A Wicked Servant
Item
- Title
- A Wicked Servant
- Source
- Daily Dispatch {VA}
- Date
- 1881-02-16
- page
- 1
- Identifier
- https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn84024738/1881-02-16/ed-1/?sp=1
- Crime
- Theft
- Subject
- Theft; Kleptomania; Abuse
- Gender of alleged offender
- Female alleged offender
- Gender of alleged victim
- Female alleged victim
- Stage of the Legal System
- Arrest
- Location
- Out-Of-State; 161 Morris Avenue; NY
- Length of story
- 583 words
- Description
- Charles. E. Crawford, a clerk, with his wife and daughter, thirteen years-old, reside at the corner of One-Hundred-and-Sixty-First Street at Morris Avenue. On the first of September last Mary Dooley, aged twenty, with good references, was employed as a house servant. A month afterward various articles of small valuables began to disappear. Jewelry and money were next missed. Search was made, and $1.50 was found wrapped up in some of the doll-clothes of Mr. Crawford’d daughter. Other articles were found in her doll’s trunk. She was accused of the theft, but denies it, and was severely punished by her parents. They desired her to confess what she had done, and to this end severely chastised her. To avoid further punishment, she had acknowledged that she had stolen all that was missed. Property continued to disappear, and the child was again accused. She again denied, but through fear of punishment again confessed. She said she had destroyed them. Her parents began to think she was of unsound mind. A physician was called, who called it kleptomania. The girl was watched, but property continued to disappear. On January 1st the bedclothing in the chamber of Ms. Crawford was set on fire, and nearly one hundred dollars’ worth of property was destroyed. The daughter was also accused of doing this, it being set down to insanity. To avoid punishment she confessed it. After this her hands were strapped to her sides. Still the robberies continued. On January 18th a fire broke out in the laundry of the house, which came near destroying the entire structure. After it was extinguished it was discovered that it had originated in a basket containing laundried clothes, part of which had been saturated with kerosene oil. This also was attributed to the insanity of the little girl. Her father feared that she would do injury to herself. He had made a belt for her and procuring a long chain, chained her to a staple in the wall of the living room during the day time, and at night to the post of her bed. Mary Dooley slept with her, to prevent her doing herself injury during the night. Early in February a lady called on Ms. Crawford. She laid aside her wraps, which consisted of a valuable fur-lined mantle, muff, and bonnet. When she looked for them they were gone. Search was made for them in vain. A detective was called in, and at length the cloak, muff, and bonnet were found concealed in the garret. That day the little girl was unchained, but went about the house with her arms bound to her sides. Upon being threatened with punishment, she confessed having placed them there. Shortly before this a case of razors had been stolen from Mr. Crawford’s drawer. The idea then struck Mr. Crawford to watch the servant girl. Detective Wilkins was consulted, and in due time a large quantity of clothing was found which was thought to have been burned during the fire in the laundry. Other stolen articles were there. Last night the servant was accused of the thefts, and setting the house on fire on the two mentioned occasions. She confessed, and said the greater part of the jewelry and valuables were at her home, where they were found by detectives. To-day Mary was arraigned in the Harlem Police Court, where only the charge of incendiarism was preferred against her. She was committed in default of $3,000 bail to await the action of the grand jury.
