The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-09-15

~ NASS - WA
versation upon the subject which had en-,
crossed his thoughts. How to meet the
dilemma successfully seemed as great a
puzzle to the detective as to his compan.
ion. The sin pervades all classes Of soCi.
ETY., rich and poor, educated and illiterate.
old and young, and no n knows where
the mischief will end.
"Why, / was walking along Superior
street with a business man last night"
said the officer, "and in the course Of our
walk Of not more than a block, we must
have met two or three dozen girls and
women, ranging from twelve to twenty
years age, and | tell you 1t was surprising
the way they acted, bowling, tipping their
bats, laughing rudely, and doing other
things to attract our notice. The business
man said he could have hardly believed it
before, had any one attempted to tell him
how great-the evil is. Yet the greater
share Of these young women were not
prostitutes. 1t has got to be that the girls
go out Tor a walk, as they term it; they
meet some young fellows who bow to
them, and gradually they become accus-
toned to 1t and soon begin to return the
salutation; an acquaintance is made, an
invitation to take some ice cream or lem
onade follows, which the young girls, for
the sake O. the treat andthe fun Of flirting;
accept; then they are introduced to one Of
those places similar to the Capitol Gar
den, and then to designation houses, and
then ruin follows in due time. They do
not grow better, but become worse, and
end their lives in misery. This custom Of
street walking has increased so much Of
late, that houses Of ill-iame are practically
played out"
do you think they are most school
girls, or from other classes?" was asked,
"No; they embrace all classes, nurse
girls, hotel waiter girls, servant girls, who
get leave Of absence fer the evening on
pretense OF going home. Among them
are also representatives Of some OF the
richest families in the city, and it is a mis-.
take to suppose that they are mostly poor
girls. can give you an instance: A
young lady member Of an excellent family,
whose name or residence 1t Is not necess.
airy to mention started out one Sunday
evening to go, as she said, to church. She
did notgo to church, for on the ways she met
a young fellow, whether by previous ar
rangement or not l cannot say. However,
she went with him to a bad place, and in
time was ruined and turned to become one
OF the worst. There are number OF lust
such cases, where young girls get out
upon the street on the pretense that they
are going to church,"
"What do you think can be done to stop
the evil?"
"That is a difficult question. What can
be done under existing laws would be
hard to say. Anyone who attempts to do
anything to arrest the evil must have
more than his interest as an official to
carry out the laws in the undertaking: he
must have his heart in the work. Even
then there are many obstacles in the way.
Suppose you take a few OF the girls to the
city prison. You must lock them up with
the most depraved women, and people
will say that il they are not bad already
the arrest will only harden them, and as
ISOLATION with vile women in the prison
will surely make them worse. l claim
that our prisons should be arranged that
prisoners could be classified AS It is now,
a boy of twelve or thirteen Is locked up
with the accomplished criminal Of twenty
five or thirty"
Calling at the Central police station,
Lieutenant McHannon was asked for his
opinion. Hethought an ordinance should
be passed by the City Council, by the
provision Of which men or women who
follow the practice OF "picking up" on the
street could be arrested, and a great step
towards arresting the evil would be taken.
"The trouble u.s." said the Lieutenant,
"the girls are not generally bad, and have
no wrong intentions when they 90 out
Just for q walk" but they commence to
hirt, enjoying their apparent conquest OF
some young fellows heart, and Just as the
moth will not fit about the candle long
without burning its wings, so the young
girls soon find themselves doing worse
and worse, until they are brought in here
as common prostitutes. So long as they
are good looking there is always some
young fellow to look after them. II one
OF them is brought in here she Is not
locked up but a few moments before some
nobby young blood comes In here and
asks TO see a certain young woman, but
generally refuse them. Then they get
some lawyer 10 come, or n Of those tel.
lows who goes bail for prisoners comes
along, signs u bond, for which the girls
young chap pays him q couple OF dollars,
and the girl goes away with the fellow,
He probably takes her to his private room
for the night, as most OF that class OIL
Young men have rooms in blocks. In the
morning he employs q lawyer to defend
the girl, and pays her fine.
snow you look over the books for those
who go TO the workhouse, and you will
notice that those who are sent there art
mostly old offenders who long ago partet
with their beauty. No young man pay
their fine. Thus you will see that thu
young and fashionable among the sporting
women never have any fears Of the work
house, as they are here scarcely more thar
FIVE minutes before some young fellow
comes to their rescue. These dances
about town are great hot-beds OF the evil
The girl goes to the dance perhap
with some other girl who Is Just be
ginning on the wrong road. It gets late
the young fellows offer them some beer o
wine, which the innocent one, influence
by the example Of oil around her, drinks
and she has completed the first step down
ward. These dances should be broke
: up"
Captain Hoehn entered his office Jul
/ then, aud the reporter addressed him:
Captain how can this nuisance OF 'stret
walking be abated2"
"That is a hard question for me
answer" said he, "but according to N
idea, a number Of good officers should
detailed in citizens clothing. It shoul
: be their duty TO shadow ali whom the
suppose 10 be street walkers, and whe
they get q sur case on them bring Il
= offenders in. II the court backs us up
the work, we could by that course SOC
rid the community Of much Of theey
1t Is q great evil, and 1t Is a delica
matter for the officers to deal with. Som
times the lifelong reputation Of . iami
:. Is brought in question. had an instan
lately. A young married woman car
in here and made complaint agail