The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-23
Miss Mollie Hay Leads the Way through
Dens of Vice and Takes Notes on
the Life of Fallen Sisters.
PEEPED BEHIND THE SCENES
Sights Pronounced Worse Than
Any in New York or London.
Notorious Resorts from Carrie WatsOn's
Gilded Palace to Vina Fields
COlOred Den Visited.

the Woman's Christian Temperance Con-
gress, which closed its session Saturday
night in the Art Institute will carry away
from Chicago a knowledge of its darker
side which will no doubt become the foun-
dation of many addresses in advocacy of
social purity and temperance. The new
experience which the new style crusad-
ers gained was found in a series of
stunning" tours, under police protection,
through the '1evee' district of that part
OF darkest Chicago bounded by Harrison
and Twelfth streets on the north and
south and Clark and State streets on the
west and east. These courageous women
We're overcome by what they saw. Most
of the hauntS were unknown except
through vague newspaper hints. and the
scenes of vice came on them with appal-
ling force Even as they proceeded they
sought to do missionary work among the
fallen and besought charity from the
wealthy and notorious keepers of the re-
sorts visited. The party comprised the fol-
lowing we'll known of the Indiana Wo-
mans Christian Temperance Union:
Miss Mollie Hay, of Indianapolis; Mrs.
e. L. Calkins. of South Bend, vice-presi-
dent of the State union; Mrs. Ella Moore.
of Lakeville; Mrs. Emily Tompkins, of
Elkhart; Mrs. Addie Fields, of Indianapo-
lis; Miss Leonora Ayres, of Indianapolis;
Mrs. NJ. L. Mendenhall of Richmond, and
Gertrude Fulton of Richmond. They were
escorted by detectives Techorn and Mig
gemyer and Charles Stevens and r. S.
Fulton, Of Richmond, Ind.
The desire of the temperance women to
investigate Chicago's slums was one of the
results of the congress just closed. During
the session, which was attended by women
of note from other land as well as by many
of lesser celebrity, the moral condition of
the great cites formed one of the chief
subjects of discussion. Tales of crime and
vice We're told by the leaders, which horri-
fed those less accustomed to the scenes of
city life. and especially after night. Some
of these scenes portrayed were of char
acter that could hardly be believed.
The seven Indiana women, all Of them in
tesfsely y interested In rRbiic charities and in
the rescue Of the fallen, had never visited
the slums of a great city, with the single
exception of Miss Mollie Hay, whose "slum-
ming experience extends over New York
and London. They discussed an expedition
which would bring them in contact with
the 'other half of the world" or. as Paris
ians say, the demimondaine A trip through
the district inhabited by these people would
give them = more correct idea of what they
heard and read. If what they had heard
proved true, seeing the reality, they would
be able more forcibly to impress their
sisters with the necessity for more Wig
orous work among class whose rescue had
scarcely been attempted, save by the sisters
Of the Salvation Army
MISS MOLLIE HAY LED.
Accordingly, these seven w. G. T. u.
members having convinced themselves by
fc hot a frir ia
levee would be practical aid to their pur-
poses and work, they sought leader. Miss
Mollie Hay, Of Indianapolis, whose London
and New York experiences fitted her for
the place. undertook the task, and Charles
L. Stevens, OF the 'levee district, and Mr.
Fulton, husband of one of the women, were
designated TO act as escorts.
Saturday evening a call was made on
Lieutenant Haas, Of the central station,
ard detectives Horns and Niggemyer were
ordered to meet the party at the Harrison
street station at i o'clock this morning.
All met according to the appointment and
at the hour set. The detectives led the way
down Harrison street to Clark stopping
first at the famous resort of Carrie Watson,
No. AL Clark street. Admittance there was
denied, and the visitors were much down.
cast. ,~o
tonight" objected Miss Watson that the
parlors are full. Call early tomorrow night
and iii be glad to see YOU" No ABB was
then visited. There was some trouble ABOUT
entering which the detectives soon obvi-
ated Here the luXu1iously furnished
rooms, with their choice and costly paint
ings rich hangings and fine furniture fairly
amazed the visitors at first, but pity Tor
what they termed rod tne everv otbar eetion
1t was the first time these women, strug-
Cling to uplft humanity. had ever looked
on men and women lost to every considera-
tion of purity What they saw was a COM
bination of social life that had never come
within their sight, before. When they
emersed they found their presence ,,a mao pc pc
sons had assembled to greet thenl' ano
dogged their steps as they went from place
to place throughout the "levee,~ down even zen
chute under the Twelfth-street viaduct.
In each place visited the women engaged
in conversation with tns inmates ii0,tar, anu a.,
future audiences regarding the ways in
which women fall. Miss Hay listened to
the life Of colored girl In one OF the base s1s
Hay related a different life and besought
the girl to join it. The girl replied:
You have touched my heart, Missus.
I used to be good woman, but / amt
now, and / can't leave this life no more"
Some of the houses looked dark, and fire.
quently the women shrank from entering.
The presence of the big detectives assured
them. however. and no place where the
doors were unlocked were passed by without
a visit. Clark street was taken by storm.
The inmates Of the places We're more
struck with amazement than their visitors.
At first they would shrink away. then
when courage returned they would give
their visitors all varieties of treatment.
Many polite some respectful, while
others more brazen than their wont, would
ask their visitors to buy beer and cigar
cites. AT No. 527 Clark street nine women
were standing before the bar drinking beer
and smoking cigars. What's this?" shouted
one. only some girls from the next house.
Have drink" replied another. The la
dies drew back while detective Techorn
explained their mission. The youngest
woman greeted the explanation with loud
laughter and. running across the room,
jumped into the lap OF a young man.
While the party stood on the sidewalk
at the viaduct a colored woman thrust her
head out of a basement doorway with a
vulgar exclamation that made the party
again shrink from the tour before them.
The women were then conducted to Gus
tom-house place. From No. 176 North not
house missed until all began to
grow weary. They visited the notorious
Vina Fields, where all colors are COM
mingled. Here there was q hurrying and
scurrying of men for side rooms when the
party entered, until few women remained
in the parlors. One of the men did remain
however. He was under the influence of
liquor, and, catching one of the party by
the arm, he cried: "Come and have a dance
with me-" The members of the party were
by this time satisfied with the nature OF