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diff --git a/36506.txt b/36506.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..40eead0 --- /dev/null +++ b/36506.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11215 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Commercialized Prostitution in New York City, by +George Jackson Kneeland + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Commercialized Prostitution in New York City + +Author: George Jackson Kneeland + +Release Date: June 24, 2011 [EBook #36506] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COMMERCIALIZED PROSTITUTION IN NEW YORK *** + + + + +Produced by Bryan Ness and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + + + + +Commercialized Prostitution in New York City + + + + + Publications of the Bureau of Social Hygiene + + + Commercialized Prostitution in New York City + + + BY GEORGE J. KNEELAND + + + With a supplementary chapter by KATHARINE BEMENT DAVIS + Superintendent of the New York State Reformatory for Women + + + INTRODUCTION BY JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER, JR. + Chairman of the Bureau of Social Hygiene + + + NEW YORK + THE CENTURY CO. + 1913 + + + + + Copyright, 1913, by THE CENTURY CO. + + _Published, May, 1913_ + + + + +CONTENTS + + + CHAPTER PAGE + + INTRODUCTION vii + + I. VICE RESORTS IN NEW YORK CITY: (a) PARLOR HOUSES 3 + + II. VICE RESORTS: (b) TENEMENT HOUSES, HOTELS, FURNISHED ROOMS, + MASSAGE PARLORS 24 + + III. PLACES WHICH CATER TO VICE 52 + + IV. THE EXPLOITERS 77 + + V. PROSTITUTE AND CUSTOMER 100 + + VI. THE BUSINESS OF PROSTITUTION; ITS COST 112 + + VII. PROSTITUTION, THE POLICE, AND THE LAW 137 + + VIII. A STUDY OF PROSTITUTES COMMITTED FROM NEW YORK CITY TO THE + STATE REFORMATORY FOR WOMEN AT BEDFORD HILLS 163 + + STATISTICAL TABLES ACCOMPANYING CHAPTER VIII 197 + + IX. PREVENTATIVE, REFORMATIVE AND CORRECTIONAL AGENCIES IN NEW + YORK CITY 253 + + APPENDICES 275 + + INDEX 333 + + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +In presenting to the public this volume, the first of four studies dealing +with various aspects of the problem of prostitution, it seems fitting to +make a statement with reference to the origin, work and plans of the +Bureau of Social Hygiene. + +The Bureau came into existence about two years ago, as a result of the +work of the Special Grand jury which investigated the white slave traffic +in New York City during the first half of the year 1910. One of the +recommendations made by the jury in the presentment handed up at the +termination of its labors was that a public commission be appointed to +study the social evil. The foreman of the jury subsequently gave careful +consideration to the character of the work which might properly be done by +such a commission and the limitations under which it would operate. In +this connection, separate personal conferences were held with over a +hundred leading men and women in the city, among whom were lawyers, +physicians, business men, bank presidents, presidents of commercial +organizations, clergymen, settlement workers, social workers, labor +leaders and reformers. These conferences led to the conclusion that a +public commission would labor under a number of disadvantages, such as the +fact that it would be short-lived; that its work would be done publicly; +that at best it could hardly do more than present recommendations. It was +also believed that the main reason why more results of a permanent +character had not been obtained by the various organizations which had +dealt with the subject of the social evil during the past ten or fifteen +years was that most of these organizations were temporary. While active, +they materially improved the situation, but as their efforts relaxed, +there came the inevitable return to much the same conditions as before. +The forces of evil are never greatly alarmed at the organization of +investigating or reform bodies, for they know that these are generally +composed of busy people, who cannot turn aside from their own affairs for +any great length of time to carry on reforms, and that sooner or later +their efforts will cease and the patient denizens of the underworld and +their exploiters can then reappear and continue as before. + +So the conviction grew that in order to make a real and lasting +improvement in conditions, a permanent organization should be created, the +existence of which would not be dependent upon a temporary wave of reform +nor upon the life of any man or group of men, but which would go on, +generation after generation, continuously making warfare against the +forces of evil. It also appeared that a private organization would have, +among other advantages, a certain freedom from publicity and from +political bias, which a publicly appointed commission could not easily +avoid. + +Therefore, as the initial step, the Bureau of Social Hygiene was formed in +the winter of 1911. Its present members are Miss Katharine Bement Davis, +Superintendent of the New York State Reformatory for Women at Bedford +Hills, New York; Paul M. Warburg, of the firm of Kuhn, Loeb & Company; +Starr J. Murphy, of the New York Bar; and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. As the +work develops, new members may be added. + +One of the first things undertaken by the Bureau was the establishment at +Bedford Hills, adjacent to the Reformatory, of a Laboratory of Social +Hygiene, under Miss Davis's direction. In this laboratory, it is proposed +to study from the physical, mental, social and moral sides each person +committed to the Reformatory. This study will be carried on by experts and +every case will be kept under observation for from three weeks to three +months, as may be required. When the diagnosis is completed, it is hoped +that the laboratory will be in position to suggest the treatment most +likely to reform the individual, or, if reformation is impossible, to +recommend permanent custodial care. Furthermore, reaching out beyond the +individuals involved, it is believed that important contributions may be +made to our knowledge of the conditions ultimately responsible for vice, +and that the methods worked out may prove applicable to all classes of +criminals, thus leading to lines of action not only more scientific and +humane but also less wasteful than those at present followed. + +In entering upon its labors, the Bureau regarded it of fundamental +importance to make a careful study of the social evil in this country and +in Europe. This problem, like any other great and difficult one, can be +approached only through an understanding of the various factors +involved--physical, moral, social and economic--and of the experience of +other cities and countries in dealing with it. Arrangements were +therefore made in January, 1912, to secure the services of Mr. George J. +Kneeland, who had directed the Chicago Vice Commission investigation. +Since that time Mr. Kneeland, with a corps of assistants, has been making +a thorough and comprehensive survey of the conditions of vice in New York +City, the findings of which are here presented. + +The purpose of this volume is to set forth as accurately and fully as +possible the conditions of vice as they existed in New York City during +the year 1912. It should be clearly understood that the data upon which it +is based are not presented as legal evidence, but as reliable information +secured by careful and experienced investigators, whose work was +systematically corroborated. + +In presenting the facts contained in this report, the Bureau has no +thought of criticizing any department or official of the city +administration. The task which the Bureau set itself was that of preparing +a dispassionate, objective account of things as they were during the +period above mentioned, the forms which commercialized vice had assumed, +the methods by which it was carried on, the whole network of relations +which had been elaborated below the surface of society. The studies +involved were made in a spirit of scientific inquiry, and it is the hope +of the Bureau that all departments or officials whose work this book in +any way touches may find the information therein contained helpful to them +in the further direction and organization of their work. + +The Bureau also secured the services of Mr. Abraham Flexner, whose reports +on the medical schools in this country and in Europe are well known, to +study the social evil and the various methods of dealing with it in the +leading cities of Europe. Mr. Flexner spent the greater part of a year +abroad, making a searching and exhaustive inquiry into the subject, and is +now working on his report, entitled "Prostitution in Europe," which will +be the second volume of the series, to be published in the fall. + +The third volume will deal with European police systems. Mr. Raymond B. +Fosdick, a member of the staff of the Bureau and former Commissioner of +Accounts of New York City, went to Europe in January for the purpose of +making this study and is enjoying unusual facilities in the prosecution of +his inquiry. The police are necessarily so important an instrument in +dealing with prostitution that the success of whatever plan is adopted +will depend largely on their organization and efficiency. No adequate +descriptive and critical account of the British and Continental police +systems exists. Much has been published from time to time, but there does +not appear to have been any exhaustive study for the purpose of +ascertaining the points of excellence, as well as the defects, of the +European police and the lessons deducible from their experience. The +police problems of the great European cities closely resemble our own; +their police organizations have successfully worked through a period of +storm and stress such as we are now passing through. Whatever differences +may ultimately have to be taken into account, the experience of London, +Berlin, and of other cities will, when fully reported, be rich in +suggestions that will abbreviate our own period of experimentation. + +The fourth volume will be based upon studies made in those cities in the +United States where different conditions exist or where special methods of +dealing with the social evil have been introduced. + +In conclusion, it should be stated that the spirit which dominates the +work of the Bureau is not sensational or hysterical; that it is not a +spirit critical of public officials; but that it is essentially a spirit +of constructive suggestion and of deep scientific as well as humane +interest in a great world problem. + + JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER, JR. + _Chairman._ + + New York, May 1, 1913 + Bureau of Social Hygiene + P. O. Box 579, New York City + + + + +COMMERCIALIZED PROSTITUTION IN NEW YORK CITY + + + + +CHAPTER I + +VICE RESORTS:[1] (a) PARLOR HOUSES + + +The actual business of prostitution in New York City is conducted in +buildings which are designated in this report as vice resorts. These +resorts are of several kinds. Most prominent are the so-called parlor +house or brothel, the tenement house apartment, the furnished room house, +the disorderly hotel, and the massage parlor. The present chapter deals +only with the first named. + +A parlor house or brothel is a building used exclusively for the business +of prostitution. It derives its name from the fact that its inmates gather +in the parlor to receive their guests. There is, however, an exception to +the definition, inasmuch as some parlor houses in New York City are +situated on the upper floors of buildings, the ground floors of which are +used for legitimate business enterprises. + +During the period of this investigation, extending from January 24, 1912, +to November 15, 1912,[2] 142 parlor houses were visited in Manhattan. +Though this number does not include all the places of this character in +Manhattan, it may be said to approximate the total. It is improbable that +many were overlooked. Every one of the establishments investigated was +visited two or more times on different dates by different individuals who +have made affidavits as to their findings; and the findings of different +investigators working in ignorance of one another have been carefully +compared. The date and hour of the observation are given in connection +with each report. + +Of the 142 parlor houses thus investigated, 20 are known to the trade as +fifty-cent houses; 80 as one-dollar houses; 6 as two-dollar houses; and 34 +as five- and ten-dollar houses. The prices charged in the remaining two +houses are unknown. + +The majority of these houses are situated in the business section of +Manhattan, namely, on Sixth and Seventh Avenues from West 23rd to West +42nd Streets, and in residential sections on side streets from West 15th +to West 54th Streets between Fifth and Eighth