The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-10-06
NEW USE FOR POLICE
TO CARE FOR CHILL
DREN
SCHEME TO OBTAIN SOME REST
Little Ones Taken Out and Lost
PurpOseIy Are TenderIy
Cared for by the
City.

If you want to see an East side police
man angry, observe him when someone
comes UP and tells h m that there is a
lost child somewhere on his post says
the New York SUM- Nothing will pro-
woke the man in uniform more than this
on the East side.
Anywhere else in town, lost child is
taken as a matter of course, and police
man would as soon be engaged in look
ing for its people, or taking it to police
headquarters, as in patrolling his post or
doing any other routine duty. But over
On the East side it is different. If ever
policemen have been made the dupes of
designing mothers, it is the patient fell
lows whose posts are in the congested
quarters of the lower East side of this
city. 1t may be- hard tc make mothers in
other parts of the town believe that the
mothers on the lower East side delibera, e
ly turn their children loose, with the idea
CT having them picked up by policemen
and taken to the comfortable quarters
provided for stray youngsters until they
are claimed, but such is the case and
there isn't a policeman who has ever done
duty in the district mentioned who doesn't
know 1t.
Everything considered, it is not so I'M
natural a thing for them to do for they
know that the little ones will be cared
for as we'll as they would be at home,
and thai they are absolutely safe from
all harm, and will be until they are re-
stored to their homes. They know that
the children will be we'll fed, we'll clean
cd up and forced to take nap and that
they Will have abundant playthingS with
" hich to amuse themselves during their
temporary stay in the police nursery, and
it gives the mother brief respite from
her responsibilities and a chance to go
out and do her shopping or pay her social
obligations-for they are as particular
about this kind of thing on the East side
as they are uptown-without having to
carry a screaming child around with her
She can't do these things and leave
the child at home for there is no one to
take care of the little one. So she just
works one of a dozen ruses to get it
into the hands of a policeman, and once
satisfied that her child has become
municipal charge she goes on her way,
freed from all care for the time being,
When she decides to take the child back
again she goes around to police head
quarters, eyes red with tears, and in a
voice choked with emotion inquiries for
her lost baby. She makes a great scene
when the little one is put into her arms
again, and goes away with the child
closely pressed to her breast. Out of
sight of police headquarters she is a very
| matter-of-fact mother once more. The
| tears dry up, the clasp in which the baby
| is held loosens a little, and the sobs
| cease
1t isn't the American mothers who do
| this thing and it isn't the Irish Most of
| the lost children who are lost in the way
| described are Hebrews, a great many are
| Italians, and some are Germans. Sun
| reporter obtained some information on
| the subject from a policeman, to whom
he was talking on a street just east of
| the Bowery. The conversation was in
| terrupted by the approach of boy about
| ten years old, leading little girl, not
over three, by the hand.
1.-The kids lost said the boy.
| The policeman looked bored. Then he
grabbed the boy by the arm and de-
manded: How much did you get to
bring this child to me with this taIe?'
"Ah nuthin'.'' replied the boy. "She's
lost. l just found her a-cryin' up the
street, and she didn't know where she
wanted to go. So L says to meseIf. she
lost and brought her along"
| The little girl was a singularly con-
| tented-looking young person for a lost
child. She didn't look as though tears
had dampened her eyes for some time.
Inc policeman groaned, then grabbing
the small boy again, pried open his LEFT
hand and therer disclosed to view in the
dirty palm two copper cents.
thought so,' said the policeman.