The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-06-09
WHITE SLAVE STORY SHOCKS
 NEW HAvENERS
Revelations Show That Girl Was Held in Mans Power in Order
 to Protect Him From Arrest

New Haven, June 9-Further reve1a- tions of a shocking nature were made in the superior court yesterday before Judge Bennett, who is trying the white slave cases growing out of the raid some months ago on the resort at Il Olive street. It was in this raid that the two girls, Eda Schroeder, ag- ed Is years, and Florence Citro IT, were found by the police under condi- tions of white slavery. These two girls are now under the care of the House of the Good Shepherd in Hart ford. but are attending the trial as witnesses for the state. Their testi. mony given Tuesday showed the ab- solute slavery to which they were sub jected and places on the criminal rec ords of the state one of the most re- volting chapters in it's history. Fur ther details of the traffic at Il Olive street were told yesterday by Mary Alfonso: the girl accused of being the head of the place. She, herself, list ened to most of the previous evidence as if it were an ordeal. Her head was bowed and occasionally she would wipe her eyes with a small white handkerchief. She seems little more than a girl, although she says she is 21.
 The defense in her case is that as a matter of fact she was not the head of the resort, but a subject of white slavery herself. dominated through mortal fear by Angelo Rocco, the real head of the establishment, who has escaped to Italy.
 At the afternoon session with Rocco Ierardi acting as interpreter, the AL fonso woman testified that when the Citro girl was taken to the hospital after being poisoned. Angelo Rocco came to her. He seemed to know what the police were planning.
 f.,I
 be arrested tonight. The police will be here. Don't be afraid. Tell them you are the owner.''
 As will be remembered the place was raided that night by the police and the Alfonso girl with the other inmates were brought to the central station. The checks used in these places were again introduced in the testimony. Some of them represented twenty-five cents. These checks were hidden in Mary's stocking when she was taken to police headquarters The checks represent the number of wis., itors a girl has received each day and are sold to visitors when they enter by the proprietor. They are turned over to the girl by each visitor.
 When asked if these checks were used in the houses everywhere the girl stated that she did not know. tI have only been here and in Water
 
 She testified that she would often be beaten by Rocco, the proprietor of the place, who has escaped, and who is now in Italy. She said she warned the Schroeder girl to take care of herself as Rocco would hit her also. Places of ill repute, all connected with the slave traffic in this city were mentioned at 113 Water street, 25 Chestnut street, F Fair street, II and r Olive street..
 The little red account book again figured in the case, Mary stating that she was the official bookkeeper of the place. The accounts in the little red book have revealed the fact that the white slave traffic in this city was systematized and strong to a startling degree, if any credence can be given the statement of the Alfonso woman that Rocco told her that he knew when raids were to take place against the various resorts.
 There is something pathetic in the statement made by Mary Alfonso, to the effect that she was saving all of her earnings from this house on Olive street to return to her native country and start life over again.