Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-01-11
The WISCONSIN DIVES.
DIR, Nate Bushnell Reports on What She
Learned About Them.

Dr. Kate Bushnell Reports on What She
Learned About Them
The following sensational srticls is
from the Chicago News of Monday:
fairly large congregation of ladies
assembled Saturday afternoon in Metho-
d'ss Church block, this city, 10 hear wh.t
DE, htte Bushnell had TO SAY about the
speclsl forms of social vice to be found
IN the plheriss of northern Wisconsin,
The suolscs Is one whisa has occupied a
large share of public sttention, botn be-
csuse OF the enormities charged against
thoss regions and the apparent indltfer.
sncs of the authorities in regard tn ths
matter. DR.. Bushuell is an esrnest
looking yourg woman, whose practical
sense and warm sympathy were evident
to her hssrsrS froR the beginning of hsr
address.
She was introduced by Mrs. T. B. Csr.s
OF the Womsps' Christian Temperance
union, and began by saying that the
most difficult task of the socIs, iuvesti-
Sstor was to lay aside sIl his preiudicss,
TO study facts, not for the purpose of
torutying himself in preconseived no
uons, but simply to learn the truth.
Mindful of this, she had gone to wlseou-
sin last May, when duty seemed TO de
mand her service, with resdiues TO dud
that the terrible picture had been over
drawn; & at the stories of women impris-
oped III oens of iuiquit! and hunted by
dogs when they eudesvored to make
their escape were frightful ex-
sggerstions OF the truth. After
months study of the situs-
tion she began 10 realize that the whole
tTnth had h.p sAts
months she travelled about, visiting ysri-
ous localities, interviewing doctors, min
listers and business men, ss well as many
ladies, and, whenever it WAS possible, the
gFis who were or had been inmates of the
dens.
She studied the public records to find
who were the owners of these places and
what WAS the power that secured them
immunity from interference. She boldly
makes charges against people and ofti-
cisls of that state that should
swiftly bring upon them the vense.
ance of outraged justice il, as she de
clares, she can at any moment furnish
The proof OF her alIeg stiors. Tnouxh
the dens are nominally owned by women.
she found that they were really run hy
few rIch men. who, because of their
money, held respectable position in 81.
ciety. She also learned that Fsirchiid,
former speaker of the house. had hor-
rowed money from one of them, Il II Dia-
mond, who held mortgage on his prop
erty at the time that she former pubush-
ed his denial of these inlq quities.
DR.. Bushnell knows that there are
stockaSed dens where women are i'm arls-
ed, for she Visited some of them III com.
pany with lady, RmlnIster, and a sher-
III, and helped TO set some of those in
mates at liberty. She has seen the
hounds and can testify To their farucity.
Sne dt ctar~s that she can prove that girls
were arrested at the instIkafion Of pro
curer, cOnGt muei without evidence 10
pay fines which they had no money to
inset, aud threatened by the chief of
police with jail IT they did not leave
town at once with the man who was vii
ling to pay their daes. This ON isl who
received the money paid for two girls,
she asserts, was the chief of police OF
Green Bay.
DIR. Bushnell says she is certain that
the Investigation upon which exc ".
Rusk's denial of the main facts was said
10 have been based was never made. Jas.
Fielding, the detective, being sent only
10 NJ annette, and then when the keo per
W WV u'i tAtlt ilat bttti ulhut IeAby To
receive him. Col. Cassou, the governors
private secretary, assured her that the
governor at that very time had many let
ters in his puss ession testifying to the
truth of the stories.
The doctor displayed scatch of Hugh
Doyle's stookadcd den at Merril. Lincoln
county, that she had enlarged from "a
smaller one mace near the premises by
herself. It's high faaces, as she suKgest-
ed, were well adapted To prevent the es.
cape OF inmates and To keep out any
otticSrs who might be sent 20 molest the
keepers. She asserts that phy sicians
are i'm plcated in the efforts TO shield
these tivndIsh practices, and that business
men, 80 draw money into their towns,
have invited keepers TO establish dens in
their neighborhood.
The charges made by the Lady were 40
startling and SO terrible that one would
gladly dIsbelieve them, but her character
and her offers of proof make it impos-
sible. When shs asserts with emphasis
that WISCONSIN is the most infamous
state in the union," and declarea that
a man who had heen through the
most vicious and lgwless portions of
the far west said To her that its
worst locality could not compare
in wickedness with that state, we are
ready TO believe il and to hope that no
other land calling itself civilized can
rival 1t in horrors. Every crime uader
heaven is com mItted there without fear"
said the lecturer.
At the conclusion of the address the
following .resoIutIon WAS drafted by
committee OF three appointed hy Mrs.
Carse, and consisting of DR.. Bushnell
DR.. Fannie Dickinson, aud Mrs. O. @.
Holt, of the protective agency.
"Resolvsd, That it is the sentiment of
this meeting that another occasion has
arisen in this country which calls for act
ION rs determined and heroic ss was the
great anti slaVement movement OF thirty
years ago; aud further, that the women
of this oOcntry are called upon to come
to the relief of their sisters, who are
buried In living graves, as are those nov
being held Iii dens of northern Wl-cOn-
siu. In order to abolish this Iniquity
and make 1T impossible ever to find lOdg-
ment in this country again we now call
upon the women of this whole land to
come and help U.s."