Connecticut western news., 1883-05-16
IN THE OPIUM DENS.
SAD PICTURES IN MOTT AND FELL
 STREETS, NEW YORK CITY.
Little Children Who Were Seen Going Into
 and Leaving the Dens.
From the New York Herald. l

SIroeb bueIe WaS 1edT dl1l TeulU11uS recently. The uprising of the residents of the Sixth ward to protect the little girls of the tenement house districts from the horrible traps of Chinatown shook the very heart of the Oriental colony, and still the evil was not yet wholly abated.
 The facts ascertained about the modus operandi by which scores upon scores of girls have been lured to physical and moral ruin are startling in the extreme. In one den in Pell street, which is con- 'ducted by a bag of the most depraved type, there have been girls of from ten to twenty years of age ruined. In murky back room, up Q still murkier flight of stairs, is the den, while the front room serves as @ sort of parlor. Here it is that little girls are first in- duced to taste the fell drug which is intended to pave the way to worse sin. The victim is coaxed up stairs by some one who knows her, and once in among the haggard, slatternly y young creatures who have already been wrecked, they are induced to try pipe of opium. The delights of the trance are described and the girl tries out of curiosity. The first few pipes are smoked in a cere- monious way, with every one looking on and urging. Then young China man, who knows how to roll the opium and fix the pipe, is introduced as a con- panion. As soon as the girl has become addicted to the opium habit her ruin is easily accomplished. And thus it is that the mournful wrecks of girlhood sit in the darkened room in Pell street l and waste away their young lives, help less victims of the Chinese denkeepers and their customers.
 ONE OF THE VICTIMS.
 A painful incident in the movement against these dens occurred recently when one of the members of the Catho- lie Young Mems Association of Transig- uration parish caused the arrest of his own sister on 8 charge of absolute con- duct. She was girl of eighteen years, just budding into womanhood. Her brother said that she associated with the abandoned women who frequented the opium dens and was fast becoming vic- tim to the vices of Mott street. The girl was taken to the Elizabeth street station and was locked up. To Father Barry she denied that she smoked opium, but members of the association said that she was smoker and was led to it by syste- matic temptation.
 Early in the night some members of the association noticed 8 woman and 8 young girl coming out of No. IA Mott street, where an opium den fourishes. The girl seemed to be excited and the woman was evidently pleading with her. One of the members spoke to the woman, and she said that the girl was only fifteen years old and wanted to lead a dissolute life among the Chinamen. The woman resided at No. IA and finding the child on the first floor of the establishment learned her purpose and induced her to leave tne house. The girl then told the woman that her sister lived with 8 Chinaman and had advised her to do likewise. As soon as these facts were made known the members of the associa- tion caused the girl to be arrested by Policeman Galligan, who had been de- tailed to assist Father Barry in his work She was taken to the Elizabeth street station house and locked up on charge of disorderly conduct preferred by Wal ter Miley, of the association. The little prisoner gave her name as Kate Crowley her age as fifteen years and her address as No. IA Roosevelt street. She said she had just been released from the House of Refuge, where she had beer sent for running away from home
 Katy is very pretty little girl, witt large eyes and bright brown hair. She
 was dressed neatly and wore "fare ,
 hat trimmed with red. She declined tc
 make any statement in the station house
 Detective English and Sergeant Col
 grove paid visit at 8 late hour Tuesday
 night to sevdeal of the dens in Pell ant
 Mott streets, but there were no childre1
 or women in them at the time. "W,
 all had the straight tip to get out of thu
 way" was an explanation given. On the same night the reporter watched the opium den at No. IF Pell street il
 company with two gentlemen. Ther ] was evidently something unusual in thu
 air, f r the lights were out in most of tin , ! oh hn lNfn
 very faint. Just before midnight gil 5 of about twelve years pushed her hea, l out of the dark doorway and peere,
 cautiously up and down the street. Thel 5 she stepped out on the sidewalk an
 stood beneath the lamp on the corner c l D yer street. Her hair was uncombe : and her face was very white. As sh
 stood full in the gaslight the reporte 8 could see that her hand trembled as sh raised it t) her rehead wearily an B walked toward Chatham street with @
 uncertain step. As she moved away tw S passing Chinamen spoke to her and sh n replied.
 !. A few minutes later another girl C g perhaps sixteen years emerged from tn t same doorway. She was comedy gil T. and carried can in her hand. Afte
 looking around cautiously for at leas
 two minutes she returned to the gloom l. doorway and called out another girl
 her own age and size. They chatted c
 the sidewalk for little while and use e shocking language. Then one of tl 1T pair walked acr, ss the street and st )ppe IS near the reporter. The unfortunate girl