The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-07-25
A TERRIBLE STORY.
A Traffic over Which British Laws ExeI
cise No Control.

| IA franc over Which British Laws EXeI-
cise No Control.
London Letter TO the Ca,diF Mail
The papers are full at the present time
of articles on the foreign traffic in En-
glish girls, traffic that, either in spite
of, Or through the neglect of the authori-
ties, both here and abroad, is carried on
in an UNANIMOUSLY wholesale manner with
out any check. Let any one attempt to
smuggle few cigars or pint Of spirits,
and he will be instantly detected and
lodged in the cells. But what are paltry
| things of this kind to the virtue of our
innocent women? The Custom house
officers will overhaul your portmanteaus
and boxes until further orders, but they
shut their eyes to a cargo of novitiates
in immortality. Girls are decoyed hence
to Belgium, France, Germany, Italy,
and even the United States, by thous-
ands yearly, and for the vilest of pur-
| poses, whilst the imports are nearly
equal in number to those exported.
Heaven knows, the African slave trade
was bad enough, and British Christianity
bowls with horror at Turkish harem,
but it sits still in it's piety whilst trade
in white women is being carried on under
its very eyes.
From France and England are con-
| tinually travelling number of procurers
and progresses for the sole purpose of
enticing English girls to French brothels.
| These wretches come not hither to seek
| fallen women, thousands of whom we
could we'll spare. No, they come in
search of the virtuous, to teach them the
| quickest road to ruin. Of course their
victims must, in the first place be pretty;
in the next they must be young; and,
thirdly, they must be, as far as possible,
| innocent Of the wickedness of this world.
These French procurers know very well
where to find their prey. They prowl
about the registry offices, of which there
are dozens in the metropolis, where there
resort daily hundreds of young women
in search of employment--a few as do
mestio servants, more as ladies' maids,
governesses, companions, etc. Day after
day they may be seen inside or outside
the shop, waiting for the employment
which never turns up. and for Prince
| Perfect who never arrives. Many are
orphans and alone in the world, the
fairest specimens of natures hapdiwork
pure, young English girls, who gradu-
| ally discover that, in spite of virtue and
beauty, bread and butter is scarce.
To them comes the French speculator
in girlhood; no vulgar bully such as we
would naturally associate with our Brit
ish ideas Of male vice, but gentlemanly-
| looking fellow, who has nice, ladylike
looking woman with him, even more
graceful and pleasing than himself. He
accosts his victim, and begs pardon; but
he and madame might assist mademoi-
selle? She socks a situation. Good. She
shall have one. An address in a respec-
table neighborhood is given, and made
moiselle agrees to call upon her new
found benefactors the next day. She
goes to her lodgings and dreams that she
has at last made her fortune, and that
Prince Perfect is at her feet.
Punctual to the moment she is at her
place Of appointment, and, instead of
having to shiver in the cold of the reg
istry office, is welcomed by monsieur and
madame in we'll warmed and furnished
apartment. Yes, they have situation
that will just suit her, that is if she has
no objection to travelling. She has not;
in fact, her desire has always been to
see foreign parts. The salary will be
liberal, she will have her own apart
ments and he treated as one of the
family. No wonder the poor creature
jumps at the offer, and the first step is
taken. The bird is trapped, but its
wings have to be cut before it is taken
into its cage.
The laws of France, as is well-known
do not permit of any girl who has not
reached the age of 81 to be kept. From
16 to 10 is about the age the victims are
selected, and even younger, at which age
their knowledge of the world is less. and
deception is practiced on the younger
girls, which puts them at the mercy Of
these Infamous creatures. The victim
is asked her age, and on saying, with all
a girls pride in her youth, that she is
'just 49," she is informed that that bars
all chance of her engagement. The lady
to whom she is going will accept the ser
vices Of no person under 81. They are
so sorry, they had quite taken liking
to her, but now it is all over, unless
(now comes the trick) she would assume
some one else's name who was of full
age, and they would get certificate of
birth of some such person; harmless
little deception that would benefit her
and do no one else any harm. Eventu-
ally they overcome her fears and she
leaves her own shores under false name
owning to a fictitious age and acting a
part in a lie,
Arrived in Paris, she is hurriedly con-
veyed through the city and discovers that
she is a prisoner in a brothel, where