The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1881-06-20
FEMALE STREET BEGGAas.
what tlsc Police Authorities Say
About 'Thcm-A GirIs Reform
school 70 Necessity.

| what tHtc Police Authorities Say
About Thcm-A tsiri's Reform
| school - Necessity.
In corner room ut Police Headquarters
| Chief Of Police Brock was seated when THF
Critic called there to-day.
"Yes, | read the paragraph in THE CRITIC
| Saturday with reference TO street begging
and the comment on it in yesterdays .Cdpi-
| tqi You newspaper gentlemen have taken
| us ut disadvantage, and | am glad you
| have called, for desire to place the matter
properly before the public" Chief Brock
then went on 20 state that no one was more
fully aware of the extent to which street
begging IL carried on in Washington than
himself and none realized the necessity OF
supprcssing IL any more than he did. men
and women bcggars," he said, 1--WE can gem
orally dispose of temporarily. We arrest
and send them TO the worlchouse under the
vagrancy law. With boys and girls we
have to deal differently. We have no law
under which they can be punished rs va
grants, consequently IL is difficult for us TO
handle such cases satisfactorily When we
arrest Il boy we have to prove that he is in.
corrigiblc, and with the parents consent we
can send him 10 the Reform School. We
have no such institution for girls. Indeed
disposing of girls arrested for minor oHcnscs
is perplcxing to the police department
We cannot send girls of tender years to the
w0rkhOusc, and we have no reform school
for them. 1t Is dangerous to send girls at
the age of ten, twelve and fifteen to insti-
tutions of correction, except to those insti-
tutions especially provided for them. They
are thrown into evil associations, and il
docs them no good. Most of these girls
from street begging fall into vices rapidly
and in many instances willingly. When
we investigate evils where complaints are
made, we find that juvenile beggars are
put at such work by their parents, who arc
either very, very poor, or worthless crea-
lures, too lazy to work and addicted to
drinking. Now and then we call the latter
class to account, and if it is shown that the
child is neglected and in bad hands, we
separate them, once and while finding
them homes"
Could not some arrangement be affected
by which these girls could be placed out u,
nurscs?" asked THE CRITIC delegate at this
juncture."
Perhaps so, was the reply; "but il
would be hard to carry into operation. In
the first place, the girls having learned the
experience of wandering aimlessly through
the streets, prefer that sort of life to any
other, and families do not care particularly
to employ them. Some of them are pretty
thoroughly stepped in small vices, and it /.
rather risl<y'to trust the care of young chill
| drcn TO them. There are exceptions, though
and we know families of worthy poor PEG
pie who would be glad of chance to put
their daughters out to service"
Some of these female bcggars are dan
gcrous,' broke in Detective McDevitt, and
during general conversation that followed
it was developed that once in q while black.
mail schemes of Il damaging nature arc
/ traced to their authorship. Girls are not
infrequcntly induced to leave homes through
outside influences, too, and case in point
was related by Chief Brock, who said that
several days ago lady applied to him fol
some means of compelling her daughter, q
fifteen-year old lass, to stay at home II
appeared that she had been keeping clan.
dcstinc appointments with a Treasury clerk
and, in spite of what the mother could
do, she regularly followed the advice
of her alleged lover, and the mother
believed she was leading n questionable
life. She wanted Chief Brock to place hei
in rcfoimatory institution, and he told
her that the only place here was the work.
house and that the girl would have to be
sent there as II vagiant. To this the mother
would not agree, and consequently nothing
was done. This is where all the trouble oc-
ours" said Chief Brock in conclusion. al
the newspapers will combine and agitatc
the establishment of Il girls reform school
and help the police in their work in that
connection, we could soon reduce the men,
dcant army in this city"