Avenues. A few of them are +located on the East Side on residential streets east of Third Avenue, and +on Second Avenue. A still smaller number were discovered on the extreme +East Side near the river and below East 14th Street. Not a few of these +houses are found in the vicinity of public schools, churches, and hotels; +others occupy the upper floors over lunch rooms, jewelry shops, clothing +stores, fur shops, and other business enterprises. + +Private houses used exclusively for prostitution are usually three or four +stories high; those of the cheaper type are in a dilapidated and +unsanitary condition. For instance, the fifty-cent houses on the lower +East Side are described as being practically unfit for human habitation. +The rooms are dirty, the loose and creaking floors are covered with +matting which is gradually rotting away, the ceilings are low, the windows +small, the air heavy and filled with foul odors. The sanitary conditions +in the majority of the one-dollar houses on the West Side streets between +Sixth and Seventh Avenues are hardly less objectionable. No attempt is +made to keep the houses clean. The floors are rotten and filthy; they sag +as one walks across them. The small bedrooms are damp and unventilated; +the atmosphere is heavy with odors of tobacco and perfumes, mingled with +the fumes of medicine and cheap disinfectants. + +Every step in the process of arranging for and conducting an establishment +of this character is taken in the most businesslike fashion. Every detail +is arranged in a cold, calculating spirit. It is first necessary to secure +the consent of the owner or agent to use the property for the desired +purpose. Negotiations may be conducted by the prospective keeper himself +or through a go-between who is paid a bonus for securing a suitable +building. In the majority of cases regular leases are drawn up and signed +for stated periods. Usually two or more individuals enter into a regular +partnership agreement to conduct parlor houses. In the course of this +investigation interesting data were obtained respecting the purchase, +sale, and value of these shares,[3] which constantly fluctuate in value. +Important factors in determining their value at a particular time are +public opinion and the attitude of the city authorities toward vice. If +the law is rigidly enforced and frequent arrests are made, the shares +depreciate and there is a scramble among the partners to dispose of their +holdings. If the business is fairly undisturbed, the shares increase in +value and can hardly be purchased. + +The house once secured and the owners being ready to begin business, a +madame or housekeeper is hired by the month or on a percentage basis to +take personal charge of the enterprise. She is usually a former prostitute +who has outlived her usefulness in that capacity. To her the owners look +for results. Every day she reports to them when they call to "make up" the +books after business is over--generally during the early morning hours.[4] + +Servants are employed to aid the madame: one or more cooks, according to +the number of inmates boarding in the house; and maids, usually colored +girls, who look after the rooms, tend the door, and aid in the sale of +liquor to the customers during business hours. A porter is employed to +care for the house and run errands, a "lighthouse," to stand on the street +for the purpose of procuring "trade" and to give warning. + +The prosperity of the business depends in the main upon the quality of the +inmates. If they are young and attractive, and, as one madame was heard +to say in another city, "especially womanly," success is assured. Thus the +value of the manager depends in the first place on her ability to secure +and hold the "right sort" of inmate. The girls must be contented; they +must be stimulated to please; quarrels must be avoided, jealousies nipped +in the bud. In the art of management, the madame must exercise all her +ingenuity. If a girl is a good "money maker" the madame attaches her to +herself in every possible way. Some of these unfortunate inmates become +"house girls," remaining year after year, the unsuspecting victims of the +madame's blandishments and exploitation. + +Certain of the women are well known as "stars." Their reputation follows +them wherever they go and madames vie with each other in securing them for +their particular houses, in much the same way as a business firm is +constantly looking for clever salesmen who have a reputation and a record +for increasing business. The author has in mind a particular woman[5] +whose customers follow her wherever she goes. There are in this business +many such "stars" or "big money makers," looked upon with envy by their +less attractive and less prominent rivals. The secret of their popularity +lies frequently in the perverse practices to which they resort. + +The manner of carrying on the business has been somewhat modified in +recent years. Formerly, the madame gave the girl a brass check for each +customer. After business hours she cashed in her checks, receiving her +share of the proceeds, usually fifty cents on the dollar. Nowadays, +madames or housekeepers have a punch similar to those used by railroad +conductors. When a customer is secured, the inmate hands the madame a +square piece of cardboard, in which she punches a hole. Among the exhibits +obtained during this investigation is a series of sixteen such cards with +the names of sixteen inmates written upon them. They are literally filled +with holes, all representing the business done on July 9, 1912, in a +notorious one-dollar house on West 28th Street. The largest number of +holes punched on a single card that day was thirty.[6] + +The madames are alive to the importance of assuring their customers that +every precaution is taken to guard the health of their inmates. Hence, in +practically all the houses here referred to the investigators were assured +that the girls have in their possession medical certificates signed by +physicians, certifying that the bearer has been examined and is free from +venereal disease.