The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-02-23
A POLICE STORY.
REALISTIC INCIDENTS ATTACHED TO
ONE OF NEW Works. CHARITIES.

How the Idea Of the "NAght Re fugs
For Friendlsss Women" in New
York Was Born in the Heart of
Woman.
Go into any saAtie1 Of q busy police
Pgsoinct Of New York and on the wall,
b. the side Of the sergeant's desk, Is Q
big placard announcing in fat black let
tsring that the Night Refuge for Friend
lsas Women II to be found at No. IA
West Fifteenth street. The placard IL
the first object that strikes the eye or
the homeless creature a. she opens the
door of the station, says Leslie'S
Weekly, 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 shelter and food"
"On q winter night we'll sometimes
have more than doaeA women come
here for shelter. We Just point to
that placard, and they read it and go
right out, and we know thai they'll find
q bed. There was one woman, / re-
member, came into the house during
the bitter storm, no coat, boots worn
In holes, nothing but a thin cotton
dress and battered old hat; face all
fallen Unlocked as il she hadn't eat
en- anything in days; starved with the
cold, weak for want OF food-juSt the
usual sort. She was going to ask me
something when she caught sight OF
that pasteboard. 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-stupid like.
Then she turned to me with the blind
stare, and says, in far-away voice.
Say, is there such places as that?
Yep says l. Where they give yer
food and bed just because yer need
it?' Yep l says again.
"'And they don't ask yer no ques-
tions?'
That's about the size of it, tells
her.
"'And don't want to know who you
are? Or how many times you've been
locked up? And don't want certifi-
cate 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 poor?
81 gave her Yes to all these Ques-
lions.
Then she turns and says: I'm glad
l saw that placard. I'll try it. 1 amt
got any hope, but I'll try 1t. I've been
turned down everywhere 1 went, and
| was just going TO see whether the
North river was kinder She went
out" adds the sergeant, "and l saw no
more of her. But | afterwards heard
that they'd taken her in and found
work for her somewhere"
1t was on a bitter day in the WIN
ter of 1851 that Mrs. Osborne, huT-
rying to her home through a by-stre0t
on the West Side, saw two girls hud-
ding for shelter in doorway. Some
thing in the aspect of the women,
something in the expression of their
tear-worn eyes as they looked out up
ON the driving rain, stopped her on
her way, and she turned back and
spoke to them. Their story was soon
told. I'VE are two sisters. Our home
is in Winston, 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 homeless and
starving"
Within an hour the two women were
housed in Mrs. Osborne's home. With
in 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 sis
tiers in the city who might be in need
as desperate; that here was the pos
sibility OF work which might be car
ried 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 did she weaken in her
purpose.