New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-24
New York City's Lodging
House Is No Longer
a" Morgue of the
Living.'
By GEORGE W. STEARNs.

<<THE Morgue OF the Living" is no
longer a proper name for New
n York's Municipal Lodging House,
where nightly during the cold
winter months an average of nearly 1000
homeless men, women and children get meals
and shelter II is "morgue for the living
only in the sense that certain individuals con-
slider il so.
For those who absolutely refuse 10 work
this haven for down-sndouters offers nothing
more than hot supper, bath comtoriaoIe
bed and breakfast for not TO exceed seven
successive days: but for those persons VINO
still have a spark OF ambition left, after having
appsrertiv failed in their buffetings at the
hands Of the world there IS future-pro-
vided they are willing to accept last chance
10 rehabiltate themselves.
One cold windy night few weeks ago
pretty sixteen-year-old girl applied Tor AID at
the big institution in East 18th st. AS is the
invsriable rule at the institution, she got sup
Der and lodging without question simply be
ing required to tell her name, age, etc, ior
purposes Of record.
The next morning however, she was not
permitted TO leave. This was in accordance
with the new policy Of requiring all women
girls. boys and men over fifty years OF age 10
remain for examination The same applies 10
all pcrsons deficient mentally, those who are
sick or men whose record cards indicate their
need Of aid other than that given 10 all appli-
cants.
My name is Dorothy S, and l am
motion picture actress" she said. Further
questioning brought out the confession that
she had been on probation for incorrgoihty'
and later she tearfully admitted that she had
been committed to an upstate institution Tor
incorrigible girls on complaint Of her parents.
"Bu; it didn't take me long to escape from
there" the girl declared. Il soon discovered
that no insane persons are allowed to stay
there. 50 l decided to 60 crazy. l made be-
lieve' so well that they finally sent me back to
New York City and turned me over 10 an asy-
lum. Of course. didn't want to stay in such
place. so l cult acting crazy and they turned
me out. / have been turned out OF every
other institution in the oity-that's why came
here"
Hers was a perplexing problem, but it is
Superintendent Writings policy 10 make
final disposition Of all women's cases and
under no circumstances to turn them out into
the streets. If no employment can be secured
for woman she is sent either to a hospital o.
TO some other institution. But Dorothys case
furnished no such loophole. There was no
charge against her, she was not sick, except
for extreme nervousness and no institution
would have her The result was that the girl
was permitted 10 work at the lodging house
for several days in payment Of her board.
But that didn't satisfy her" said Superin-
tendent Whiting, and one day she came to
me and said she was going 10 leave.
~ can't earn my own living and I'm not
going 70 let the city keep me forever she de-
clared. The only way left for me is to 60
out on the streets and make my living the way
hundreds Of other girls do
That made me resolve more than ever to
get her employment" said Mr.. Whiting. 81
did secure three jobs for the girl but she
couldn't hold any Of them on account Of her
nervousness. AS last resort finally got her
admitted to a sanstorium in Brooklyn, where
a speciality is made OF treating nervous WON
en-. The doctor in charge examined Dorothy