[7] + +In many houses the "doctor" is said to come every week; he makes a hasty +and superficial examination, for which he is paid one dollar, one-half of +which sum he turns over to the owner of the establishment. Of these +physicians, one, a member of the now notorious Independent Benevolent +Association--a group of men individually interested either directly or +indirectly in the business of prostitution in New York City--has a large +practice among the inmates of the cheaper type of house. At times, +physicians who make a specialty of this branch are also active in the +local politics of their respective districts: these men are in demand, for +the keepers hope thus to "stand in" with those "higher up." On April 27, +1912, for example, the proprietor[8] of a house in West 36th Street[9] +related the fact that he had recently employed a physician[10] who was +being "mentioned" as the next leader in his assembly district. He tried to +induce another keeper[11] to take the same doctor[12] because of political +advantages to be gained thereby. + +The medical certificates obtained under the circumstances described are, +of course, worthless. According to the best medical opinion the inmates +are all dangerous,--in many of them disease is in an acute stage. When +external indications develop, the women are sent to a hospital. One girl, +in such a condition as to be utterly useless in the house, was removed by +her cadet, who, covering up the signs of her disease, put her on the +street. An equally unconscionable and characteristic incident is the +following: A young traveling salesman was assured that an inmate was free +from disease and a medical certificate stating this fact was shown to him. +As a matter of fact, she was at that time under treatment by the very +physician who had given her the certificate. The visitor contracted +venereal disease. When he complained to the madame, she gave him a card of +introduction to the same doctor, in order that he too might receive +treatment. + +Since the general closing of parlor houses in 1907[13] it is a matter of +common complaint among owners that business is not what it was before. The +falling off is explained by an alleged increase of disorderly flats in +tenements and of massage parlors. An owner who conducted a house on West +24th Street before and after the cleaning up in 1907 declared that his +receipts, before that date $3,500 per week from 25 women, have gradually +declined until now they are about $2,000 per week. Another owner, in West +36th Street, gave the reason for this falling off: He had visited +disorderly flats and had there seen the men who had formerly been his +customers. "Why do the authorities bother us?" he remonstrated. "We are +locked within four walls. Nobody sees anything; nobody hears anything. +They pass tenement house laws. Why don't they raid the flats and let us +alone?" + +There is therefore a constant effort on the part of the keepers of parlor +houses to undermine the business done by women on the street, in flats, +and in massage parlors. They write anonymous letters to the Police +Commissioner and the Tenement House Department; they send men to the flats +to persuade their inmates to leave and enter the parlor houses on the +pretense that much more money can be earned thus; street walkers are +frightened away from the vicinity of these houses by threats of the +police. The madame of an establishment in West 28th Street drove away a +street walker who was soliciting men for a nearby tenement house by +telling her that she would make a complaint against her for using a +tenement for immoral purposes. There are cases on record where keepers +have had officers on the beat and plainclothes men arrest street walkers; +they have also been known to "beat up" girls loitering near their places. + +If the getting and holding of attractive inmates is one important +qualification in a madame, getting and holding trade is its necessary +counterpart. Madames are selected who are known to be expert in soliciting +trade and "keeping it in the house." They gradually accumulate lists of +names and addresses of men and boys, keeping them up to date, and at +stated intervals they send announcements of change of address or a veiled +suggestion as to the "quality" of "goods" on display. One ingenious owner +has a very neat printed folder reading, "Kindly call at our old place of +business, as we have a Beautiful Spring Stock on view." Occasionally--as +in the accompanying circular--no object at all is alleged: + + "_Dear Sir_:--Kindly call at your earliest convenience at the below + address. + + "Respectfully yours, + "X 1. W. 36th Street." + +This notice was sent to a long list of patrons--to sailors on board +certain war vessels, to business men, and to clerks. + +Runners, lookouts, lighthouses, and watchboys--the names involve +overlapping duties--also figure largely in procuring trade. The chief +business of the lookout is to stand on the curb in front of the house or +near the door and warn the inmates who solicit at the windows, or the +madame in the house, when officers or suspicious-looking strangers +approach. He opens the doors of cabs and taxis and conducts prospective +customers to the entrance of the house. If a stranger appears to be +"green," the lookout urges him to visit the resort, at the same time +describing the inmates and the prices charged. One of his important duties +is to see that street walkers do not solicit in front of his employer's +house and "take the trade away." Together with the runner or lighthouse, +the lookout is supplied with cards advertising the house, which he gives +to men and boys in the street. He also goes wherever men and boys +congregate--to saloons, restaurants, entertainments, prize fights, +wrestling bouts, lobbies of theaters, hotels, and other public places, to +distribute cards and to drum up trade. For example, on March 7, 1912, a +runner, who was paid twelve dollars a week and tips for his services in +behalf of a "fashionable house" on West 46th Street, went to the +Sportsman's Show at Madison Square Garden to advertise his establishment. +On June 24, 1912, a runner for a house on West 25th Street stood on the +northwest corner of West 24th Street and Sixth Avenue, describing its +attractions to passersby. At the noon hour or at closing time he stands in +front of entrances to factories, department stores, and other places of +business to accost the workmen and distribute cards. + +These young men are usually pimps or ex-pimps, former waiters in saloons +and restaurants, ex-prize fighters and wrestlers, gamblers, crooks, and +pickpockets who have lost their nerve.