Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-18
JUDGE BROWNS HEARING

seventeen women and girls had been
arrested Monday night accused Of making
Ine acquaintance Of men Unfortunately
Two OF these girls had got out on hail
last night The rest had been given a good
path their clothing thoroughly ceansed and
they themselves had been given medical
a''ehtlon by doctor. Cleanliness is next
10 godlness,' observed Judge Brown.
The Municipal Court building at Twelfth
ana Wood streets is scrupulously clean and
neautitully appointed. 1t is as clean a any
hospital and more homeaKe than most
!neulcal institutions Yesterday morning
ulere was no one at the hearings, except
we ponce officers one lawyer, the court
u''a'hes and newspapermen.
EVERY one Of these girls owes her down.
ran TO some man." said Judge Brown I'VE
keep men Of the parasitcal sort out of here.
T." IHcI we let no one in unless involved
III the case The room itself is long lipbt
| and airy It is actually furnished in ma
! nobany. Give girls good surroundings IL
Brown. '"'" '"Nee
e. Ihe police hcers testified to the girls
| o"tn'e' The whole proceeding was quiet
Iinu not characterized by ribaldry 81 feel
Ihe '"uEhIhg sometimes at the lies some Of
,itIh gfaNely tell me-" said Judge Brown
out / don't do it. I guess | could say lots
| OF Wings to cause a laugh from the un-
| thihklng' but that isn't my method"
the girls were led in one by one yester-
| DAY they stood before Judge Brown. sew
/ efal white clad, Hndly-faced, probation Of
| hcers some cops rather subdued by the
| elegance and evident refinement OF the sur.
TouhulngS and the newspaper representa- 4
| tlNes. The women were clean. Two out Of
! the seventeen appeared to be rather defiant.
| But they held their tongues. Any one Of
| the girls who wanted to talk was allowed
| to do so as long as she had anything to say.
| several stories We're obviously "whoppers.'
! but Judge Brown didn't sneer. That wasn't
| his way.
| one Of the girls testified that she had a
| husband and child. That's right" said the
! probation officer, I'VE have investigated. ''
| As II was the first time the woman had
| ever been before him, the judge discharged
! her with warning. Here was the warn
! ing "If YOU want to keep your own respect
| and have other people respect you. you
! should not go into a place with a man be-
cause he says he will buy you a drink"
The girl wiped tears away from her eyes
as she left the room. They are all human
| just like ourselves" said the Judge. "All
part of the same fabric, if some are a little
| roughened."
However, only two of the women were
| discharged Some were held under bail until
their cases were more thoroughly examined
| About half a dozen were sent to the House
| of Correction medical department, where
they could be treated for the drug habit
| one woman received her sentence and the
court officer took her by the arm She de.
| INJURED and asked, What is it?'
"Just a moment said the Judge, II want
every person to understand just what has
happened before being taken away" Their
| he explained to the woman.
| When the hearings were over the girls
| and women went back into the clean wait.
ing room, a place with carpets and few
! flowers.
Some say we treat them too nicely,
! observed Judge Brown, as he looked around
| the room. '''I guess some of them are hope.
! less When a girl makes from $50 to $500
on the streets, you can't win her over by
| giving her ten-a-week job right away
| You have to get down and touch her heart
first Unless you do this, nothing can hap,
pen to her in the way of reform"