New-York tribune., 1877-06-02
WAITS FROM THE STREETS.


On OPPRESSED LITTLE oNEs - MRS WEBB
cnrrRrrL ROOM AT THE CENTRAL OFFICE
.r,,crs OF NEGLECT OR CRUELTY WHICH
,,vr COME UNDER HrR NOTICE.
III br,l5inc occupied by the police In Null
-. betvecn Beecker aud Houstou-sts. has a most
- and important department which does not attract
,.,4-.q of the general visitor. large room IN tAe
- story IS set apart FOR the lost children who NAV zoe
-, m, while wandering m the streets. ani is reiuse
tboooics. and oppressed little ones. lkibtNE II"
,i.ifin- she room for lost children IA few days
rce.vei by the matron. Mrs. Webb. Mrs. Wcbbis
20. NJ the iauitor OF the Police Central Oice. size
81 -, i1 charge Of the Lost children Department
,,,nv years. aud has proved 70 be wei
a..ised in every particular for the important
.i,ton sle has children OF her Own, but her
- ds, .htcr. Mary. assists her in the work Mrs.
IN seems always fuu OF sympathy for her
-. CHARGES. and by her long experience has learned
- manage The most refractory without using harsh
,-.s of any kind. Mrs webb also Is matron for the
s,iet, for hc Prevention OF Cruelty 20 Children, and
g., bs temporary charge OF those children that come
r8er the suciciy's jurisdiction. Around the sides Of
,, -,,u where the children are received are small
,,tlr-uade wooden chairs, brightly painted Toys OF
-.riot.. kinds are provided, and children who are
,-,r-bf lp weeping bitterly and begging 60 bc taken
be are soon induced 20 forget their cares in the eX
,er,.uf and enjoyment OF the novelties presented 20
,t,r notice here 4 number Of iron bedsteads occupy
,h hack portion o. the Mrs. Webb sid that n all
hs,expcreuce she had never had discontented child
m her care nor had she an instance where child
b hd been there for several DAYS, long enough TO feel
tborou.h,y at home had cot cried when taken away.
Alr,ost every ease. aside from The transient OCCUPANTS
q. the matrou's room, Who seldom remain more than
,ou hours has history of distress desttuiion, or
,-me Tho transient children are brought from the po-
ue stations every night after O'Clock They are those
who have strayed away from their protectors and,
unable 20 give their names, are taken 60 she Central
orce. They. are called for later in the night, and
psuallv src m Mrs. Wehbs charge only few hours It
4 slrp~.,ng what distances from home some OF these
eblr.n seemingly Only barely able 10 walk, viii wan
der Clfdren from % years Of age have oiteh
str,vea srsm their homes nurses in the Twenty
Min eteeuth or Twcnty-uinth Precinct, aud aHerWalu
have been picked up the Fourth, Fifth, OF twenty
seventh Precinct several miles distant They often Iol-
low orcau-rriud,rs bands Of street musicians or any
other entieng objects On the great holidays the num-
be- Of lost children becomes greater than on ordinary
days.
The police cooperate with the Society for the Proven
ton of Cruelty Children aud Whenever an ofrerhears
Of case of cruelty distress, the agents OF the society
are pa u possession Of the facts and take immediate
teps 20 render The necessary assistance distressing
cas-. came % Mrs Wehb's notice only few days ago.