[14] They form a class by +themselves. They are the "down-and-outers" in the underworld, eager for +any job no matter how poor the wage. Some of them are well known and take +pride in their ability to "run in" a lot of customers. Saturday, July 15, +1912, one of them, Max by name, claimed that he had "hustled in" +sixty-five customers that day. When an argument arose between him and a +competitor as to who had been more successful, the latter produced a slip +on which his business was recorded: for June 15, 16, 17 and 18 it showed +$142, $117, $68, and $97, respectively. + +Chauffeurs and cabmen also do a thriving business in soliciting customers +for vice resorts,--a service for which they receive an ample commission. +Standing at street corners or in front of hotels and restaurants, they +urge men in low tones to go to houses or to "ladies' clubs," as they are +sometimes called. "I know some good houses," "I'll take you to see the +girls," "I know where there are a lot of chickens," are among the familiar +expressions employed. In occasional instances, customers can gain access +only if escorted to the door by the cabman, who tells the maid that the +man he has brought is "all right."[15] "Louie," one of the most +aggressive of these solicitors, is married to a woman[16] who herself +conducts an assignation house: she has recently served thirty days in jail +for participation in the robbery of a guest. + +Finally, bartenders and waiters in disorderly saloons often act as agents +for the procuring of customers: indeed, they are not seldom the pimps of +the women for whom they act. Customers entering the saloon to drink are +directed to the tables where their women sit or receive the business cards +of the houses where their women are to be found.[17] Out-of-town visitors +are not infrequently "steered" by hotel porters and clerks. + +With the exception of the relatively small number of "exclusive +establishments" already alluded to, the resorts here dealt with--something +approaching one hundred and forty of them--were at the period of this +investigation notorious and accessible. The advertising devices above +described were openly employed; and visitors procured easy entrance at +most places. External order is, however, usually preserved. Madames and +inmate rarely and then very cautiously solicit trade from windows, doors, +or stoops of their houses, as they did in former years. They do, however, +practise this method to some extent at the present time, especially in +connection with some of the one-dollar houses on the side streets between +Sixth and Seventh Avenues. + +The sale of wine and beer plays an important part in the prosperity of the +parlor house. Deprived of this adjunct, business falls off to an alarming +extent. There is no difference of opinion among owners and madames as to +the importance of the sale of intoxicating liquors. Especially is this +true in the five-, ten-, and twenty-dollar houses, frequented by a more +pretentious type of customer. In such places a small bottle of wine is +sold for five dollars. A "round of drinks," namely, a pint of beer served +in very small glasses, brings two dollars. Very little wine or beer is +sold in the one- or two-dollar parlor houses in New York City at the +present time. + +In the more exclusive parlor houses "circuses" or "shows" are also given +by way of stimulating business. These exhibitions are too vulgar and +degrading to be described. Suffice it to say that men have been known to +spend fifty and seventy-five dollars for such exhibitions. So also, +obscene books, photographs, etc., are sold or exhibited. + +One more fact must be emphasized in connection with business management: +alcohol is needed to keep the inmates to their task; but even more +essential from the business standpoint are drugs. The girl must be kept +gay and attractive; her eyes must look out upon the world of business +bright and unfaltering. She must smile and laugh and sing and dance, or +she becomes a "has been," a "poor money maker," and so in danger of +losing her "job." Is it any wonder that she becomes a drug fiend as well +as a drunkard? + +In the preceding account I have aimed to give certain general +characteristics of the parlor house. By way of making the picture somewhat +more vivid I shall briefly describe a few houses of each of the three +types with which the account deals, namely, the fifty-cent house, the +dollar house, the five-and ten-dollar house. + +A well known place in Worth Street[18] is a fair sample of the cheapest +establishment,--a frame building, four stories in height. The investigator +who entered at 4.30 P. M., April 12, 1912, picked his way through a +basement where a cobbler sat at his work. After climbing two flights of +stairs he found himself in a large, loft-like room formerly used for +manufacturing purposes. The rooms where prostitution is carried on are +partitioned off by means of curtains. The only furniture in the receiving +"parlor" are old leather couches and chairs. The curtains over the windows +are of dark, heavy material, almost shutting out the light and air. The +entire interior is in a condition of decay, a fit setting for the use to +which it is put. Three of the five inmates were present, scantily dressed +and all claiming to possess health certificates, issued by the house +doctor. + +In the parlor of a three-story house in Hester Street,[19] investigated at +1 P. M. on April 15, 1912, there were three inmates awaiting customers. A +lighthouse, named Angelo, stood on the stoop, beckoning to passers-by to +enter. Angelo is about thirty-five years of age, a short, heavy man, with +a black mustache; a cap sits upon his mass of black hair. The man is well +versed in the art of "pulling" customers into the house for which he +works. As men approach, he motions with his head and right thumb toward +the door, and, at the same time an expressive look comes into his watery +eyes. In the rear of the house is a large tenement building and little +children were playing and running through the hall at the time. + +In one of the houses of this type a large wooden bench was placed against +the wall of the receiving parlor. Business was very brisk at the time the +investigator entered. The bench was full of customers crowded close +together, while others, who could not be accommodated with seats, stood +about the room. At the foot of the stairs which led to the bedrooms above, +a man was stationed. Every time a visitor came groping his way