The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-25

Where Friend1ess Women Are Helped
and enc Questions Asked"
Leslie's Weekly.

ItSild = weekly.
Go into any station of a busy police pre-
cinct and on the wall. by the side of the
se~rgeant's desk. is a big placard a%nnounc-
ing in fat black lettering that the Night
Refuge for Friendless Women is to be found
at No. IA West Fifteenth street. The pla-
card is the first object that strikes the eye
OF the homeless creature. as she opens. the
door of the station. and she reads these
words: open all night for the reception OF
those who need succor. No questions asked.
no cards or letters necessary to secure shell
ter and food"
o a winter night we'll sometimes have
more than a dozen women come here for
shelter. We just point to that placard, and
they read it and go right out. and We know
that they'll find a bed. There was one wom-
an, i remember. came into the house during
no coat, boots worn In holes, nothing but a
thin cotton dress and a battered old hat:
face all fallen Unlocked as if she hadn't
eaten anything In days; starved with the
cold. weak for want of food-just the usual
sort. She was going to ask me something
She clutched hold of the rail and, brushing
away the hair where it had fallen over her
eyes; she began to read the address With
her hand at her forehead-stupidlike. Then
she turned to me with the blind stare. and
says. in a far.away voice; Say is there
s sSsR places pirs ys as f tnasg and dYs e be say ,ast / BECAUSE MasFe
yer need it?' Yep / says again.
And they don't ask yer any questions?
That's the size OF it. tells her: ro,
Or how many times you've been locked up?
And don't want q certificate of character
from yer minister? And won't turn yer
away COS yer can't give no references from
yer last place? Don't want to know who yer
are or what you've been, so long as you're
unfortunate and poorg
Il gave her yes to all these questions. -
Then she turns and says: I'm glad L
saw that placard. I'll try it. I amt got any
hope. but I'll try it. I've been turned down
everywhere I went. and / was just going to
see whether the North river was kinder.
She went OUT adds the sergeant. stopping
to rule a line under the last entry of a
drunk and disorderly." land / saw no more
of her. But 1 afterwards heard that they'd
taken her in and found work for her some
where"
1S76-77 that Mrs. Osborne, hurrying to her
nome through a by-s.reet on the West Side,
saw two girls budding for shelter in a door
way. Something in the aspect of the women,
something in the expression of their tear
worn eyes as they loked out upon the driv-
turned back and spoke to them. Their story
was soon told.
w are two sisters. Our home is in WIN
Ston. Conn. Our people are poor. There was
not enough food to feed us all, and so we
came to New York to look for work, and
didn't find it,. We are penniless and home
less and starving"
Within an hour the two women were
housed in Mrs. Osborne's home. Within a
week they had by her aid found employment.
And out of her chance meeting with these
two women arose the thought that there
were other sisters in this city who might
be in need as desperate; that here was the
to an endless good. Il will make this work
the object of my life," she said, and never
for a single instant in twenty years has she
weakened in her purpose.