The sun., 1899-11-28
WOMEN SUGGEST NEW LAWS
HAVE PLANS OF THEIR own FOR
IMPROVING THE POLICE COURTS.
Would Abolish Fines for Disorderly Conduct
and Treat the Men who Share the Earn
ings of Prostitutes MS sNagrants-Schenne,

Would Abolish Fines for DisorderIy Conduct
and Treat the Men who Share the Earn
inGs of Prostitutes MS NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.,
Too, for Beating Straw Bopdsmsn.
Several women representing the Society OF
Friends. the Mary Magdalene Home. and the
Salvation Army attended last nights meet
ing Of the Board OF Magistrates and petit
toned the member to assist them In securing
the passage OF new laws relative to prostitution
and intoxication. Mrs NJ. H. Chapman. chair
man OF the prison reform committee OF the
Society OF Friends was the first TO speak. She
offered two bills. asking the Magistrates 10 do
what they could TO have them passed at the
next session OF the Legislature. The first
measure. as she described H. would prohibit
the imposition OF a fine In any case OF tlisor-
derly conduct or public intoxicatlon. The
second bill as read was as follows:
Section livery male person who. knowingly.
lives wholly or In part on the earnings ot prostitu
NOR m oral purposes. shall be deemed vasrsn. within
ana S dealt w2
ingly.
or be hsbitually in the company OF prnstitutc aud
has no visible means 81 support he shall unless he
be knowingly living on tho earnings OF prostitution
In support OF the lrst bill Mrs Josephine
Shaw Lowell said that tho system OF ilncs
for men disc rlminated against poor prisoners.
who. having no money. would DO sent to prison
while more fortunate men. guilty OF
tho same offence. could secure their
release on payment OF nominal sum.
For the women arrested for dlsorderly con-
duct" continued Mrs. Lowell. tho fine system
Is still worse. The woman PAYS her fine out
OF the proceeds OF her prostitution and re-
turns Immediately to secure more money In
the same way"
When asked what sho would suggest In
tho way OF punishment as substitute for =
fine, Mrs Lowell said that the magistrate should
either send tho woman to prison or place her
under bonds for good behavior. Sho added tha I
tho societies Interested in this reform would
have women representatives In each police
Wh6 sG give Ee to o
institution for n year.
But there are professional bondsmen rc,dy
in every court" said Magistrate Olmsted, and
they furnish bail in all cases for SO or s25 for
We could remedy that" said Mrs. Lowell.
~ representative ~ our societies was there
professional hondsmen had chance"
Several OF the Magistrates am led. u may be
ns % nSsa1 Ct N Of HA tSs % "TySSdy MsS cs sS
sent the professional bondsmcn In all
Of the ooS,s a %Sny Of the pGsG
pref S"s to Ta pay r sSa % T
herself to the good Influences OF a home" Tor
Can't the Magistrate decide for himself
which bond to accept" asked Mrs. Lowell.
oh no." replied Magistrate Brown. we arc
obliged 10y law To- accept the bonu uf any one
who has the property qualification. II Ia the
prisoners right t. select her bondsman,"
Then cant you imprison the women abso.
lntely without any reference to bond;" asked
Mrs, Chapman.
No. the law does not provide for that" said
Magistrate Mayo.
We'll" said Mrs Lowell. The law saws that
prostitute Is a vagrant ard "A vlRrant may be-
sent TO lail. Can't you solve the problem IN
that way"
i've tried that" said Magistrate Olmsted
Il had the most notorious woman in this city
before me on a charge OF stealing 81. 800 from
one man and $500 from another There
was not enough evidence TO hold her
but had her own admission in
black and white that she was prostitute
so as soon rs the larceny charges had
been dismissed l had her arrested az a
vagrant and / committed her. With
IA twcnty-iour hours she was out on
a writ OF haheas corpus. and she has been out
ever since. The women can beat the vagrancy
charge every time
Magistrate deuel.. President OF the board,
told the women that at tha next session OF the
Iegisature bill would be introduced TO en-
able the Magistrates to send prostitutes to
Jail without giving them the alternative Of fur
nishng bail. That closed ;h0 conference.