The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-01-09
HiscellaMp.
LOST IN THE STREETS.


yolice heado uarters in the second story, on Null
berry street, is desk at which sits an old, rosy
checked. white headed police officer, named
NoWaters. MoWaters is famous in New York
He is the theatrical critic of the police depart
ment His opinion music and drama are of
weighty authority among members Of the force,
and like most critics, he is dogmatic and forcble.
But McWaters is at present known to fame ~
being the officer detailed by Inspector George
Dilks to take charge of department organized
in November, 1867, to supply great want, and
which is now in successful operation. This de-
partment is known as the Bureau for the Re-
covery of Lost Persons" Officer McWaters was
formerly in the City Hall precinct, under Cap
tains Theme and Bracket, and is very we'll 40
Quainted with the city, SO his services have been
made available in the now bureau.
MISSING MEN AND WOMEN.
The manner of investig cation in regard to a
missing relative or friend is as follows: As soon
"a person disappears from home, the nearest
relative, on learning of the missing person, goes
to police headquarters and makes application to
the missing bureau" for information. The age,
height, build, whiskers, if any, color last whom
seen, the habits and disposition of the person are
given to the inspectors, and Officer McWate
makes entries on his register, which he keeps for
that purpose, of all the facts. The personal de-
scription of the missing person is compared with
the returns made by the Norgue every twenty
four hours to the police inspectors. Should the
description answer TO the person found vt the
Morgue, word is at once sent to the relatives of
the joyful news. Besides this, another very
necessary precaution is taken to find the person
or persons missing. Cards are printed, five or
six hundred in number, and sent to all the police
officers special duty in the different netropol-
itan precincts, with instructions to the captains
to have his men make an active and energetic
search for the person.
THEORIES ABOUT LOST PEOPLE.
Over seven hundred people have been reported
missing to police headquarters during the past
twelve months OF this number the majority
have been found, it is believed, Is no record can
be kept of those who are not reported, when
found by their relatives or friends, to headquar-
tors. Occasionally person who reports some
one missing belonging to them, will give all tho
details about him, but if found refuse to give the
authorities, from sense of shame when dones.
tic difficulties have occurred in families, or from
laziness or sense of forgetfulness, the facts
Thus. all track is lost of those who have been
found unknown to the police, and accurate sta
tistcs are bathed in the matter of inquiry.
LOST CHILDREN.
Hundreds of "lost children" bear testimony to
the carelessness of mothers and nurses who are
mere intent other business, when their
charges stray off to be found afterwards in out
Of the way places by stray policemen. Quite
often pedestrian will notice, on going along
one of our side streets, young child, its eyes
bubbling over with tears, and red from irritation
and inflammation, who has strayed from its par
ents residence Sometimes it will have stick
of candy in its nfantile fist, or else apple or
slice of bread, butter and mOlasses to console it
in its wanderings. 1t is very seldom, however,
that these children do not find their way back to
their parents, uHless that there is foul play, in
such instances where child may be kidnapped
by people who are childless, or through their
agency, for the purpose OF adoption IL barren
families. The practice Of baby farming has not
as yet attained in America the hight that it has
reached in England, and therefore the lives Of
children are not yet so endangered as they are
across the water. 1t is calculated that at least
enc thousand children are missing every year in
this city, but they are nearly all returned be-
fore the close of the day which they are first
missed
THE DENs OF MIDNIGHT.
If the thousand and one noissme crannies,
hooks and dens of this great city could be expos
ed to view, day after day, the bodies of many
missing man and woman might be found fester-
ing and rotting, or their bones bleaching for
the want OF a decent burial. Where do the bod
les come from that are fshed up bloated and dis
figured, night after night, by the water police in
haunts of the docks and from the slime of the
Hudson 1t is fearful to think of men influence
ed by liquor, who, with their gold Watches
pocketbeoks and other valuables exposed in the
most foolish manner, are to be SEEM night after
night, in the dens and hels of this great sinful
city. Many of these men are from far off
country villages and happy homes, and when
thrown into our streets at night under the flare
Of the gas Lamps and among crowds OF showily
dressed women whose feet are ever downward
into the abyss it becomes almost impossible for
them to resist the thousand and one meretri-
cious temptations that are placed before them.
THE HORROR OF A BREAKING DAWN.
Instances may be related OF how men disap.
pear and are never heard of to be recognized A
we'll to-do person from Ohio, who had never visit
ed New York before, pays visit to this city, and
stopping at down town hotel, salies out in tho
evening in search of what he has been taught bv
his limited course of reading to call ''adven- |
ture' He believes, in his Ohio simplicity, that
he will meet with a beautiful and rich young
lady in New York, who, struck with his rural
graces and charms, will at once accept his hand |
and farm. Well he takes a look at the BLACK
Crook OF ''White Fawn." or 'Genevieve de Bra
bant," and returning late to his down town ho-
tel is struck by the beauty aud grace ot female
form that glides before him on Ais way down
town. Pretty soon she makes "a signal TO him
that cannot be mistaken, and our Ohio friend
rather astonished at the freedom of the arsto.
cratic and we'll bred ladies of the metropolis but
nothing 10th, hastens to her side, aud accentil-
les her to her richly volup'uous mansion in
Bleecker, Green. Mercer or Crosby streets la
the watches OF the night he a,,a,ol,> to ind tho
aristvcratc lady fastened on his Throat, and a
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