The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1909-02-25
Most Pathetic Scene That
Ever Took Place i'm This
Starvation the
Cause.

A thrilling spectacle, and one
not likely to be forgotten by those
VINO witnessed it, was the sale of
men that took place last Friday
night at the Parkside Church
IenoN road and Flatbush avenue.
Brooklyn. There were 300 people
TO be sold, out of which two
dozen with faces masked, each
designated with a number and de-
scrlptlon OF his characteristics and
Qualifications took the platform
1ney stood there ready to be sold
asking to be sold, pleading to be
sold. They made no high demands
and asked no price, but were ready
to give their skill, knowledge, health
ana power to the man who would
promise food and shelter. They
were all, with one exception.
young and strong, and masters of
trades, well built and neatly dress
ed.
Il. T. O'Loughlin, the man who
had arranged the sale, acted as
auctloneer, and he ordered MANY
OF the wOuld-be slaves to take off
their coats and diaplay their
muscles and strength, holding out
to the prospective buyers the pro-
Its of the inve stment. But notwith-
standing the fact the church was
crowded ,and that 2 900 people were
out side of the place, who could
not gain admission, the demand
for men was small.
MIR. O'Loughlins before bring
ing the men on the platform, ex-
planned the conditions that
brought him to auction Off human
beings. 81 once obtained a lob
tor friend, who was down and
out he said, "by placing an
advertlsement that I wanted to sell
him. Since then l got 400 letters
of people asking that l do the same
for them. l did not want to do it.
have neither the time nor ability
to give myself to the task, and l
was about to dismiss the applicants
But began to read the letters
Most of them read, for Gods sake
sell me. | have no food and no
place to sleep!'
"M;lny OF the writer's, 'continued
O'Loughlin, ''Stated that they were
on the point of committing either
crime or suicide, and as read.
began to realize i'll what social
hell we are living.'
| have Il wife. and | have little
baby home, And as | was reading
the letters to my wife she said
You must try, something must be
done. Perhaps you can do some
thing for him-tor the one who
says he will jump into the river
and for those who have little child
ren, like oulsr
"Friends,'' continued the
speaker, 81 am sick. sick at heart.
when l think of the contents of
these letters
He brought to the platform a
dress suit case, which he opened
aud displayed to the audience.
showing it full of letters He then
told how the task of answering
them became an impossibility, and
how futile it would be to take in
dlVldual action. He. therefore,
advertised for church in which
the auction could be conducted. and
Notwithstanding the fact that the
advertisement for Il church was
inserted for six days, the only one
that answered it was DR.. John ID
Long, of the ParkSide Church
o 'Loughlin told how he haG
been asked by the applicants to
be put up first.
II called 4 meeting OF these 'lirs
mp men last night in the library
OF DIR. Longs church 4 have beer
out of work ten months,' said ont
man whose hair was verging on th'
gray, and l feel that / am on th'
exc of a job
His face lit up as he talked
1t was if the threshold of HEAVIER
We're about to open to him. Th,
chance OF Il job. to labor with hi
hands. to take home bread to th'
Vile and little ones, was the goa
toward which he had been strivin