The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-12-03
The Prison Incident.
Some Reflections Suggested by 1t.

Some Reflections Suggested by 1t.
The State Prison Incl dent related by Mr.
Joshua Nye has called forth much comment,
more and deeper thought. 1t is a fact sure to
be widely circulated through the press and
provoke, wherever read. the same effect We
thank Mr.. Nye for giving it to the public. Ev-
cry such incident demonstrates the fact that
such reformatory work is successful, therefore
practical and needed. Those who work in this
reform know that it is not infrequently so; they
do not rest their faith in hope but ground it
upon facts.
One cannot help feeling grateful to the war;
den who can turn to such a proof of wise man.
agement and ennobling influence, nor help
feeling laudable curiosity to know who were
his helpers in the glorious work AS to the
woman and the dry goods dealer, we hardly
know which to pity most. At first sight both
appear selfish, shortsighted. By the rejection
of her counsel he would have lost her trade,
but in its place gained the patronage of many
who honored him for his manliness; besides, it
is exceedingly doubtful if the woman could
erwise, if they knew the reasons upon which
her prejudice was based.
1t may be that both acted from impulse. The
merchant may have acted without second
thought, and the woman been actuated by the
fear that other women might be contaminated,
those employed with the clerk, or those who
went there to trade. 1t may have been the
natural expression of an erroneous education.
1t is not for me to analyze the motives or
Judge the conduct of the merchant and the
woman, but it is important because the devel-
opment of facts shape public sentiment, that
some one should say word about the work of
reform some wealthy women and others are in
terested in, and have accomplished I'm this city,
who through their organized channel take wo-
men whenever they come to them,-even look
them up,-those unfortunate beings whom we
courage, eGstSp ssuSp6ft and save them ana en-
T alluds to the work in connection with that
of the Yoman's Christian Temperance Union
called the Police Mission work, which has been
so1uietly conducted from the beginning that
ew comparatively are aware of the extent of
the work it is doing, or the valuable results ac-
complished by it. This wise policy is not one
OIL dCClucuI VI Stll dul0Lupt " Cdtor W ldlS6
sentiment, but reasonable designs. The ladies
have carefully pursued this plan for the reason
that success cor4l only be satisfactory when as
sured. Time was an important element The
reform must stand the test of its sober require
ments. The test has been made, aud with facts
to present, the time has come to present them.
The intention was not only to substantiate
the fact that women can be reformed, to do it
in such way as to satisfy the intelligent, and
to meet the objections of the skeptical,- to
call public attention to its necessity and awaken
a recognition of the justice of having the
women and children who are taken to the po-
lice station cared for by the attendance of a
suitable woman. If any one thinks this may
be an afterthought, let me refer them to the
heading of the petition presented to the city
government, which was based upon the ideas
presented to the lawyer who so admirably
grasped them and gave them shape.
1t was eminently proper that temperance
organization should have an agent to care for
intoxicated women and try to reform them;
but many of these women are disreputable,
and to reform them means change of the
most radical sort, to overcome appetite and
abandoned life, to awaken desire to lead a
different life by showing them it is possible, to
teach them self-respect and self-reliance by
giving them employment, and to care for them
long enough to make respectable living re-
alty and a necessity to them, by the develop
ment of that knowledge possessed by the Lace
demonian woman who, when asked by her
captor what she understood, replied-How to
be free. Those who looked into this work saw
how wide reaching the results must be. Its
needs were great, urgent, varied.
Let us examine for a moment the work that
presented itself to the mental and moral grasp
of these women. The Incorporate women
often needed every attention humanity has to
bestow; they are often young and often moth
crs.- F,vur 10 sixty women are taken
to the station intoxicated. The sick required
humane care; husbands must be waited upon
and interested, homes visited and the daugh-
ters of such mothers given such watchful care
and guidance as they needed and removed
when possible; to be consistent, prevention
must be added-for the young earnest, persist
ent effort made for their reform.
MANY children are taken to the station
boys sent to the Reform School, girls, now and
then one to the Industrial School, but the lar
ger number to bad homes, to the streets, and
ruin. Here also there was pressing demand
for the most painstaking and constant effort to
modify tastes and habits.
Many respectable women go to the station
for lodgings who are passing through the city;
or those who have no friends or money, and
are seeking employment
Many are taken to the station sick to await
removal; some too sick to be taken away re-
main for days and, in one instance at least, for
several weeks.
Vagrancy and larceny have been on the in
crease for several years according to the police
records. Many of these are young women.
What shall l more say? Quite n number of
women every year find their Way to the station
near confinement destitute of everything that
can make them comfortable, even decent.
Children are sometimes born at the station.
Another important outlook contained in the
grasp of this work was,-that it was to be an
educator of women. Many would learn
through the experiences of others what obser~
vation had failed to impart; and the attention
of others turned to questions that had never
previously engaged it. They would be taught
to look more deeply into the structure of soci-
ety. aud see that the evils and temptations
which overcame others threaten and are ready
to invade their own homes; a fact in its reality
women can hardly be expected in their igno-
rance 20 take in. The scales of Judgment can
alone weigh an evil, when the opportunity
has been afforded for its exercise by the meas
urement of its proportions. For this reason
that these evils threaten the homes, women
need to have their attention called to them,
their sympathies enlightened and developed.
W it'll Il record of nearly two years ana
half, what are the facts that can be offered as
result OF the effort put forth at the statioh
and conducted by the practical wisdom OF the
women who engage in it?
Miss Patrick entered upon her work at the
station June 18th, 1877. The work was con