The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1860-11-24
thought, for a moment, that was in q

Lesser PandemoEium.
At single rap tn
door opened, and there stood before us
negro more hideous in his ugliness anc
more terrible in his appearance than / car
describe. A mingling Of what one reads
of Fagan and Bill Sykes; combination o
craft and OF sensuality; brutalized ides
OF vulgar Shylock, and an inhuman bully
! Well, lobe, said our guide, how are
you tonight: and how are your wives 2
| Pretty well, thank you, sir," he re-
sponded, bowling and pointing to q corner
where, on single pallet, with an unoccu
pied space between, lay two ,0hite females
who had once been women and now were
brutes
y
| The lieutenant at this station kindly
threw open the door. of the iod ging
! rooms, and of the cells for prisoners taken
up during the night In one of these
| rooms we counted fourteen women-home-
less and friendless creatures, who had
there sought shelter Some were asleep.
and those who walked drew their shawls
over their bare heads TO avoid the gaze Of
their visitors. One held ia her arms a
child, about two years old, whose little
pale face and attenuated limbs Indicated
that the sands Of ts lie were fast running
out, and that Providence intended TO res
cue it from the fate Of the poor wretches
around it
Outside OF this small and close cell, on
benches, were stretched other women
y Not few OF their couuteHsnces showed
past beauty Of no ordinary character
The black, glossy hair OF one. her white
teeth, and her finely ch:seled features were
evidence that young az she was, sh. had
TAINTED her brief day az queen among
her class But >he. too, wa not long tor
this life
Al the end Of the corridor was a room
somewhat larger, occupied by the men
lodsers. Here the degradation wa more
apparent The bruised and bloated faces.
the ,hoele,- feet. the ti!,h and the no!sOme
smell that exha.ed from their bodice. ere
atei d - usat.ou Of iGIcscriJ-Lis nause..
The: we-" packed IN Ike herring. all,
without exception. the victims OF drink
and it, l;teud.nr vices and crimes
Down stairs were the cells IN which the
prisoners of The night gere yonthed-s-u-
tenced OF Earjya, charge some Tor drunk
eDne7- and o;h-r- for ,he:; and burglary.
ON one Of the hard pajl.-:= q woman VA
reposing She rou~ei uP at our approach
and began - weep and moan ~ the most
heart -reniiug m,urer.
The majority OF tne guilty and the poor
seemed TO be male bat the proportion Of
females was lriGhtiu!iy large.
The adventures o! these UGtJ.tGE .,c-
would ,Iru.-h = -tsriliug commentary up
on the scarcity oi female employment. and
th- .nai~luaev Of female wages Attract
Ell to Neo York, they rua a bTi-: career.
after a. brief u resistance 10 the allure
u.ents oF vice. and die an carly death
The history OF Young ci.l from 4 4 adj
iaceut VILLAGE ~I- told 10 u. Sac Wa eX-
tTsmaly lovely. bu,, fond VI dress and All
miratior. Wa induce! o. one occasion -
pay a yi-.t % New \ Nor., ty i man who
REPRESENTED himself - a merchant ahd
proved To Le gambler >he never re
turned - her hsupy home, uut became -.
.nmaJ. Oi ono oi .Gc Mercer stIert houses.
where she remained ior some two ycar-
A. the eaG u; this time she cont..vei to
save some fifteen hundred dollars, suI
then received % change ler coGs-o IA III,
and 70 live upon her Little fortune At
this moment the tsinpter again appeared,
in the person Of her seducer. she loved
him ardentiy. and, with wOnlans ceaii-
ience. surrendered 10 hi9 keeping her mo-
ncy, on the promise that 1t should be re-
pad FIVE fold. She never saw him more.
and now, sad the officer she : almost
a nightly occupant Of one Of our celis
When We left our ho..i. carly i'll tho
ereniug Broadway. N q bright moonlight
WAS crowded Win !ootla--er ce!, The
street Ma eoy,rsI.',itn CARING. and ye-
h;cles OF all allGe-cription- Streams ot light
poured from gay stores. and JOY aud COIN
fort seemed 10 .bouud When ~ return
ell that vast thorourh:are wa deserted and
quiet The contrast between the close and
sitting all-ys we had left, and tins spien-
did avenue, stretching for miles through
the heart Of that great metropolis vas
strangely suggestive How Jew q! those
who Haunted on Broadway cared for their
human brojheT- and sisters. VcrI-Gluc with
in five minutes walk Beyond, and in the
aristocrat;c portion Of the city. in The Fifth
avenue-where, for some miles, stretch
lOrdiv palaces, crowded with luxurious
adornmrn,s, and occupied by those whose
wants are anticipated aud whose tastes VI
tiatcd bv an excess OF wealth, there L. a
criminal Indifference to the suffering poor