The Topeka state journal., 1897-04-09
HELP THE GOOD WORK.
There Should Be an Organiza-
tiOn of Women
To Give Mrs. Thorpe Moral and
Financial Support
In Her Efforts to Rescue Young 0iI1
Her Single Handed Struggle
With the Problem Deserves
Sympathy.

In the small house at SO Van D - - -
etreet there is a front room on M -
floor which is a prison for the - -
rf Young girls who may be arr
the police, and who should ho1 - -
81 in the women's ward or tHe
5af1 along with hardened and VIE
male prisoners eavr
It has few chairs table ana ma a dZz,s 1Tss
books and pictures IN Il - shutters
are securely locked anu ~ - and
closed The room is KEPT r----i ,,,g1I y
-e1l ventilated and is scrupulou4sl
clean. 1t is an ideal jan rooIl'
rv but not unhealthful- ,,,-,ia7
-vnfs room is in the house occupLSH -
~ EoIiee NTa+roY Thorpe She at pres
mt maintains this separate aPaI aP-l IN - - :
at her own expense MIS- 81 Of
Maid $40 a month by the city IoaS,s IoaCN -
this room there Is anoLilg- anl- ,,.bicb are
t1sed 20 store charity SoouS ~ s!t-it-, - -
gar+ 70 the notice matrOn LOE US - -
ton among the poor people .e,+ ard
tv-O things she receives not %
II is a constant expense 70 ny 80
Mrs. Thorpe is a woman " NJ NJ ~ iTtar-
stop for such obstacles oLle =. - ~
ested deeply in practical cAdIL' cA - j." ~
and she gladly does all sne can AoA -
IN the matter of the prison room at
ber house she hopes to have some Pr
vision made soon whereby eltheI ~
-irIs can be placed in separate aPGi ape! =
SO - the citv iail. or the police
hoard can fit up a place at her mus ~
free from expense TO her. Al pfeselt .5 ~
rooms occupied by the prisoners 80 -
~ charity goods cost 50 per InOilll-
.i,el-- three girls have been kept IN
This room whom it would nave DeeII @ an
outrage to have placed IN Ine jan 30 80
now occupied by Kate Parlsh' DIS
T7rank'' Wallace and MIN eiul-N0i9 -
three notorious colOred women;
All the young girls in Mrs Ihorpe
ct1arre REQUIRED disciplining but not
degrading. .1,,o,- ,7o,,+
eaar7 to keep the WOmen's ward cleail'
and they won't let me take my ne4P
over there and clean II LhSS g. q
trusty do it. and the result Is ma - II =
71o+ Kent clean It is a filthy place at
J1asr and we need some OF the unurlng
energy Of Mr.. DisbrOw to keep II IN
good sanitary condition II IS great
deal of trouble to me ana some eAPeIlSs PS
IN have to maintain this jan room a.
nv house. but I found it absolutely
necessary. I have had three glrlS IN
IT already and I wouldn't have let theIn
stay in that jail over tne[e WI
low coIored women fer anything
won know from the ages OF 10 TO 1S
1-aars q girl is practically without re
straint bv law. She cannot be arrest
ed unless she commits a teiony; II Is
this class Of girls with whom L nave d
great deal TO do and they are ofUen Ia
ken in by the police Maybe Iney VIII
not be fined by the judge but they may
be kept in jail two or three days, 10
put a young girl in a place where she IS
bound to be degraded is indeed shame
That is why we need another jail room
7 hone the council committee Will see
fit to make the improvements and 10
clean up the old jail. I am not able to
keep a separate jail room at my own
exDense but I will do it rather than de-
grade these young girls who are put
under my care.
The Journal suggests that the seven
ty public spirited and energetic ladles
Who worked so hard circulating petit
tions that Mrs. Thorpe be retained as
police matrcn, do now meet and form
an organization for the purpose OF as
sist!ng her in obtaining the needed
changes in the care of young girls that
are necessary
These ladies can find a good work to
which they can turn their attention II
they are disposed to form an organlza-
ton of the kind suggested.