The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-02-09
THE CASE OF EVELYN THAW.

the witness stand in New York
The story in itself is unfit for youthful minds to alb
serb For that reason alone it should not be printed It
is repuslve and startling to pure womanlood That
ditions prevail permitting such crime. and that parents
who rightly protest against the exposure being placed in
the hands of their children must bear share of blame for
these conditions stronger reasons wv the story ought
to be and printed.
There never time when moral dynamite in large
doses was so badly needed in this country.
The conditions described by the New York victim diff
fer only i'll degree in Spokane There fewer girls to
be led astry by designing lbertnes but the process
works Just as constantly and cunningy here what ma
terial it has.
And the shame and grief is just bitter whether it
appear in the police court here is flashed across the
continent as the big news event Of the day.
A woman is the world over.
In Evelyn 1haw's case the victim was trapped through
the CRIMINAL carelessness of her mother With that door
unbarred the vampire instinct of the childs betraver-
she was scarcely in her teens-found his work easy
little luxury, little wine-but the girl herself has
told the story.
Her mother left her to the mercy of of the world
after the latter had told her of his attentions to numerous
other girls She must have known something of his
character
That is the first point to be taken under consideration
Hhere are mothers and fathers in Spokane who if not
80 crminay careless of their daughters actions al
most guilty through lack of close interest in their
daughters companions and amusements.
When the worst it is these parents that should
bear the burden of bamethey the guilty parties that
Should be arralgned before the bar of public opinion
Spokane lacks the vouptuous encements of New
York perhaps but it has its proportion Of luxurious apart
mens dedicated to the overthrow of virtue Restaurants
and resorts that nothing more than girl traps are here
If you have for them. The police can tell YOU all
about then-but they know better than attempt to
arrest proprietor
If the of girl begued into a back room and
ruined to official notice it is hshed IN in consider
alton for the family involved-the police say.
But you hear of the proprietor of one of these
places being brought into court to for the crime
do your
Why?
Because the good people of the city the people who
don't want to read such stuff sit still and permit such
conditions to exist year after year. They don't
dabble in politics and when they do happen cast
vote they are careful not to do anything that will hurt
business" They posted what will hurt business
The wardheeling politician in guise or another at
tends to that Besides it is the working girl usually who
goes wrong She don't count for much against Cuisines
interests
Almost under the shadow of the city hall vile resorts
miscaled theaers flourish and fatten propretors and
landowners. Dives and doggeries running down from
these to vile opium dens follow in the long dsgracefu
train.
Did you stop think that girls young girls must
he procured to attract the degraded patronage of these
places? DO realize that sharpeyed gnng beasts
who profit from them constantly alert the de-
mand-the demand for womanhood's body and soul?
do you know that this shameful estimate the prob
able supply of sin victims rests every family that
boasts daughter? Dissipation and its Accomplishments
wear women out fast The demand be supplied As
IN the case OF Evelyn 1haw the eprous hand is reaching
into the cradle, so insistent has vice become
The whole frightful fabric rests on a weakness of
human nature as deplorabe is shameful If your
daughter is ruined she goes her downward wav You
bear the burden best you can She becomes an object
OF gbe and insult and you stink into obscurity It is the
same everywhere and nowhere is united overpowerng
Hood of avalke Indignation generated to burn out the
instigators.
The sleek, diamond decked devil who receives tbe
broken product of the crime and figures out certain
profit on her presence understands his safety He has
ssquared it with the political powers dominant and for
the rest he has little Nobody else has any particular
interest IN the matter The girl has been branded with
sins black mark and decent people won't listen 70 or look
pit her lest they become contaminated
That is the condition prevailing here as elsewhere Tic