to the.:
collector of internal revenue, he re
fers the disgruntled" taxpayer to
Miss Eaton.
Another "officer" in the federal
building is Miss, Moore, for near
ly 25 years deputy in the office
of, clerk of the federal court. She
knows more . about bankruptcy
proceedings, the issuing of
capiases, commitments, the fixing
of bonds and the impaneling of
juries than many a practicing bar
rister, legal gentlemen admit
' Help Wayward Children.
Wayward girls and boys are the
the specialties of Miss Esther ,
Johnson, probation -officer of the ,
juvenile court, and her assistant,
Mrs. Bandle.
The girl who stays out late at
night, the boy who steals a bicycle
or robs a cash register come under
their kindly offices.
Whether the youngsters are
"hard-boiled" or not, they soon
"fess up" to these women, whose
understanding ' and insight ' give
them words' with which to inspire
the youthful offenders with confi
dence that the "officers" aim only
for their 'good. ,
. Marital wrangles, if they make
, the child's home surroundings im
proper; ' grandparents' claims on
children when one of the parents
- is dead, bad company, boy gangs
all - these, are problems " the two
must solve' each day. J
The Married Life of Helen and Warren
of the street. I'm sure of that."
"Huh, you've a fine bump of loca
tion. It's this side right up there."
' The restaurant with the green
hedge . and sidewalk . tables had
looked attractive as they drove by
that morning, but a nearer view was
less inviting,
Settled at an outdoor table, War
ren took up the blurred,' violet-inked
menu.
"Great Guns, how're we going to
make this out? Hard enough to read
if it were English. Well, at least we
can order wine," for the wine list on
the back was clearly printed. "Hello,
here's Lacrimae Christi that's the
famous Naples wine. Jove it's cheap
only eight lire." . .
' A head waiter in a soiled dress
coat came out, beamingly effusive.
His -English limited to a very few
words', the ordering -was most dif
ficult. -,
"What about your soups?". War
ren was struggling . with the illus
trated items under "Zuppee." Min
estrae,' No, that's too heavy just a
clear consomme."
"Macaroni Nepoletana? Ver nice."
the waiter pointed it out on the card.
TDear, I'd rather have spaghetti
macaroni's 'so coarse. And with to
mato -sauce not that meat sauce."
"Two spaghetti with tomato
sauce." wdered Warren. "Savee?
Hold on, a bottle of this," pointing to
OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 4,
Bersfetr, chief depu-fy
COUtlft
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'other "M . - ,
Mother
Mrs. Ella John it the friend of .
girls committed to the county jail, r
It is "Mother" John who com
forts women in the first hysterical
moments after their incarceration,
who sympathizes with them, who "
sits by their side, in , the court
room and who frequently inter-
cedes in thpir behalf with ' the
judge.
At the recent wholesale arraign.-
ment before . . Federal Judge
Woodrough, one girl who seemed '
Lacrimae Christi on the wine list.,
"And some butter 'burro'," sup
plemented Helen. "They never bring
butter unless you ask for it. And I
wonder if I could have a footstool?"
"Now s?e here, if we get some
thing to eat we'll do well. How in
blazes d'you expect me to ask for a
footstool?"
From the different set of grease
spots on the coat of the waiter who
brought their soup, Helen knew he
was' the third so far.
"Dear, this doesn't look like con
somme. What's in it, anyway?"
"Everything but the pot Holy
Smoke, what's this?" spooning from
the bottom of his soup plate a slice
of fried bread on which were two
poached eggs.
"It's a whole meal! If we eat this"
we won't want anything else."
Whatever may be said of Neapoli
tan restaurants, the portions are cer
tainly generous. Helen was stagger
ed by the heaping platter of spagh
etti. 1
"Oh, why do they serve so much?
And it's chicken liver sauce," dis
mayed, knowing Warren's aversion
to chicken livers. "Yon TOLD him
tomato H
"Take what-we can get," grimly.
"Can't be so blamed particular when
you don't speak the language. Ah,
that's the real thing!" tasting the
RINEHART
bound for a two-year sentence in
the women's reformatory at Jeffer
son City, Mo., got 90 days instead,
with the stipulation that the time
she already had passed . in the
county jail be included in the sen
tence. . i ' ,
New Hold on Life.
