The herald., 1895-05-20
A START is MADE

ing the Los Angeles city prison were
facts, incontrovertible although. in a way,
compromising facts; those that will fol-
low today are from reliable authorities
and by witnesses that are prepared to
vouch for their truth.
The first statement is from Miss G. T.
Stickney. corresponding secretary of the
W. G. T. IT,, and an active worker as well
in the Salvation army. She was seen in
the headquarters of the latter oTganiza-
tion yesterday afternoon, and while de-
ploring the fact that she must talk of
such secular matters on the Sabbath, felt
that the urgency of the need of some
immediate action demanded unusual pro-
cedure.
Miss Stickney's attention was called to
the condition of the central station some
time ago. She went and investigat ted,
only to find it so much worse than had
been reported that she brought the matter
up before the W. G. T. y. at the next
meeting.
A committee was appointed to see what
could be done, but when the ladies got
there, the officers in charge said they were
helpless to better matters unless a new
Jail could be built, and there was no
money that could be devoted to such a
purpose. That, although the law de-
mands that boys, women and girls be
separate entirely from male prisoners,
they were FORCED to put all the WON en-
and girls into one sx14 foot cell, and the
best they could do for the boys was to
confne them with the milder male Grim
inals, or in other words, the TRUSTEES.
At the time of the recent raids on the
houses Of ill fame. Miss Stickney remem-
bered the accomm odations for females on
Second street and week ago Friday she
succeeded in getting another committee
together from the W. G. r. U.. com posed
OF Mrs Mary A. Kenney, president of the
central union; Mrs. Saxton. form merly
state superintendent Of purity; Mrs.
Pattee and Mrs. Wolfskill. shortly since
the editor of the South Methodist paper,
to accompany her early in the following
week. Last Tuesdaylthey appeared be-
fore the police commissioners with an ap-
peal for some change to be made. This
action on the part of the committee was
made public at the time, and BY the Ie-
quest of Police Comim ssioner Field the
same committee will attend the m Getting
of the councilmen this morning, when
the police commissioners will hand over
the appeal to that honorable body.
Miss Stckney remarked with some en-
phssis that when the hobos were troub-
ling the city's peace II few months ago
money was found to rent a building and
provide protectors for it, and she doesn't
understand why the same building or
another one cannot now be utilized for
the purpose of caring for the women and
boys who are in the direst need of such
protection.
1T may be eight or nine months" said
Miss Stckney, 'befo-e any permanent
change can be made in the Jail, and
meanwhile look at the physical suffering
and moral danger those poor creatures
are being subjected to. The woman's cell
aas steel slat door, with only stuff cur
tains, that, to be sure, conceal them if
drawn, but there are cells with men in
them across the narrow corridor, and
right next to them; there is no use in be
ing sentimental; everybody knows what
kind of women usually land in jail and
many OF them are not sorry to be so near
Luc iidic CrllHlllulS. lucy SnOulu not be
allowed to be in such close contact, within
easy speaking distance.
"Then think of the police matron, Mrs.
Gray continued Miss Stickney, earnest
ly, ''she lives in East Los Angeles. To
be sure she comes over every morning
and when she is needed for an emergency
she comes after being sent for, but she
can't be to those women what she ought
to be, and so she is utilized in various
ways over there to earn her money.
1.-The w. G. 7. u. believes in getting sin
away from people by law. and the Saliva
tion army believes in getting people away
from sin by moral force, and | as a
worker in both, believe that when wo-
men, especially those from the lower
class, are arrested they should be sent
as soon as sentenced to an industrial col
ony. an outside reformatory for adults
where they may be given manual training
while they are serving their time. and
as much longer as it would take them to
learn to be seli-supporting in some way;
then. when released. they wouldn't have
to 20 back to sin for their living.
'Most of that grade OF women like Gin,