The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-01-18
Underground Railroad" Lead
ing to "White Slavery"
East Side Victims Cannot Be
Found by Parents.
SEND MYSTERIOUS LETTERS
But Detectives Are Unable to
Discover the "HOuSe."
Dozen Girls Believed to Have
Been Tempted Away.

Revelations of an underground
railroad" by which probably a dozent
girls from Oakland and the East side
have travelled into white slavery and
degradation were made today.
The latest victims are two girls, one
IT and the other Is years old. The
oldest figured a few months last sum-
! mer in one of the most sensational
cases on the police records. Desig-
mated as 1.-The scarlet women" her
downfall was shown TO have carried
with it disease to dozens of Topeka
young men.
The white slavers," who are Off
GERS of the underground railroad,
are believed to be three sisters of an
Oakland family. Two are located at q
| So-called hotel in Kansas City while
the other, who still lives here, is BED
lieved to act as procurer for the hos
| tel One figured in the disgrace of 81
| Topeka man and resulting divorce.
The two girls disappeared from
their home a week ago last Monday
and the father discovered that they
/ had left in company with the Topeka
girl of the trio of sisters mentioned.
Last week a phone call was re-
seived by the father purporting to
come from Mrs Robinson in Kansas
City, telling the father that the girls
were stranded in her rooms and ask
ing that he send money for railroad
| fare home. On the advice of friends
| he sent letter telling the woman
that if he heard direct from the girls he
would send the money. Later he went
to Kansas City to look for his daugh-
tiers.
Could Not Find Girls.
| Wednesday the father returned
broken-hearted, with the story of
might long search for his daughters
with detectives thru the tendefioin
district of Kansas City. A call at the
address given by the 'phone CALI
found no trace of the Mrs Robinson"
supposed to have sent the call. The
woman there claimed to know moth
ing of the matter, and the detectives
assured the father that she was per-
fectly respectable.
"At 3 o'clock Tuesday morning.
| the father tells, the detectives and 1
the girl who accompanied my daugh-
ter to Kansas City. She was the girl
who was last year found with a To-
peka man by his wife and the police
| and caused a divorce case
| She admitted having seen the girls
but said they were not there 1 am
sure they were there and should have
searched the house. We searched the
rest of the district all night and
found nothing I had to return the
next day
Wednesday a letter from the girls
was received telling of the bait of
an SIS a week position.
The Oakland girl denied today in
to Kansas City. I'VE did not even go
On the same train she asserts. II
met them in Kansas City. L am
straight now
How did they get mony to 60
them" the father questioned her.
E1ox had Oi
| them some?"
No she replied 81 had nothing
to do with it. They pawned some
rings at a pawnshop."
/ She mentioned the name of the
pawnshop.
No Rings Pawned.
Investigation today showed that no
rings had been pawned at the pawn
shop by the girls, or any other To-
peka pawnshop.
The father who runs a small tailor
ing and pressing business, is cooper
ating with members of his race and
local authorities to uncover what is
believed to be only an instance of
wholesale business in securing girls
! for houses of ill-fame in Kansas City
and other cities. The Oakland family
mentioned is believed to be prominent
| in the business as is also one of three
brothers who several years ago lived
here and is supposed to have been re-
sponsible for the disappearance of
several Topeka girls.
The three brothers are now in Kan
sas City One formerly operated a
J shady hotel here. and another ran sew
eraI houses near the Copeland hotel,
/ in the old days before that hotel burn
ed down.
| Following is the letter received by
the father from he older of the two
| girls. No address is mentioned and it
| is believed that the letter was dictated
by the people holding her, as a paci-
fier to the searching activities of her
parents:
Dear Folks:
! Are all right. We are now with the
/ Gayety theater and we get SIS week at
the start We are with Kelly's company,
! sister and 1. and getting along fine
and we hope you are the same. So is
Helen We sure would like to hear from
YOU Please answer and send it general
delivery to Mrs. d. Weston.
! well l must close must go re-
hearse VIII close with love from all to all.
Your loving daughter.
! "P S-Answer right away
t The search of the father failed to
locate a kelly Company and the
theater has no trace of the girls. The
! iS