The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1875-12-25

The committee investigating the causes of crime
in this city are unearthing some terrible facts
Among others is the testimony of one of the first
physicians Of the city, DR.. Elisha Harris who de-
cared that the increase of criminals in this city
in the past few years was greater in proportion
than the increase Of population from births and
immigration together.
DR.. Willard Parker, an authority Of equal
standing, said that liquor was the chief cadsescf
the vice. crime, idiocy and insanity in the coun-
try. All who have looked into the cause and
cure of crime agree that the vicious classes must
be made to work harder. II is a notorious and
patent fact that with all the increase OF wages
and regulation of hours in the last ten years, the
condition of the lower classes does not seem to
be the better fer the change. The complaint is
made by all employers that there is very little,
almost no fair return made for the wages paid,
no matter how liberal these may be- The aver
age of work done in day with all the labor saw
ing helps of the time, is hardly half what it used
to be in the old times. Now, that there is such
an outcry for work, employers bethink themselves
whether they cannot obtain their own right of a
days work for days pay. The fact has rather
been lost sight of, that employers had any rights
beyond that of paying the most wages for the
very least that stupid help chose to do. Now
that the cry for bread comes so urgent there is a
chance to find whether the peor are willing to
work for their money rather than starve. Those
Of experience among the lower classes of New
York, are net wanting who do net hesitate
to say that these had rather starve han work
hard Certainly they will all beg Loaf, or cheat
in mild way, sooner then stir themselves to do
brisk days work.
THE DISTRESS OF THE POOR
Curious incidents come up among the labors
for the poor. One woman was found with her
FIVE children in the sixth story Of wretchea.ten-
enent house. where she made a miserable living
by washing. Her children were without shoes in
bitter weather, and kind merchant sent a sup
ply all round. The Oldest girl objected to them
because they were laced with shoe-strngs, and
button boots were the style. The same family
lost their father, miserable wretch, who drank
himself to death, and were obliged to ask for
charity to bury him. The teacher OF the mission
school who helped them before, agreed to bear
the expenses, whereupon the old woman went
cut and ordered hearse with plumes TO attend
the funeral of the departed sot. A member OF the
city authorities told of poor fellow who had
seen better days, who came 10 him for help as he
was without position, or money The official
handed him a five dollar bill, which he could
spare none too we'll himself, but he was rather
sorry for it, when he found the frs; use the fell
low made Of it was to 60 to the market and order
a pair of ducks for dinner, taking Diost of the
money which might have kept the family in food
for week.
This may be considered apropes oft the study
OF crime for such thrittlessness is crime not of
the least dimensions II ought to count heavily
against the laboring men Of this and other cities
that with the high wages of the last ten years
very few of them have saved money The idea
at the time was to make money, not TO save it
and to make it in many ways beside working
for it.
ONE A WEEK.
murder week seems the regular allowances
not counting homicides of less degree. The last
sad and shocking tragedy is that of young He
brew girl who has not been long in this country
and who was brutally killed by her betrayer las
Sunday night. The parties both have the repu-
tation of being exceptionally religious, and care
full in observing all the rites of their Church, and
the girl was much beloved by the family Of the
murderer While servent in the family she
nursed him through a long illness, and he seems
to have really loved her in return. But his wife
was coming over from the old country and there
was trouble ahead, and no way presented itsel
cut of the difficulty, but murder. So he took
the girl to walk with him in the lonely outskirts
of East New York. And stabbed her. kneeling
at his feet for mercy.
He betrayed himself by his anxiety to show
how impossible it was that he should have killed
girl to whom be was so purely attached.
And speaking Of murders, there are at this time
four men under sentence to be hanged, and ovel
thirty in the various prisons are waiting trial for
the same ofense.
The bloody villain Dolan, who killed Noe will
probably escape the hanging he so richly deser'
yes. The politicians are moving heaven and earth
to clear him, and as they have succeeded in OBJ
tanning two respites he will doubtless slide ou
all together There are in the same prison three
negroes convicted Of killing Jew pedder on nj
stronger evidence than that against Dolan, but
no one thinks ofmoving respite for them. And
while am on this subject,
THE SYMPATHY
shown for marderers is something curious
was at the prison, the other dag, and saw broil
ed chickens, wine, rich cakes and confectionery
the choicest cigars that had been sent in TO com.
fort these miserable murderers. The low-brow.
ed brutes are living better now than they ever
did in their lives, aud they seem TO expect it,
They growl and consider themselves ilused, il
they do not get these things every day 1t is 8
nice thing to be murderer for little while.
FEMININE DEVOTION.
1t is thousand pities that the heroic devotior
shown by woman in humble stations OF life could
not find worthier objects There is young wo
man dying in hospital of wounds given by hel
lover in drunken fit, in which be twisted hel
arm till he broke it yet the girl steadfastly re
fuses to say one word about the quarrel for feaI
of making trouble for him. II she dies without
giving her testimony he cannot be convicted, as
she was the only witness. There was good blood
in that girl, no matter what she was and a stou
heart better worth song and story than any We
read about this year The brute goes oat with
cut trouble, through the devotion of the girl =
bat all the same, he leaves her to die miserably
in hospital
THE sHoPGIRL QUESTION.
The shop girls are moving for their rights. Il
appears that they are compelled to report fol
duty at 8 A. NJ, and stay till P. NJ, with an
hour for lunch at noon what they complain Of
new is the regulation that is made in all the
stores from Stewards down, that they cannot si
down during trade hours. No matter whether
there be customers or not no matter If there bt
not soul in the store, the poor girl must stand
on her feet till the welcome stroke Of twelve
gives her an hours respite And then from one
to seven she stands again, ill worn out with IA
tigue she crawls to her wrstched lodgings, only
to 60 through the same torture the next day.
number OF influential ladies, the most prominen
in fashionable circles II the city, have taken the
matter in hand, and have petitioned the leading
merchants to abregate this rule, and permit the
girls to sit when it can be done without interior.
ing with their duties They have examined
some of the girls and found them all afflicted with
varicoss veins, weakness of the spine, and more
or less with female diseases, all of which, medi.
cal men say results from this practice The mer-
chants, in defense, say that to alter the rule
would be to do away with discipline, and impair
the efficiency Of their help, and that they will
not change the rule. The girls do this fearful
amount Of work for wages ranging from 500
to ST 90 per week, and severe as it is, were they
all to quite tomorrow, there would be ten thous-
and not only willing but anxious TO take their
places. And they have intimated to the benev-
olent ladies that they had better mind their'own
business
But what wanted to get at is this: what
kind of a life is it that girl leads that compsls
her to work twslve hours per day for So per
week ? She pays So for her board for which she
gets little hall bedroom, without fire. and the
vilest table imaginable. Her washing she does
partly herself, but that which she has to have
done costs her at least 81 per week. This leaves
her dollar for clothes, medicines, and what lux
uries she has. And miserable as this life is,
there are twenty thousand girls in this city to-
day who would cry for joy to get it. The number
who live in garrets on such food as they can get
for almost nothing is appallinp Is il any won