Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-07-19

tnat sne might earn her salary. etc.
II it is the private opinion Of the
Union that there 10 mo need OF a no.
lice matron in Rock island beg
leave to make the statement that the
Union does not know what it IL talk
ing about, and il it would tai e the
trouble to look into the needs of our
city. and could realize some of the
circumstances regarding some of our
women and girls Especially young
girls say of 16 years and under) as
somUof our private citizens do; and
il it also knew what the duties OF
q police matron are, it might change
its mind. i have been interested in
. move Of this kind for some time,
and becoming more and more con-
vinced every day from personal ex-
perience that there would be a great
deal for police matron to do in
Rock leland il she understood her
work thoroughly. l have o case
very fresh in mind at present of
young girl only 16 years old, who
within the past month, was found on
the river bank one evening by one
orour citizens. She was crying and
made the statement to the gentle
man that she had no home nor
money. and he kindly gave her
enough to provide her with . nights
lodging and breakfast, and then
stated her case to q woman whom he
thought would interest herself in the
girl. He took the case to this woman
simply because the city does not
provide police matron, whose duty
it shall be to look after and ferret
out Just such cases. The woman in
question found the girl and took her
to her own home. and went to work
herself to do the work of a police
matron in finding out the truth in
regard to the girls life and charac-
ter. And what came to light was
just this-that the girl had . mother
and brothers In Davenport; (shs
had stated that her family were all
dead) that her family had not
seen her since last January, and
had lost all trace of her. She told
those who were caring for her some
truths. but many more untruths re.
garding her past life. One would
not believe it possible for . girl Of
Is to be SO deep in the art Of de-
ceiving as time proved this one to
be. l cannot 60 into all the details
of this girls life. as they were
brought to light upon investigation !;
suffice it to say. that after all this
work BY aprivate citizen. the girl was
turned over to her mother with the
understanding that the police matron
Of Davenport should take up tho
case and send the girl to some re.
formatofy institution. You may
say this is only an isolated case, but
could state others which have come
to my notice from time to time, and
calling to mind this fact that am .
private citizen and not trying to
ferret out these cases except as they
are brought to me, the fact is that il
we had . police matron whose duty
1t should be to spend her whole tune
looking up each case she would have
her hands full, and more than earn
whatever salary the city should de-
eide to pay her.
LET it once be tried and it will be
found that time does not wear
heavily on the incum bent's hands.
and that she will have plenty to do
and the good that won Id be done in
separating young girls from the
hardened class would lead even the
Union to confess that it had no idea
OF the needs of the stu alton in Rock
leland"