The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-27
WORK THAT is BEING DONE FOR
CITY's SOCIAL OUTCAsTs.
Ineficacy of the Law to Stamp Out
the Social EviI-SpOts of right
ness in the Under World.

s~triction of that blighting vice which
flaunts itself in the faces of a community,
defies public sentiment and tempts to its
dens the morally weak woman. Society is
justified In the demand that the social evil
shall be driven from the highways into Sc
clusion. But centuries of human expert
ence have demonstrated conclusively that
law cannot reclaim the fallen TO the ranks
of responsibility, and further, that if the
evil is ever to be conquered, moral, instead
of physical force, must be the agent TO ac-
complish the result so generally desired.
And so, while it is necessary TO provide
punishments and prisons for the incorrigi-
BILE, it is equally true that society ought to
accord hearty and generous support TO all
Of those moral and Christian agencies at
work in behalf of debased womanhood not
yet beyond the pale of reclamation. In
this praiseworthy work noble women rep
resentative of every religious creed are en-
gagged, and the writer, in directing atten-
ton to what has been done by some of
these rescuers, would not be understood as
making an invidious distinction between
Salvation Army women, Sisters of Charity,
Protestants or Hebrews. For they have
all done magnificent work, the net results
of their labors far exceeding anything ac-
complished in the way of reformation by
law and its agents.
1t would not be difficult to fill columns of
this paper with evidence, most Of it pa
thetic in the extreme. illustrative of the
efficiency of womanly efforts in the work
of reformation, and conclusiveiy demon
%strative of the fact that a great percentage
of depraved w~omanhood is not irreclaima-
bic. Scanning this tear-stained evidence
-
not done more in the way of reinforcing
the efforts of these women devoting their
lives TO the hopeless and sin stained: I'm
fortunately, even many good people are
disposed to regard this rescue work as
purely professional, and those engaged in
IL as either persons dominated by maWklsh
Sentlmentallty, mercenary motives or a
thirst for conspicuity. Here is the. brief
statement of one woman, whose deeds are
gratefully remembered not only by many
who were once social outcasIs in our city,
but also by hundreds of others in various
cities of the United States. The motives of
many others engaged in similar work are
equally pure and lofty.
Mrs. Kate Waller Barrett, of the National
Florence Crittenton Mission, an organiza-
en-, in telling how she first became inter-
ested in the unhappy outcastS of society,
said:
II was but seventeen years old when 1
was married to a clergyman, and went from
my country home to live in the city. We
went right into the slums of Richmond,
v d. the CdlISG II. n strange
place TO spend the honeymoon, you may
think. but our hearts were in the work. Up
to that time / had never seen a girl who
had gone aStray, and l had many strange
and wrong ideas Of the world. A year or
more had passed, and l was so happy in
my home, when a dear little boy came to
us. Not very long after this, one day there
was a ring at the doorbell, and in a moment
my husband came in with a poor girl and a
Paby in her arms: 1t was raining, and as
L found dry clothing and cared for mother
and babe. seated by the fire the young
mother told me the story of her life.
BIRTH OF A PURPOSE.
81 had never listened to anything so sad.
She, too, had been a country girl. After be-
ing betrayed by one she loved, she had gone
back 10 her country home only to be driven
out. Back in the city she went to work, I'M
til at length her child was born, and now
she was homeless, without a penny and
with a nameless child in her arms. AS I
contrasted my life with hers, I realized how
much we owe to environment. In my hap
by HON l had not thought Of such misery
and want. 1 thought of my child, and we
had placed her baby beside it. / stood and
looked at the babe lying there beside mine,
SO sweet, so unconscious, and said, Sleep,
sleep on, little one; the awakening will
come all too soOn.' AS L realized how So
ciety would force her out, and fence her
off. and drive her to deeper degradation
for bread to eat, there came into my heart
a mighty purpose; by the power of God she
should have a chance for an honest life. l
thank God l never lost that purpose"
The work of the National Florence Crit
tenton Mission began eighteen years ago in
New York city, the founder being Mr..
Charles N. Crittenton, a wealthy druggist
of that city. Having a short time previous
ly lost his little daughter, who was the
| apple of his eye, he determined to open a
home for erring girls as a memorial to his
child. He bought. the property at Nos. Il
and % Blocker street, which was opened
girls in April, 1888. The methods of this
home were unique. The doors were always
open, day and night, to receive any friend
less girl who applied for admission, ire
spective of who or what she was.
The National Florence Crittenton Mission
is now able to say:
"We nave a daily average in our family
of 5000 girls and 600 babies. As may well
be imagined, it takes a great deal of money
to clothe and feed this large family, par
ticularly when so many have ill health
through dissipation. We attempt to make
our homes ~self-suppOrting as far as posi-
BILE; most of our homes nave industrial
departments attached to them, but because
of so many children and invalids the work
can never be self-supporting."
Mrs. Margaret Bottome. founder OF the
Kings Daughters, thus tells how another
woman came to engage in the rescue work:
I'VE may all do something. L remember
a woman, a mere girl, without a cent ex-
cept what she earned with her needle.
Margaret Strachan was a seamstress, and
going to and fro from her work in New
York city her heart was touched with pity
for the poor girls she saw, and she longed
for a home to take them in. She began to
pray, and finally, seeing a house for rent
that was just what she wanted, went to
the agent to inquire about ii. The rent was
loo a year and she had no money. The
agent became interested in her plan as she
told him of her desire TO open a home for
girls. and in a few days sent her word that
she could have the house free from Febru-
airy l till May. She took 1t ana God raised
up friends to provide and help. So the
work went on until now they own two
houses on Twenty-seventh street, and hun
dreds of girls have been cared for and
saved
Thomas ]. Hurley, vice president of the
Exploration Company of New York. and
an esteemed resident of this city, writes to
one of his friends on the editorial staff Of
the Eagle, as follows: 81 have been read
ing with much interest Nuts articles in
the Eagle and his plea for the establish
ment of homes to reclaim the unfortu-
mates.
LAS an evidence of what can be done IN
that line | inclose him a brief sketch of
what once came under my personal at
tention. If il interests him he is at liberty
to use the narrative.
you know, of course, how exactfng and
prompt Judge Lynch performed his duty.
/ was Obliged in the early days i'm Arizona
to not only act as Judge Lynch i'm passing
ton to furnish a scaffold by driving nv
own wagon under a tree and dropping the
men off the tail board OF the same. which
1 thought was rubbing il in pretty hard"
A WESTERN STORY.
The narrative in question is in the lam
guage of one who has no use for cant