Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-27

practice of torturing infants would seem to be
depiorably common, il one can judge from the
| photographs of such victims rescued that are
shown by hundreds at the rooms of the Society
| for the Prevention Of Cruelty to Children, theil
| small and tender bodies marked with wounds
and burns and their limbs deformed by frac.
lures deliberately inflicted. One case depicted
| Is that of girl who was bound with cords until
| the flesh grew over them. But it is manifestly
| impossible to write out in plain words the
frightfui details of these instances. The Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children waa
called into existence eighteen years ago by the
| physical torture at the hands Of an inhumau
woman. She was rescued by Mr.. Henry Bergh
and is now the happy wife of a well-to-do farmer
| In New York state.
DRINK RESPONSIBLE
| "Drunk for a penny and dead drunk for
| twopence" were among the signs that graced the
| outside of the ale houses of old London and
they had clean straw within to accommodate
those who desired to sleep their liquor off
The biggest schooner in the city for five cents "
1.-The biggest fige-cent glass of whisky in the
world are signs OF modern New York. These
are the places where men call for a schooner OF
old ale, throw a glass of whisky into it. shake
some pepper in and gulp it down. Then they
go home and beat their children and wives.
Drink IL responsible FOR most of the cruelty to
children. Among the ancients drunkenness
was regarded. as an aggravafion of crime and
not as an exclamation. Nobody thought of plead
ing drunk. your honor" before a Roman
Judge. Pity it is that such is not the case in
New York. II it were the drunken women who
smother. their children would not customarily
escape with month on the island
VICE TRAPS FOR BOYS
have received good deal of attention at the
hands Of the s. P. C. c.. which has suppressed
several such that were located in the rear of
F. \. -
and then discovery is made of such a rendez-
yous for juvenile gamblers and embryo pick
pockets. where all the attractions Of card play
! ing and drinking are offered to innocent young
/ sters "ho may be induced TO enter. The
amount OF damage that may be done TO youth
| tui morals by quietly conducted establish
ment of this kind is enormous. Free boys
Clubs have recently been organized in New
York, which promise TO be very beneficial.
There ought TO be one i'll every wnrd in every
big city, and there il an opportunity in this d-
rectlon for rich and phian thropic people 70 do
much good. Such clubs give the boys some
thing to do aud afford them place of resort
away from the crowded tenements Thus they
are not compelled to join "growler gangs" for
the purpoe OF amusement, and vicious idle
ness hns less chance to lead them into criminal
ways. III more pains were taken to preserve
the youth Of the country from moral con:ami-
nation there might not now be 60 900 persons
confined i'll penal institutions and IL 900 more
IN retormatories in the United States.
IN THE CHINESE QUARTER
Small as is the Chinese population of New
York, they exercise an astonishing amount of
immoral and depravinG influence Unrestrainsi
apparently by any moral sense whatever they
are con family coming into collision with the
police through their propensity for enticing
little girls. and the children born in Mott and
Poll streets Of pig-tailed fathers and white
mothers have very often to be rescued by the
S. p. c. c. from surroundings most vile and
corrupting. These Cinnamon are familiar with
vices OF every possible description, though Of
course that does not restrain respectable and
Christian young women from teaching them
Bible verses and sometimes marrying them.
THE WORK OF THE s. p. C. c.
The business of gathering cigar stumps in
cutters along Broadway and intersecting streets
is quite an important industry. the material
thus collected being utilized in the manu-
facture Of cigarettes. But children who are
fodnd engaged In it are quickly pounced upon
nowadays by the society. During the seven
teen years OF Its existence the s. =. c. G. has
rescued 81, 633 children. 1t has brought 81 282
prosecutions and has obtained 20 697 convic-
ions. During the same period it has investi-
gated 81 749 cases. involving 1856 PAT children
1t rescued 1868 children during the last wear,
prosecuted 1907 cases and secured 276I con-
being ill-treated can secure an investigation Of
the matter by applying to the society. This
kind of philanthropic work has spread all over
the world. Nearly 800 similar societies exist in
various countries.
THE MUSEUM AT THE ROOMS OF THE s. p c. c.
contains an extraordinary assembiage Of in
struments of torture. There is a base ball bat
which was used BIZ a father who struck his little
boy over the head with it, He got five years in
prison. Another relic is a potato masher a
blow from which made a child an idiot for life
Hung on the wall ia pair Of shoes that were
worn by small Prince Leo for walking the tight
rope. When he performed at Aberle's The
alter here his employers used to beat him 60
brutalls on the stage that finally a number OF
spectators rescued him. There is a poker which
was employed to burn the face and hands of
little Evelyn Scott because she was naughty.
and there are many straps utilized for punish
Ing children, some with cruel knots to cut the
hesh and others with sharp nails in them A
large collection Of toy pistols is exhibited. ANY
one convicted OF selling such weapons now
adays is prosecuted. 1t will be remembered
how many youngsters were killed by them for
merry. In addition to these there are many
implements of torture and abuse from .'snep-
herds folds" and baby farms; Likewise an
opium-smoking set from a den of oriental mag
nifcence where a child victim of the vice was
found. knife is shown which was used by a
boy to cut off the tails of cats. The Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals prose-
cuted the boy and the Society for the Preven-
ton of Cruelty to Children defended him in
court. The two societies come into amicablc
collision in this fashion sometimes.