The Washington times., 1915-02-26
.SUFFRAG|ST REGRETS
HER ARREST IN DIVE
Declares, However, That She
Was Only Seeking Data for
Her Book.

CHICAGO, Feb. 26.-"An entirely zane
idea may be marred by the pursuance
OF n mad method. This Is what hap
pened to me. / wanted to find out for
myself certain things about life that
had been obscure. I neglected to pro-
tect myself in advance. That is where
L erred. But. just the same. found
out what l wanted to know"
In these words, Mrs. w. T. Webster.
sufrragist and wife of the general
summed up the story Of her spectacular
visit to the red light district in Louis
vile. KY, on Tuesday night and her
arrest on a charge of disorderly con-
duct.
Mrs. Webster insisted that she was
only the. victim of her own earnestness;
that she was not in any way culpable
morally and that her situation would be
understood perfectly by her friends.
who know she Is engaged IN sociological
work.
"A short time ago." said Mrs. Web
ster, certain friends of mtno who are
publishers. knowing my views on the
single standard Of morality. asked me
to write about It. feit thats while 2
should like to have first hand mate
rial for illustrating them.
Sought Resort As Student.
"Now, nere in Chicago, did not feel
able to risk publicity in such ven-
ture. wanted to find out why men
find a fascination In the ways Of sin.
I wanted to find out for myself-not
by second hand Information.
"That IL why I went to Louisville,
where I was arrested. I do not even
know the name Of the street I was In.
I submitted myself to the tender mer-
cies of hackman. I told him !
wanted to go the limit I don't
know what that means exactly, but
rye heard men say It; ,,,.,
the lowest conceivable. saw wom-
en- there, but I paid no attention ,o
them.
what I wanted was to reverse the
situation and try to discover the
thrill. II any there might be. Instead
Of a man buying drinks for women,
here was I. woman. buying drinks
for men. listening to their conversa-
ton
81 listened to the talk Of these men.
They were most likely the greatest
scoundrels in Kentucky. But l was
interested only in trying to md some
fascination about them-something in
common between them and me.
But there was nothing. They were
horrible. There wasn't a single clever
thing said. though l piled them with
drink In the hope that they might
respond to what I. supposed was their
native element.
Affair Became Tiresome.
"why. one man drank the liquor OF
his neighbor with a wink at me a.
though some great triumph had beer
gained
Instead Of being interesting the af
fair became in,s,,,n tirssome The o,i FELLOW,
even talk interestingly. even in theil
own vile language. 1t was a risk al
for nothing. ] became desperate ant
determined to question them frankly
because l hadn't been able to get any
| thing from them by strategy.
l. THAT was where ! made my mistake
The males of the underworld are igno
rant. according to certain standards, bu
| they are wilv and shrewd like .ferret
or foxes. They became suspicious o
my mission. l bought more drinks TO
ten of them and they all sat arount
| taking a vast interest in me. but
realized that I had betrayed myself
To restore their confidence in me l hal
to take a drink.
But my desperate efforts were in
effective. They called for the police.
was arrested for disoraerly conduct.
| THE police treated me as an oil,
offender or criminal with record
might have been fined, If my attorne,
had not insisted on my rights.
| Mr.. Webster Is fully aware OF m,
interest in this subject and of my re
search. Naturally ne objects to m,
exploring the underworld singlehanded
but then one must follow ones nose II
these matters"