Three co.orcd children named Anderson-Annie age O;
LILY 4 and Fanny 3-wcre turned INTO the street The
oldest child h.d epeptc fits every other day lhe ottr
two children sc,ucd halt starved and were covered Wit
9Th and yerTuiu Their mother deserted them several
r,fis a.o hut a Young coored woman took compassion
of III rcu aud supported them at NJ. 172 ThOmp-
son-t Tlcl all barely sled 10 squaid uth ana ns
o. until April u Then they elected ON the
hons hv tie landlord and subsequently were taken 10
tbr Police Genital Office They ate Ike Wild animals lle
fo .ef before tlcm and 20 was believed that they bad
not tad 1 ful meal for many days previously. Iney
were PROPERLY c.eIsc0 and pr0Nitd ~ Ia cle4u cohhH
by tbt society for the Prevention of Cruelty o. Chdien
s1 e..,r nj were suitably cared FOR Nevertheless II
l. believed that tine misery and suffering thry nave uh
der.oue as so impaired eir constitutions 'A"t 'hey eau
The case Of little Mary Ellen Wilson is probably stl
fcsI thr minds of The public. THIS chhh. ont au0u'
years az age. and without friend or near relation u
tls city, laken home by llr, Connolly liom lu9
L. institution The woman pa tdc dr9d-e oi tHe Siil.C
refused beer even decent cothne and s,ry ed ana beat
her unii. wien The ease was discovered May E.'a ~,
simply living skeleton. MIS- commonly We 'tAi ." 'iy
PuIfeltay. Mary Ellen va, se9t to the foie eul. 't
O1cr. where Ml. Webb evlnced deep interest," lh tte
clnu's Nea'e Under hcT care Tot ABOUT I"uI n'lu % @
tlc clld banged SOD tha she could not d. recognized N
tho.e vho bad only seen her n court. she ".S pump
Gad ros-cucckcd, ANA the ola worn ooA h"' gone rom
ofc,r Deaaeld Of the society for the Prevention Of
named Seotge .yartng. Tor begging. and hc WIS gyen
into Mrs Weuus charae. 10 was usccrGuutd tuai the
Nostr He icft his boy In Brooklyn. unoci an arrange
bO bad been badly treated. and at length was turned
into the street Hunger forced him To beg Louis ana
rescued from their miserable home, and properly cared
Tor by Mrs. Webb for the society Ihe iathef hao
WIS sent 90 Investigate the cli.drens c-se.
They were found IN miserable, ntAy. sqla;;,i
dav. candle was necessary 20 enable person 10
So interior o., the place broken chair part OF q
goods box used DotA Tor seat ahd table, ahd a
f7 pallet thrown iu one corner comprised the uIn IRE.
Ivefythuc that could bee pawued mad been exchanged
liquor The mother uruuk lay upon the bod ane iue
Two It boys cIUuclcd m the corner near ol Nheh
tlc officer asked the children they would IKE 70 20
WITH hun where they could get something % eat ana
slme clean clothes. they screamed with delight anu
chung tightly go his hands in feiI that he might cnahge
hs mud auI leave them hind. The mother Was TOO
drunk o offer any opposition, and the children were De
hycrrd o. Mrs. Webb. who cared Tor them until
homes were found for both
Ile brightest boys that have come under the n0ice OF
M society have bccn the young acrobats. Char-cs
ance and intelligent, but hle associations IN the circus
have unpleasant kind OF prccocty. lie lss o
sveet voice. and waen DR.. Rauney examined MN lie
arked hn t0 sing song "Oh no. sh0 lt, ~ dm hul
gong to give ans free u this part OF the country
Repeated requests were only answered with slang eN-
Urr-S dud which he Add cdiheO among
BIZ circus lcuds. His case has not SET been 0tcde ~
tnc courts He taken from Coles Circus John
scris aud Frank and Henry Ellis also we're taken from
Michael Neyins 70 years OF age, taken from No.
L. Himiltou-st. where hs brutal step-tathcr William
Ltgsu. bea. and kicked hun, starved him, ana kept hin
In hltly condition Tie stepiather was sent 10 tAe
peuteutary. and the poor boy whose body was llile
than skin and bones, was cared ion 10y MIS- NthD
Anna - were brought 10 Mrs. webb ia a starving ana
filthy condition. Their parent were hanuuh arg rus
and lived m miserable howell at 40. l2i BaXtr-st Tue
furniture of The room consisted OF hall nly mattress,
two brukeu stools. a lew broken dishes, and an o'd
cracked stove The children had not tasted io0l foi over
- uur~ and reduced % FluE skeletons py afNa-
ton ana Lar0sIps The officers haQ 10 noiO" tlothihE
OF the uc hbofs 20 the chdrens ndkedness be-
fore they could take them out mo the street. Ihc
parents 10 the PoniteEtaIy for SIX months,
and hc children have ueen provided Win holc- o.! LIE
bOclcy iOr tine Prevention OF Cruelty 20 CuAdIeu.