The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-05-20
IN VALE OF TEARS
Stories Of Pain and Pathos in
Police Report.
Tirst Annual Showing Of To-
peka Female Coop"
LOST BABIES AND GIRLS.
Need Of q Hotel for Homeless
Women
pftiful Tales of Conditions I'm
This City.
LOST BABIES AND GIRLS

Stories of pathos and pain. OF run
away girls. lost babies and pitiful home
conditions are briefly told In the first
annual report of Topeha's first police
woman, Miss Eva Corning. filed with
Mayor Cofran this week. MISS Corning.
an unassuming. businesslike little per-
son. received her silver star inscribed
sPolicewoman No. q in June. 1913.
Emphatic need Of girls hotel-an
institution larger than tho Y. w. C. A..
and cheaper-is mentioned in Miss
Corninks report. Hundreds OF home.
less girls. according to Miss Corning.
come to Topeka for work. rent cheap
rooms in undesirable localities and are
lea in time to tho police Judge or
duvenile court. A home for unprotected
working girls, sponsored by the clubs
or churches of Topeka. would. Miss
Corning declares. become in short
time self supporting.
During her twelve months work Miss
Corning has had heart-to-heart talks
with 90 girls-learned their histories.
ana helped them as she could. with
the cooperation of the Y. w. c. A. and
Provident association she has found
homes or employment for several. Only
&nur Of the % have been sent to Beloit,
where the state industrial school for
kris IL located. Personal attention has
Been siven IS women. The troubles OF
twenty boys have been settled. City
schools have been visited, school chill
dren instructed, unsanitary conditions
and delinquency investigated, young
DterD trotted home before curfew and
mission services attended. During the
entire year Miss Corning has made
only fifteen arrests. She believes an
- Ia n
Of cure.
One Of the officers told Miss Corn
Ing, who freQuents the railway sta
tions, of a young woman and baby
waiting for hours at the Santa F'e. Miss
Corning: hastened to the depot.
"Can help you?" she asked. SYM
pathetically, showing her star.
The woman seemed ready to cry. II
don't know, ma'am," she responded,
trotting the baby on her knee. 1--WE
been waiting five hours for my hus-
band. He said he'd meet me. don't
Know where he is-and I've only rs
cents. 1 don't know what to do
Miss Corning took the weeping little
woman to the Provident association
and set about to locate the missing
was waiting in Meriden for his family
OF two The wife was supplied with a
ticket and sent on her way rejoicing.
MixuD In YCOIers.
A report that a white baby was be-
ing reared by colored people on Fiji
teenth and Monroe streets was investi-
gated by Miss Corning.
':Oh. it's colored baby. indeed, it
u.s. asserted the baby's foster mother.
Examination of birth records and
adoption papers established the fact.
The baby was light, but had colored
blood. Its adopted parents were well
able to care for it. and 1t was left in
their charge.
Leta Spangler, who passes the half
and-half at Johnson's restaurant in
North Topeka. frequented dance halls
and skipped through life without re-
gard for the good Of society, Miss
Corning said. Men and women COM
planned of her. the report stated. Miss
Corning located her at a ten-cent
dance and talked over the case in
Corning reported. saw the seriousness
OF the situation and left the hall early
with another girl. Marie Stewart, an
attractive girl of sixteen, also sue
cumbed to the lures of the interna-
tional rag, the lady officer stated, and
spent many evenings learning new
steps at a public hall. Marie is en-
ployed at 728 Chestnut street; her
employer was interested in her and
asked that Miss Corning take the case
in hand.
One Sunday afternoon Miss Corning
49, SSA..AAAOAACN " OOuAOiO . III uS
store. Seventeenth and Buchanan
streets. to help identify a year old
wanderer who had been found toddling
about the busy corner. facing machines,
motorcycles and horses. Pretty, pref
~" cooed the baby. intensely enjoying
her adventure and not at all aware Of
the peril Of prancing hoofs and skid
ding tires. t~-
Don't know who she is" said one
OF the men in the drug store, came
from on that way and poined west
Miss Corning took one fat fist in
her fingers and led the lost baby in the
direction indicated. They met q frantic
mother. who clasped the baby close,
and Is willing to certify to all of the
value OF Topeka's policewoman.
Quieted = Rioe - ~
Miss Corning's shrill whistle quieted
. riot In the North Topeka dance hall.
where officers have been Obliged to
spend much time. Two men quarreling
over a bet knocked each other down:
the music stopped: the couples gath
cred: and excitement grew At the
sound Of the whistle the trouble ceased.
Officers Kennedy and Pinkston answer
ed the call and the dance ended in an
orderly manner.
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