The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-02-06
A sHOCKING CASE.
A Fearful State of Affairs in Den OF
Vice at Greenwood, Sussex County.

A Fearful state OF Affairs In n Den OF
Vice at Greenwood, Sussex County.
Last Friday Special Agent Stout, of
the Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Children, received letters
from two prominent citizens Of Green
wood, SUSSEX County, calling his at
tention to the case of family named
Clark. The letters said that il Mr..
Stout would visit the place he would
meet with some startling develop
lnents. Az 1t was a matter requiring
Immediate attention, Mr.. Stout left
this city yesterday morning, and upon
arriving at Greenwood, made Inquiries
for the place.
II was about IL miles from the sta
ton, ard upon reaching it he found
state of affairs sufficient to make
him heart-sick.
In an old shed, which was once used
as barn, he found woman named
Elizabeth Clark, her married daugh-
ter Agnes, and three children, aged
>. and IL years respectively, all of
them girls. There was not morsel
of food in the house, and what might
be termed u lire burned very low in an
old kitchen stove. All the children
lay huddled about the stove, with
hardly enough rags about their bodies
to hide their nakedDess. They were
in half-starved condition. The
mother and married daughter also
were poorly clad. They were seated
by the stove smoking their pipes and
discussing where TO send the oldest
child, Mary, to beg. She had been
out early in the morning aud returned
with scarcely enough for the young
est child to eat.
The husband of the mother has been
dnnH thI.an mud SinRn hta Haath
she has taken to drink and led life OF
vice and shame. The husband of the
oldest daughter left her some time
ago, and since then she has led life
that cannot be described. An opium
layout was found in the Shanty aud
Mr.. Stout learned that the place wns
frequented nightly by the lowest class
OF whites and negroes.
Carousals were kept up all night, and
fights We're OF frequent occurrence.
The family depended for their living
the pennies donated by their nightly
visitors.
The children besides were shocking
ly treated by the rougher element of
those who frequented the place. The
youngest child, which is but years OF
age, was subjected TO the cruelty of u
colored man named Broomall, and
permanently injured. It's back was
broken and an ankle dislocated. il Is
alleged, by the kicks of the negro, and
an ugly abscess has formed upon the
child's left side.
The place had but one room, conse-
quently these children were witnesses
of the terrible scenes enacted every
night. There We're two old cots, COW
cred with rags and dirt, one of which
was occupied by the mother and her
daughter and the other by the three
children. The liquor drinking and
opium and tobacco smoking, with the
most shocking indecency, was carried
on every night in the week.
Mr.. Stout arrested both women, and
their tlial before Squire John ii. Sat
terlield attracted large number of
persons. When asked why such a
state of affairs was allowed, to go on,
Agnes, the daughter of Mrs. Clark,
and the married sister of the little
ones, said; How conld we help IL?
The men would come to the place and
We could not keep them away. They
brought liquor and we have been conf
PEELED for long time to submit
In default Of a fine and costs the
women were committed to Jail, and
the people thanked Mr.. Stout for his
prompt action In breaking up this den
OF iniquity and rescuing the children.
When Mr.. Stout returned last even
ing he brought the three children with
him, clad in their ragged garments.
He took them at once to the Home for
Friendless and Destitute Children,
where their old soiled garments were
exchanged for clean, new ones, and
after moderate supper put to bed. 1t
was certainly good days work. well
done, and for which Mr.. Stout is en-
titled to the greatest credit.