. "She was a good girl at heart
and I asked the judge to give her
a chance."
It was with fear and trembling
that she ventured to suggest this
amber colored wine. "That makes
up for'a whole lot 1"
"Lacrimae Christi," Helen exam
ined the label. , "Why, doesn't that
mean Tears of Christ? You
wouldn't" think they'd use that for
the name of a wine!" ' .
Here a decrepit old beggar, lean
ing on a stick, halted at their table.
- "Dear, give him something. He's
really old."
"Give to one and you'll have the
whole gang after you." Warren
thrnst some coppers into the grimy,
withered hand.
Within the next half hour they
were importuned by three more
beggars.
A man with a tray of coral and
tortoise shell persisted until he sold
Helen a string of white coral for
twenty, lire, after first asking eighty.
, "Probably worth ten," grunted
Warren. Why d'you buy of these
fakirs? Do better in a regular shop.
Well, 111 not fill up on spaghetti,"
pushing back the still heaped plate.
"Let's, see. what we can figure out
in these entrees." . .
"Braciola di Vitello veal ver"
nice." recommended the waiter.
"Oh, dear, not veal I We've had
nothing else since were been here."
"I'm not keen abont it either.
What's this next dish?"
"Ver nice veal and and what
1921.
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1 V&s.tlla Gibbons posts
As police matron calls
for quick actio ft
to , the judge, "Mother" John ad
mits, "but I had to do it or my
conscience would bother me,", she
, stated. 7
"Take a new hold of yourself;
go 'to school in the reformatory,
you call? TomatI" '
"Veal! Veall Veal I" resented
Helen. "You 'can't get away from
ill" '
"Seems not,? 'with a shrug. "I've
picked it three times running."
This -man .at the next table
whafstha,t he's eating? Dear, ask
him." . '
"Guess we can do our own order
ing," scowled Warren, always averse
to seeking information from strang
ers. "Here's - something 'polio
that's chicken. Don't know how it's
cooked, but we'll take a chance."
"Si, si, ver nice," assented the
waiter, eager to be off.
Warren's disgust was comic when,
a little later, he was confronted with
a large dish of chicken livers saute.
"Oh, dear, it's too badl" knowing
how he disliked them. - "I wanted
you to ask that man what he had.
He'd have shown you on the menu."
"Now, I'll do my own ordering,
even if I do get stung. Why the
Sam Hill don't they have head
waiters -who speak English? Don't
even print their menus so you can
tead em all smeared up with that
confounded purple ink."
"Here's an omelet." She had
taken up the card. "That's always
safe."
"You can't tell what kind," War
ren glowered at the disconcerting
n
if
Ok' ' V.' i-
poHceutoman. presents .
i, r . Vifipftvm te&chiti&coairt.
' s HEYN PHOTO
study some course or learn some
trade so that when you come out
: you can hold your head as high as
. any one,", she admonishes prison
ers, '
It is encouraging to note how
this appeal touches hidden springs
of pride in drug-laden beings, hpw
the lacjk-luster eyes begin to show
a faint sparkle and the sugges
tion of reawakened , will . power
comes to life. ' ,
"Mother" John has a heart and
soul big enough to take in all the
poor wrecks of girlhood. She is
a great-grandmother really. Her
great-grandchild is the infant
daughter , of Harry McDonald,
county jailer. .. .
Similar to "Mother" John's du
ties, but calling for more rapid
judgment and quicker action, and
for stricter demands in the way of
discipline, . are the posts of Mrs.
Ella Gibbons, police matron at the
city jail, and that of Miss Grace
Pierce of the city detention hos
pital? i.
hi matron in charge of the lat
ter derelicts, most of them drug
addicts and affected with social
diseases, Miss Pierce's lot is a
particularly trying one. '
Respond to Kindness.
"But the girls respond to kind
ness, naturally suspicious lot
though they are," said she, "and
that. helps a lot."
words . that preceded "omeletta."
