Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-01-31
PEARL BoYD's CASE
Two Letters From Salem People Charita-
bly Inclined

Two Letters From Salem People Charlta-
bly, Inclined.
THE JOURNAL Friday, printed the
story of Pearl Boyd, the Gypsy girl,
who has been repeatedly arrested and
cast into jail. and who now has
another trial pending for taking an
umbrella. II is a case of peculiar in
terest. 1t reveals the fact that while
our community has highly organ
lied and watchful machine for grind
ing out criminal court fees at the ex-
pense Of the taxpayers, we have no or
ganiZation sufficiently humane, chris
tian or intelligent TO really help such
an unfortunate creature. Here is
girl grown up among ignorant people
and with no favorable surroundings.
Her associations are not such as
would make any child a useful or
moral man or woman Yet society
pounces upon this poor creature with
the officers of the law, throws her
into jail, does nothing to educate or
employ her, and the newspapers brand
her with infamy. Brutes could not
treat another brute so cruelty.
THE JOURNAL is willing to con-
tribute to do at least as much for this
girl as the state does for boys at the
Refoi M school, or as much as the gov
ernment does for the Indian children,
who are its wards. We do not class
the Indians with Pearl Boyd or the
Reform school, but we class Pearl
Boyd with humanity. She has all the
rights to protection and 5 advant-
ages that any,human being has. We
are willing to join with Others to give
her those rights. The indictment
f,vt1f &c
take care of all classes and OF all
erring ones except such girls as Pearl
Boyd. We print two letters below:
FROM A W. c. I. q. WOMAN.
EDITOR JOURNAL:-YOur reporter
seems to think there is not any good
in Pearl Boyd, but of most people
some good can be said of them, so
there can some things be said in her
defense. Her sorrows seem to haYe
great influence over her conduct.
The member of our Union who kept
her while permanent place was being
secured for her, says she was kind,
courteous and modest in her manner,
and industrious and cleanly in her
habits. She was sent several times to
the store with money and was always
faithful and honest. She gained the
sympathy of the whole household.
She did not leave the home in Port
land 10 which she had been so kindly
invited of her own accord. She did
not come up to the expectations, so
they were disappointed in her and
sent her back to Salem.
The w. G. II. U. haye good home
for girls in need of home, but they
cannot be kept there without some
expense. Marion county has had six
girls there this winter, and the county
court has been petitioned for aid. One
hundred dollars was asked OF them,
but the court replied they could not
money outside OF the
county. Now Pearl Boyd has cost the
count nearly half that sum in less
than two months.
did cot visit her while in Jail be-
cause did not think | could do her
any good. As soon as she was dis
charged she would have to go back
to the old life. l could not ask the
home to take her after Lhe county re-
fused to help to bear part of the
burden,
ANOTEHER LETTER.
EDITOR Journalistic, your article
in your valuable paper in regard to
Pearl Boyds life has set not only the
taxpayers, to thinking about the eX-
pense, they are being uunes-
sarllly subjected to, but has the
those who belong to the benevolent SO
cietles of our town, and our city
churches, to think of obligation rest
ing upon them, to lift up fallen
humanity, would there not have been
more true religion exercised by the
sisters of our churches If they had
gone and visited that child of the
wilderness in her solitude even if she
is light-hearted and careless in man
ner? l say instead of their continu-
GUS pleading for pennies to send off to
foreign fields, thai they try to care
for the heather nearer home, why
not extend greater efforts to lift such
as this child Of the desert to higher
plains of duty.
If there was less style, less grand
ness in our churches, that are eXtant in
the Christian world everywhere
today, less operatic form in our church
choirs, less show of musical protici-
ency by professional solo singers, to-