down the +stairs, the businesslike and aggressive announcer would cry out, "Next!" +At the word, the man sitting on the end of the bench nearest the stairs +arose and passed up. As he did so, the men on the bench moved along and +one of the men who were standing took the vacant seat. + +Of the three grades of parlor house, the one-dollar establishment +predominates in Manhattan. Eighty of them were discovered during this +investigation. They differ from the fifty-cent houses just described only +in the somewhat better character of their surroundings. One of them on +Sixth Avenue[20] was visited at 12.45 A. M., March 1, 1912. A little woman +admitted the investigator to the receiving room, where sat nine inmates, +all scantily dressed. At 9.30 P. M. on March 6, 1912, another investigator +counted eighteen inmates at this same address; during the evening of +October 8, 1912, still another investigator visited this house and counted +ten inmates. The house is one of the most prosperous in the business; it +is well advertised and has a large list of customers. + +The receiving parlor of another house on Sixth Avenue[21] is reached by +climbing a flight of winding stairs and passing through a red door with a +little window in it. The bedrooms are small and dirty, with practically no +furniture. But the madame is very energetic. As customers enter the house +she does not allow them to sit about and talk with the inmates, but urges +them to spend money or leave. At 12.45 A. M., March 14, 1912, twelve +inmates in flimsy costumes were seated about the parlor with five men--one +a forlorn peddler who had come in to sell fruit. The place was in an +uproar. One of the inmates was quarreling with the madame; several were +complaining of poor business. One of them showed the investigator a plain +white card with seven punched holes, proving that up to that hour she had +earned only seven dollars, half of which was hers. She stated that she has +to pay two dollars per day for board whether she lives at the house or +not. As a matter of fact, she as well as other girls in some of these +houses lives at home, going home early in the morning and not coming to +"work" until 6 P. M. + +In an establishment in West 28th Street[22]--torn down during the summer +to make way for a loft building--the business was so profitable in June +that the keepers are said to have paid the wrecker a large sum to delay +from week to week. July 9 was one of the hottest days of the year. The +odors in the old house, dirty and falling into decay, were indescribable. +Through the long hours the sixteen inmates sat, hot and sullen. The day +before the madame had left for a resort in Sullivan County where many of +her kind go during the summer months. She had placed in charge the +housekeeper,[23] who did the best she could to keep the girls in good +humor and to get through the day's business. On this hot July day there +were 264 customers. So the records on the cards showed the next morning as +the housekeeper sat with the "boss" making up the "books." Buster served +30 of these; Babie, 27; Charlotte, 23; Dolly, 20, and so on. But the +"boss" was not satisfied. "Why were not more women on the job last night?" +he demanded. The housekeeper replied that they had stayed away because of +the heat,--they had been completely "done up" the day before. Then the fat +and well-groomed owner of the business picked up a china cup and hurled it +at his luckless representative, while he cursed loud and deep. "The trade +must be taken care of" and if she couldn't "do it" he would get "some one +who could." + +To the third group belong all houses where higher prices rule: sometimes +twenty-five dollars, or even more, are demanded, according to the nature +of the service performed. Men of standing have been heard to advise young +men to patronize this class of house on the ground that there is less +danger; everything is said to be sanitary, the inmates less vulgar, +younger, and more intelligent. The external appointments are indeed good, +and there is at times even an outward air of refinement. Costly dresses +and valuable jewelry are worn; the women are young, sometimes attractive +in appearance. + +For several years a house in West 15th Street[24] has been a notorious +resort of this description. The property is owned by the madame who +conducts the business for a very exclusive trade. For some time it was +impossible for the investigators to gain admittance. Finally, at 11.45 P. +M., May 5, 1912, one of them was "introduced" by a man well known as a +promoter of the business in former years. Six inmates were on hand at this +hour, "house girls," as they are called,--that is, they are "steady" and +leave all their earnings to the house, purchasing from the madame +everything they require, dresses, hats, gloves, hose, cosmetics, etc., all +at exorbitant prices. On one occasion a rich man remained here four days +and spent $600. To use the madame's words, "He opened ninety pints of wine +at five dollars a pint; that is, I charged him for ninety pints." + +On this same street is another establishment,[25] which has been conducted +for several years. Here again the investigator had to be introduced before +he was allowed to enter. The madame owns the property, having paid $20,000 +for it some years ago. Like other women of her type, she has what she +calls a "protector"--in this case said to be a politician and ex-city +official. Ten years ago this man met her when she was an inmate in +Diamond Fanny's house on West 40th Street. Becoming infatuated with her, +he took her away and "kept" her. Finally, he "set her up in business," and +now he "looks after her." The madame keeps a list of girls whom she calls +to the house as occasion requires. She described them as being "short +ones," "tall ones," "blondes," "brunettes," "stout ones," "thin ones," and +"just kids." "Men," she said, "are very fussy and you have to cater to +them if you want to keep their trade." Some of the girls, she said, are +employed by day in stores and offices, and take this method of increasing +their earnings. + +At 11.30 P. M., February 16, 1912, the investigator was taken to a very +exclusive house[26] by a chauffeur who receives a commission on every +customer he secures. There were fifteen young and attractive girls in the +receiving parlors, in one of which in the rear of the house an orchestra +of young men played through