The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-04-20
FOR THE FALLEN WOMEN
Mrs. Charlton EdhoIm's Start
ling Address ON Sunday.
Tells Some Very Unpleasant
Truths Openly and Boldly.
Urges Christians to Take Up the Dis
agreeable, But Necessary Work Of
Investigation and Rescue in
the Haunts Of Vice.

The pretty little Central Congrega-
tional church was filed to its utmost
caracity yesterday morning
Mrs. Charlton Edholm. the represen-
tative of Charles n. Crittenton in his
rescue work. was to speak
Mrs. Edholm is Fascinating speak
err Her tones are low and her voice
wen modulated.
She is a rapid speaker and lost no
time in preliminaries. She said;
There are go 600 erring girls IN the
United States, and it is and has been
for many years my work to help make
their lives more what il should be-
The prime cause of all this Is the
drink traffic. If this were abolished or
controlled by the state and govern
ment it would do away with this ter
rible situation regarding the fallen
girls of this country
Even here in Topeka though, where
the liquor traffic is partially controlled
there is today down in the city
prison q young girl, an Outcast, who IS
confined there without any helping
hand Outstretched to save her L an
going down to that Jail and will see
her and talk to her, and tell her o.
Christ; viii try to send her to the FlOl-
ence CrittentOn home in Kansas City
An Outcast girl in the jails Of To-
peka and the city full Of Christians.
The churches all over the city are filled
with WOrshippers this morning and not
one of them to assist this poor girl
That is what we have to contend with
. the Indifference of Christians. Some
times I think if we were to do less with
our Christianity. as we use it; if we
were to think less of business, of So
ciety. of homework and of crazy quilts
and would let these poor creatures
know that we bear the love of Christ
ia our hearts, what a better world it
would be.
There is i'm this country q systema
tized and legalized and well organized
FTf is q q z@lfA
but true They are lured, captured and
enSnared, and sold for from S25 to $50
apiece. body and soul Their average
life after entering upon their careeT Of
shame and agony is but five years.
$4,000 Of these girls die yearly. and there
are always recruits for the depleted
ranks. In New York city there are IT.
uuu nameIess graves every month
Whence come these recruits to fill the
places of the dying ones From Chris
tan homes; the daughters of minis
ters, the daughters of business and pro
fessional men, the daughters of con-
gressmen; United States senators.
Judges-in fact from any home There
is not q home i'm the United States
proof against this terrible iniquity.
Where does the fault he2 With the
Christians Millions and millions OF
them though there be in this country.
they are as a rule too apathetic and in
different. Oh. for an awakening among
the Christians. SO called, in this
country
One hundred homes every "a hours
are ROBBED and dispOiled of their most
precious treasures. and who knows
which viii be the next one
n would to God that Christians would
take the padlocks off their lips go out
into the world and preach Gods word
to the people in the streets. the lanes
and the highways. Only by such an
awakening Oan there be anything done.
Why viii Christians sit still and think
their home safe2 There is NOT a sim
gle home in this broad land which is
safe
Mrs Edholm comes to Topeka for
the purpose Of trying to build up a Crit
tenton home in this city She has the
churches interested to certain de-
gree and the w. O. r. I'll. the Social
Purity league and other kindred or
CARNATIONS. She viii stay here this
week. speaking at different churches.
Last night Mrs. Edholm was granted
the use of the First N E. church and
had q very large audience