The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1876-01-27
A SHE-DEVII.,

woman who, under the guise of keeping
an Intelligence Office for supplying FAM
lies with servant girls and girls from the
country with situations, but in reality
carrying on the business of procuress
for na1neless dens of infamy, makes
mention of one Of her victims as hailing
from this city. We extract the follow
ing:
s'The Commercial Times is called to
make another exposition which will be
OF public benefit, and enable the people
OF Milwaukee to know some of the out
rageous practices that are carried on
successfully IN this city.
At the police court this morning n
woman appeared with charge of steal
ing against Josie Meyer.
THE VICTIM
is bright faced German girl. The COM
planning witness is q woman of quite re-
spectacle appearance-very large, md
gorgeously dressed in blue velvet plush.
She wore diamond iewelry, and had ev-
cry evidence of wealth. She is not
woman to suspect of being profession
al procuress, and as one of her victims
informed reporter of the Commercial
Times cher smooth face and oily tongue
would fool the best girl in the world"
The defendant. Josephine Meyer, has
parents living at Manitowoc and came to
Milwaukee for the purpose of earning
an honest living. She was engaged as
servant girl and worked at various places
IN this city, for over a year with Mrs
Preger, Mrs. Humphreys and Others
Last spring she lost her place through
no faui6 OF her own, and in order to get
work applied at the
INTELLIGENCE OFFICE OF MRS. GInMEIsTER
corner of Fourth and Prairie streets
Mrs. Gllmeister promised to secure her
place to work and sent her to Mrs
Schultz, 1914 North Clark street, Chica-
go. She told the girl that the place was
respectable and that it was not bad
house. Mrs. Gilmeister furnished her
money to buy ticket and gave her the
address. After arriving there the girl
discovered the trap she had fallen into
and was compelled Notwithstanding all
her protests to live
LIFE OF SHAME.
She was in this house three weeks, and
from here went to Mrs. SCOTS. Mrs
Scott claims to keep cigar store at No.
70 North Wells street. Her real name
Is Van Huessen, and she also keeps a
house Of ill-fame. She is one of the
most successful PROGRESSES in Chicago,
and is i'll league with Mrs. GilmeIster of
this city. Together they have grown
rich in the nefarious business of enticing
innocent girls into houses of ill-fame.
Josie did not want to stay in Chicago
and came to Milwaukee for the purpose
of going back to her folks at Manitowoc
She did not steal the shawl that Mrs.
Scott claimed, but bought it from her
and paid the money for it before she
left Chicago.
Mrs. Scott came to Milwaukee for the
purpose of taking Josie back with her
and when she found the girl refused to
go, she brought this charge of stealing.
She threatened to write to the girls IA
ther if she refused to return to that
low den in Chicago, and said she would
fix her anyhow. Josie was a respectable
working girl before she fell into the
hands of Mrs. Gilmeister. When q girl
once gets there she is gone and nothing
can save her"
In concluding its exposition of these
devils plotting the obstruction of inno-
cent girls the Times adds
"The Commercial Times has had oc-
casion to mention the character of this
woman before, and has taken occasion to
expose the nature of her business. 1t
now becomes the duty of the proper au-
thorities to see that this den OF vice,
protected with the garb of respectable
ty, is closed up; and an infamous blot
which has remained for seven years on
the repute of our fair city, be wiped out
forever"
Is the closing up of this den all that
ought to be done in punishment of the
atrocities that have been committed?
Was there nothing criminal in the traffic
this woman carried on deserving more
than the closing of her doors? No
lamp-post, or some kind-hearted chris
tian neighbor to put quarter of an
ounce Of lead through the carcass of
such a monster? No law or other RENE
dy to put an end to that kind of business
and protect society from the ravages
of such hyenas? We merely suggest.
Heaven pity the poor girl and her
parents here