The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-12
THE CASE or MRS. BENNETT.

SEATTLk, April ii, IS9a
To TINE EDITOR: Will you kindly allow me
space to state the facts in the case of the State
vs. Mrs. Bennett, briefly referred to in your issue
of today. Some ten days ago the police depart
ment reported the case to the bureau, asking
whether there was not some way Of rescuing a
girl Of Ii and boy Of II from being daily wit.
nesses of their mothers shame, and of the girl
from being forced into such a life herself a. it
was represented her 16-year-old sister had been.
In company with Officer Harding and another
policeman who knew OF the condition of the
family, visited the shack: found them living
in one room, in q condition OF sQualor that
could hardly be described. The woman dad not
claim to be pursuing any honest method to OBJ
tain q livelihood for herself and children, but
sfolidy reported that she ''got her money in
different ways: that she "dd not know how
she did earn her living and it is true that she
was told by me that to insist upon the statement
that she did not know how she obtained
living was simply to insist upon telling n
falsehood. She said to me In the presence OF the
officers and to Officer Harding, before me, that
II she was leading life of shame. "there il no
law to prevent1t'-that she was as good a. 9TH
ers, etc. Two other officers and several Of the
neighbors had reported to. OH GER Harding, the
officer of the beat. Of drunken brawIs and con.
slant midnight orgies in this woman's abode
and of her regular companionship with men of
the toughest type. made diigent inquiry and
became fully satisne d that IL was my duty to act
in behalf OF the children whose appearance
plainly indicated extreme neglect and cruelty.
! found from the report OF Principal Jones. of
the Denny school. that Bessie had attended
school but twenty-eight and one-half days since
the beginning of 1891, and that the boy of 10
years had attended but one day for more than a
year; that during the previous year his attend
ance was spssmodic: and, but for the personal
efforts OF the principal, would not have been
what IL was. One witness testified to seeing
the mother, often accompanied by her
l3year old daughter. on the streets with hard.
looking men almost every night, at late and I'M
usual hours, for moro than year. There was
no dearth OF witnesses. and there being no
other agency TO act in behalf Of these most un-
fortunate children, their distress being "physi-
Cal, Intellectual and moral OF the most dis.
tressing nature it was plainly my duty to
proceed promptly and in tho most energetic way
possible. Though l believe any court, Il will
nos cay any jury. especially az our lower court
!uries are apt 10 be composed, and particularly
when times are dulD would have sustained the
charge as preferred had we in force law 70
have directly rescued the children from their
untoward situation. We would have proceeded
under il, as for "erueity TO children" the re-
Gently enacted statute not yet being in force I
will not dilate uTon the character of her wit
nesse- a sa'oon man, a sailor and another who
testified that she had done washing for them),
nor OF the composition of that particular jury
any more than 10 say that twas "hard times
jury.
surely the bureau cannot have any higher or
more appropriate function than that of rescuing
defenseless children, especially when there is
no agency particularly organized for the pur-
poe. aud In seeking TO have them properly fed
and clothed. shall We he adversely criticised IL
We EN- ploy the test means we can find in fur
;heting ais their higher interests, in trying 10
resene them from moral. in te leetual and physi-
cal contamination ana ruing Respectfully
r. +. DOLBY superintaudsnt