The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-11

There is hardly a more pitiable or pa
thetic sight than that of young girl,
charged with an offense against the moral
law, going through the ordeal of a po-
lice court trial. If the girl is hardened
she is apt to be cynically defiant land
will answer the questions boldly. doubt
less feeling that every hand is against
her, and like the hunted animal driven
to the wall, she will fight back This is
pitiable
But if it is her first offense, If she still
clings to her better nature and impulses,
IL she is not of the underworld and has
made a mistake, the ordeal Is a terrible
one. She answers in whispers, with head
hung with shame. while the morbidly GU
rious crowd looks on and makes flip
pant comment. Such. an experience is
more calculated to send her further along
the downward path than it is to cause her
to .'sin no more" The fact that she has
been publicly pilloried. as it were, causes
her to think that all the world knows her
fall, and in many cases she thinks 1T use
less to try to reform
But the brutal publicity of the police
court In these cases is now thing of the
past in Birmingham, for through the eff
forts of Mrs. Wilson Searight, head of the
welfare department of the city, Judge
NNood HcctlS lfliS tldSS Vi cases dltti 1t
has disposed of the regular docket and
the courtroom has been cleared. At the
request of Judge Wood Mrs. Searight is
always present and is often consulted as
to the disposition of the case.
But the city authorities are going
further than this. At the present time
If a girl or woman is arrested she IS
locked up in cell in the city jail, where
she must remain until her trial in the
mCTnipp 3,,ay ha nn1u MT
of the womans department or she may
be thrown into contact with the vicious
and utterly depraved. She Is compelled
TO listen to the coarse language and ribald
Jest of the more hardened prisoners.
such All experience can be nothing but
demoralizing and tends to set the feet
of the girl on the high road to ruin. But
this is to be soon changed, for the city
commissioners are going to provide a de-
tention room for girls and women, and
while of necessity it will be near the po-
lice court it will be as far removed from
the city jail as is possible.
These and many other reforms have
been brought about by Mrs. Searight and
other ladies Interested in welfare work.
The fact that the welfare department is
part of the city government and recog-
nized as such by the city commissioners,
has enabled Mrs. Searight to bring about
better conditions in dealing with the
woman who errs." She states with great
satisfaction that the city commissioners
have never turned down any proposition
that would or has enabled her to do the
work more efficiently, and that they have
promised to take women out of the COM
mon jail and provide separate and suit
able quarters for them elsewhere.
Possibly no department of the city is as
little known as that of which Mrs. Sea-
right is the head. But it is safe to say
that no department wields as much infiu-
ence on the moral life of the city. Never
was woman better fitted by nature for
such work. for she is made up of love
and sympathy, and in her sweet, kindly
face is mirrored the purity of her soul
In the life of a cosmopolitan city like
Birmingham there are many shadows;