"But guess they can't do much to
eggs." ,
"Just order it for you, dear. I'll
eat few of these chicken livers
it's a shame to waste them."
Always- feeling responsible when
their dinners were not a success, ner
vously she tried to bridge the wait
that followed. But Warren sat back,
glumly unresponsive.
At last the omelet arrived. Horri
fied, - Helen stared I A chicken liver
omelet! With Italian generosity it
was stuffed with chicken livers, liber
ally garnished with chicken livers, and
swimming in brown chicken liver
sauce. '
"Must think we like 'em." was
Warren's grim comment "Haven't
they anything but chicken livers in
this damned dump?" Where in blazes
do they get enough chickens to
keep up the supply?"
"Dear, I'm so sorry I Wait TU
pick out some of the omelet part"
When the waiter came to dear
their table, he stared questioningly
at the various dishes of chicken Ov
ers almost untouched.
"Yes, take 'em an," Warren waved
them away. "Only safe thing to order
here is dessert They can't ring in any
chicken livers on that!"
"Here's Zabaglione," ventured
Helen. "We had k at that Italian res
TEN CENTS
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51
,.u!Qhtisoti ,
w tux fen
fop"m public- 1
ills'
Under the orderly routine and
healthful occupation given them at
the home, many of them respond
, to better inner traits and develop
will power enough to express tha
wish for a different life, Misa
Pierce reports.
"Once outside, k is the return
to old friends and environments
that quicken their downfall. It'
depressing, even to a genial na
ture like my own," Miss Pierea
admits, "but once in a while when
; one ease results happily, it buoya
us up to a new hope and pride." :
Mrs. Ormsby is the buffer for
the girl cases which Miss Pierca
and Mrs. John have to deal with
later. Her job is to reach the way
ward young girl as soon as ha
gets into trouble, but before she
gets into court, ?with its attend
" ant publicity.
' "Our aim is to do preventive
J' work" and halt necessity of the
' remedial work of other agencies,"
- said Mrs. Ormsby. "Many timet
we have been able to save girls
from the stigma of a court ap
, pearance." .
Highest Salaried Woman.
Her office, for more privacy, it
. not even tin connection with the
city jail proper, but with the Hu
mane society suite. - ' ; i
Miss Grace Berger, highest) sal
aried woman on the Douglas
,.' county pay roll completes the list
of -women officers. For her
knowledge 'of county business as
chief deputy clerk, she easily viea
with the county superintendenta
themselves.
Perhaps the only department in .
v which there is no woman help,
except for office work, is that of
the federal prohibition enforce
ment office.
"It isn't because I don't know
that women sleuths can do good
work, but I would not be the one
to assign a woman to that kind
of duty," said Director U. S. Roh
rer, gallantly. "While other wom
en officers come ' in contact with
' all - kinds, of persons, my agents
deal largely with the criminal
class." , '' , -
' But Rohrer admits the above
reflects only his personal senti-
mtfnts in the matter.
"There is no ruling against it
so far as I know," he said.
Who knows then but what the
woman booze sleuth may soon
join her sister officers?
taurant at home. Just custard whip
ped up with Marsala wine. It ought
to be good here."
After scowling at the other blurred
items under "Dolci," Warren ordered
the Zabaglione, and again sat back
in glum silence to await develop
ments. .
"It looks' delicious,' Helen welcom
edjheiall glasses of golden froth.
'Not bad." Warren was dispatch
ing it in large spoonfuls.
In a more genial mood, he'Y",'
cigar and ordered an Ainsette J
dial.
That Zabaglione helped out a
lot," using a saucer for an ash tray.
'Guess we can dub 'along until
breakfast even if we did draw a
few blanks."
"We needn't have if you'd asked
that man what he was eating. It
looked wonderful in that casserole
something with tomatoes and mush
rooms. : But you never will ask
anything! Next time I'll ask I
don't mind."
"No you won't 1" explosively. "I
feel enough of a boob not speaking
the lingo without your piping up
with a lot of fool questions. Untfl I
can bone up a few of these Italian
dishes we'll take what they band
out to us"
Next week A Florentine Episode,
(Coprrisht. 1M. br lUbet H.rtort
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