The Dillon tribune., 1885-07-18
TRAFFIC IN GIRLS.
A Tale of Horrors That Almost Surpasses
Belief.

A Tale of Horrors That Almost Surpasses
Belief.
The London Pal Mall Gazette recently
said, 1--WE advise the squeamish and prud-
ish not to read the Pail Mail Gazette Of
Monday or the three following days. The
story Of this pilgrimage into real hell, is
not pleasant reading. It is not meant to
be. 1t is. however, record Of uni.npeach-
able facts, unutterably abominable, but
true, and their publication is necessary"
The effect Of this announcement and
warning was naturally to set all London
agog for the coming revelations, and the
sale Of the paper during the past week has
been unprecedented in the history of En-
glish journalism. In beginning the report
Of The special commission, the Gazette
points out that the law as at present con-
stituted was specially framed to enable dis.
solute men to outrage "legal women
that is girls Of thirteen years-with impun-
ity. The moment female child reaches
| the age Of thirteen, she becomes in the eyes
| Of the law woman, absolutely free to dis
pose of her person to any one who may
succeed in cajolling or forcing her into
sacrificing her virtue.
| Many examples are cited to show how
densely ignorant of the gravity, and con.
sequences Of such acts girl Of thirteen
must naturally be; and the case Of a Bir-
mingham girl Of fourteen years, who after
undergoing the pains Of childbirth, calmly
turned to the midwife in attendance and
remarked, "Its all over now; Pm so glad,"
is held by the Gazette to furnish evidence
that having been relieved OF pain, her con-
Germ for her condition ceased.
In paragraph defining the responsibil.
ity Of mothers, the Gazette contrasts the
home influences to which children are sub.
jected in Protestant and Catholic families,
very much to the disadvantage Of the for
mer. 1t is almost incredible, it says, that
girl of fourteen or fifteen, should be rear
ed in such ignorance Of her future duties
as wife and mother, that her chastity may
be violated without in the least arousing
; her conscience. "Many people," the Ca
zette says, 'imagine that brothels fill them
selves. 1t is a great mistake. They are
recruited far more diligently, and with
more care in reference to the physique and
i attractiveness, than is the Queens army,
whose members are among the chief pat
rons Of these palaces Of sin.
The confessions of reformed British
brothel keeper are given, wherein she says !:
"The trouble really is now, that the supply
often exceeds the demand. AS rule the
number Of girls ready to hand is ample,
i especially among the very young children.
: | once sold a girl aged twelve years for
y twenty pounds. Her. purchaser was a
clergyman, who came to my house pro-
y fessedly to sci! tracts"
: A woman, being questioned as to the
: manner in which victims are procured, said:
:, 1.-THE traffic had reached such extremes that
respectable girls were fearful Of going on
= the streets after nightfall in many quarters
: Of London" She gave some terrible de-
:. tails of the devices resorted to in robbing
!, the unwary girls of their senses and then
hurrying them off while in a stupor to the
= houses OF ill-fame. The most successful
mode was for we'll dressed women OF bad
character to lay in wait for girls, and on
some pretext or other strike up an acquaint-
ancc, invite them to partake OF some re-
freshments, and then dose their drinks
Doses of gin were generally useful, while
pinch ct snuff throw into Il glass OF beer
generally kept the intended victim snug
until she was beyond all hope. Most of
y the girls are unaware Of their fate until
they find themselves entrapped.
- The gazette further says: "Somc of the
, houses in which the young girls are lured,
: have underground rooms and some are
8 country villas, which have thick walls and
are furnished with double carpets and have
= heavily curtained windows, securely closed
by thick shutters, and in one of these places
=, girl might scream blue murder and her
cries be unheard. To some men, the
shrek of torture is the essence of delight"
S The Gazette continues giving details ut
| terly unfit and too outrageous for publica-
ton, adding that, sit is estimated that more
than 10000 little girls are completely given
y over to shameless life and the practice Of
S crimes which are of too horrible complex.
n ion to give them names. In houses kept
j by French, Spanish and English women
0 in fashionable London, it is possible to
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