The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-10-17
GIRLS SOLD AS SLAVES
Forty-Nine American Women Are Now In
Chinese Harems As Chattel Slaves
Of The Mandarines.
ASTOUNDING FACTS DISCLOSED TODAY


CHICAGO, Ill. Oct, -Fortya.ine
American girls have been sold into
life slavery in Chinese harems. Most
of the white s'ayes delivered into the
hands of Chinese masters ale lost to
civilization apd can hope Tor no es.
cape from their bondage save by sui
eide. They are helpleFs prisoners in
Chinese interior towns, subject To
shims of wealthy Chinamen who
were enabled TO purchale them
through connivance with a woman
whose identity is well Known to the
government authorities. The dealer
who delivered the girls lnto the slav-
cry resides In Chicago and has a Mo.
man confederate In SHANGHAI. China,
who Is also known to the government
secret service agents, These astound-
Ing facts were disclosed to-day by the
local immigration bureau which re-
ceived complaint oil the sale Of Lou.
ise Miller. a girl from alontrcaE Can.
ada. to the agen. Of Chinese ofi.ciai
IL, Shanghai. o:hsr evidence obtain
ed indicated that Eva Canipeau. lag
sic Drouin ane Victoria Stamour.
three waitresses who v are induced to
come to Chicago In February. 1901,
from Montreal mny have mot the
same fate.
These girls we.e employed In; the
hotel Deyflla. The Frercl. women
stopped at the hotel as guests. They
Engaged the girls to ccsle TO Chicago
and lured them to a resort. The
young women were rescued from the
dive and returned to their homes.
Later II is reported, they asain dis
appeared.
The circumstances Of thsir second
disappearance from home are sup
posed to have a second visit from tho
French women who pretended to de.
sire to make reparation and shipped
the girls to China for tee dual pur
pose of getting price of $500 piece
for them and sendif.g dangerous wit
nesses out OF the country. The names
Of ten more young women that havc
disappeared from homes In Chicago
and other American cities and were
shipped to Shanghai, are In the pos
session of Inspector J. w. Burst OF
tie Chinese immigration Bureau. The
police of this and other cities are
gathering evidence against the pro
ruresses end their prosecution WIN
follow II a proper law can be found
to punish them. Upon this point tho
government agents say they must re-
ly upon the police and State autllori.
ties, since there is no national law
against exporting women for immoral
purposes. American Consul James l..
Rodgers, at Shanghai, has enlisted
the cooperation of the English and
Chinese authorities In that city and
evidence Of many sales OF American
and Canadian girls to Chinese mas.
tors had been procured.
The authorities have unquestion-
able proof OF the Incarceration In
Chinese harems of at least dozen
of the 49 young girls.
ailda Anderson, on young wo-
man lured from Chicago by agents
of rich Chinese men is said to
have committed suicide upon arriving
at Shanghai in order to escape the
fate of being slave to Chinese
master. Others were shipped to In
tprior towns whers they were held
by one master after another until
they were finally sold to Chinese who
took them SO far into the interio-
they could not be traced.
The horror OF the situation OF the
girls can be imagined when It Is
known that the Chinese purchasers
own them as chattel slaves, may sell
them to others or may keep them as
long as they please and in the event
ci their displeasure order their heads
cut on without incurring the risk of
trial or punishment The fixed price
for Chinese girl slaves at Shanghai
Is from $3.50 to s400. The price paid
by the Chinese for American girls be-
t.ayed into their hands by the two
women engaged in the traffic varies
|fiom $500 to $1,000 apiece. Young
women OF special beauty and accom-
plishments have brought higher
prices than palmer and less accom-
plished ones. a
Two intended victoms OF the trafic