the evening. The patron is ushered into the +front parlor by colored maids trim and smart in white aprons; here the +youngest of the "stock" is shown. The parlors are equipped with +gold-trimmed furniture. Rich rugs and pretentious paintings testify to +prosperity. Wine and beer are sold at the usual exorbitant prices. The +inmates are dressed in elaborate evening gowns of silk and satin. As the +investigator started to leave, the madame said, "Every Saturday night is +bargain night, and next Saturday I shall have twelve young girls and +guarantee them to be not over sixteen years of age. You must come early +and get one of the bargains." + +To some of these places customers are admitted only if they come in a cab +or a taxi. This was the case at a place in West 46th Street[27] at 2.30 A. +M., April 1, 1912. At this hour two men were refused admission because +they were not known and did not come in a cab. The investigator, however, +fared better: he had been brought to the house by Joe,[28] a cabman who +recommended him to the madame. + +It might be suggested that the foregoing data prove at most that parlor +houses were in operation on the specific dates mentioned, and then only. +As a matter of fact, the establishments in question were observed from +week to week and from month to month. Notorious though they were, there +was for the most part no interruption of business, except, in the latter +part of the period of our investigation, as a consequence of a startling +event to be described later.[29] A dollar house in Sixth Avenue[30] was +visited March 5, March 6, May 25, July 21, and August 25, 1912; +another[31] on West 24th Street, was visited February 2, February 19, +March 24, May 24, May 25, 1912; twelve visits were paid to another in West +25th Street[32] between February 1 and July 16; the same number between +February 8 and July 15 to a house in West 31st Street.[33] + +The above instances are taken almost at random; many more are brought +together at the close of this volume.[34] They establish beyond a doubt +the systematic, notorious, and well-night undisturbed conduct of a large +number of brothels in Manhattan during the period with which this record +deals. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +VICE RESORTS: (b) TENEMENT HOUSES,[35] HOTELS, FURNISHED ROOMS, MASSAGE +PARLORS + + +The general situation in respect to vice resorts other than parlor houses +does not materially differ from the conditions described in the preceding +chapter. Tenements, hotels, and massage parlors were found to be openly, +flagrantly, and in large numbers utilized for the commercial exploitation +of prostitution in the interest, not of the woman herself, but of a +promoter who drives her to do her utmost and assists in the work by +cunningly angling for victims for her. The resorts to be now described +were in many, perhaps in most instances, well known, accessible, and--for +the period of this inquiry--usually unmolested. + + +(1) VICE RESORTS IN TENEMENTS + +The tenement house law of 1911 defines a tenement house as a "house or +building, or portion thereof, which is rented, leased, let or hired out, +to be occupied, or is occupied as the home or residence of three families +or more living independently of each other, and doing their cooking upon +the premises, or by more than two families upon any floor so living and +cooking, but having a common right in the halls, stairways, yards, +water-closets or privies, or some of them." Any portion of a house of +this description which is habitually used for the business of prostitution +is regarded in this volume as a vice resort in a tenement. During the +period of this investigation 1172 different vice resorts were found in 575 +tenement houses at separate addresses in Manhattan. + +The majority of the tenement buildings in which professional prostitutes +thus ply their trade are situated between West 59th Street and West 110th +Street, from Central Park west to Broadway or the river. A few of the +cheaper type are conducted on the East Side in the vicinity of East 127th +Street. On the lower East Side these resorts are less numerous than +formerly. + +The conditions in many of these tenements are scandalous and demoralizing +to the last degree. Children grow up in them amid unsanitary conditions, +with bad air and light, wearing clothes which do not keep the body warm, +eating food which does not nourish, sleeping in crowded rooms,--brothers +with sisters, daughters with fathers,--dressing and undressing in the +presence of boarders or distant relatives, and witnessing sights never +meant for the eyes of innocence. And, as if this were not enough to +complete the moral breakdown, the prostitute creeps in like an infectious +disease and spreads her degrading influence,--often without the least +effort to conceal her vocation. + +Examples are all too common: On February 19, about 7:30 P. M., an +investigator was told of a disorderly place in a basement near by.[36] It +was suggested that he ring the janitor's bell and ask for the woman. When +he did so, a little girl, apparently twelve years of age, came to the +door. The child fully understood; going to the basement door, she called +for the woman, who, opening the door, carefully scrutinized the +investigator and invited him to enter. + +A pale little girl, about fourteen years of age, was the companion of the +dirty, rum-soaked janitress of a tenement on West 107th Street. The woman +declared with vehemence that she would never allow any of these "vile +huzzies" to live in her house; but there were plenty of them on the +street, she said, turning to the child for confirmation of her statement. +And the child told of their haunts in the neighborhood, giving +house-number after house-number. + +One day on West 108th Street the following scene was enacted: Two small +girls and two boys were standing on the stoop as a man came up and rang a +certain bell. As he did so the children snickered and spoke in whispers to +one another. They knew that the bell rang in the apartment on the second +floor rear; that the woman who came to the door in a loose kimono, with a +mass of yellow hair and painted cheeks, was a prostitute[37] and that many +other men with the same furtive eye, the same hesitating manner, had often +passed through that door on other afternoons and nights. + +A census was taken in 27 different tenements where immoral conditions were +found to exist during the month of February, 1912; 18 of them situated on +the East Side, 9 on the West Side. There were 390 families living in the +27 tenements, with 425 children under 16 years of age, 214 boys and 211 +girls. In addition, there were 92 unmarried men over 16 and 65 unmarried +women over 16. The investigator also reported 30 widows living in these +houses, with 18 children, the eldest being 12 years of age. In the +different apartments 56 women were found who, on the basis of dress, +conversation, and general bearing, were classed as "suspicious." While +passing through the buildings up flights of stairs, from floor to floor, +he noted the bad air, the dim light, the sagging floors, the dirty rooms +where the walls were cracking through the paper. At times children were +playing in front of doors behind which prostitutes plied their trade. + +The prostitute does well for herself to take up her abode among the +families of the poor. Her first move is to "get a stand-in" with the +janitor or his wife. She "slips" them a dollar to see that the moving man +does not injure the furniture. She alone among the tenants gives presents, +fruit and candy to the children and pays them to run errands; slowly, but +surely, she establishes herself securely under the eye that does not see +and the ear that does not hear. + +In no essential respect does the conduct of a tenement vice resort differ +from that of the parlor house previously described. Prices are of the same +range, from fifty cents to ten dollars; occasionally twenty-five dollars +may be demanded. The same pretense of medical examination is made. The +same advertising devices are employed. A madame who conducts a prosperous +business in a tenement in West 58th Street sends a letter to her former +customers announcing the removal of the "library."[38] The use of the +word "library" to indicate the resort and of "books" to indicate inmates +is a popular one. Another madame urges her former patrons to renew their +"membership in the library"; "new books," she asserts, are "on file in our +new quarters." Still another enterprising promoter invites men to her +place of business by saying, "Please call as I have a _new_ member in the +lodge." Similarly, business is procured through the same agents utilized +by the parlor house--runners, bartenders, cabmen and chauffeurs. Where +several establishments are conducted in one apartment building, elevator +boys are given liberal tips by rival madames for "steering" callers to +their flats. Often the madames or selected inmates go to public places or +on the streets to solicit men. Sometimes they visit a large office +building and under some pretext seek an interview with the heads of firms +or with managers, and leave their cards. One day a young lawyer received a +letter asking him to call at a certain address in Harlem on a matter of +business. Though he did not recognize the name, he kept the appointment. +He was dumfounded to find the supposed client a madame who had four +inmates in her resort. + +Liquor is more largely sold in tenement resorts than in parlor houses; the +prices are usually the same, five dollars for a small bottle of wine, two +dollars for a round of beer. In many of the resorts in tenements drugs are +used by the inmates and sold to customers. For instance, the investigator +of a resort on West 111th Street found several men smoking opium. In +another flat, on West 37th Street, one of the colored inmates was +snuffing cocaine. In a tenement on West 39th Street there is an opium +"joint" on the second floor where prostitutes "smoke." Some of the girls +spend five and six dollars a day in this place. A girl who solicits on the +street for a vice resort in a tenement on West 38th Street is a "dope +fiend," and the madame of a flat on West 43rd Street, where there are four +inmates, is addicted to the opium habit. + +Not infrequently an apartment is utilized as a call-house: girls, not +living on the premises, are summoned by telephone when customers arrive. +Additional recruits are also procured by call, when needed. The "call" is +sometimes a half-way stage for the working girl on the road to complete +prostitution. One day the madame of a call-house on West 58th Street +received a special delivery letter, the number of which was 14.446--9, +reading as follows: + + "_Dear Madam_,-- + + "I tried to get you on the wire, but could not get you. Kindly send + Miss Viola, the pretty little blonde, over at 2.30, not later if + possible, on Monday afternoon (to-morrow) without fail--this is a + good engagement. + + "Also send me another pretty young girl and accommodating at 1.30 + sharp. Now please do not disappoint me.[39] + + "Signed (Mrs.) ---- + + "Sunday, May 28th." + +Call-houses are usually cozy and homelike, presided over by a woman who +dwells upon her efforts to make her customers happy and comfortable. She +declares that there are so many "nice respectable men" who are lonely in a +big city and who want places where they will feel absolutely safe, where +they can meet pretty girls, spend the evening, and get a few drinks. The +stock in trade of such a house is usually a collection of photographs of +the girls who are "on call." In addition, the madame exhibits a +description of them, with measurements to show their physical development; +the prices are appended. Her victims are variously procured: sometimes in +restaurants frequented by girls who are employed in offices and stores: +again, her place of operation may be the ladies' retiring room, where she +enters into conversation with girls, inviting them to a meal or to spend +an evening in her apartment. If she sees a girl alone at a table, she asks +whether she may sit down with her and urges her to have a "little drink." +Thus acquaintance springs up and "dates" are made for the theater, the +madame paying the bill. At other times she goes to a department store and +selects a girl, from whom she makes her purchases. The girl may be +flattered by evidences of interest and friendship, or tempted by the +prospects of fine clothes, leisure, and opportunities for pleasure. The +danger is especially great if she has previously lapsed. + +On certain streets on the East Side below 14th Street and in Harlem there +are a number of cider "stubes" in the basement of tenement houses. In +these "stubes" foreign girls act as waitresses, serving small glasses of +cider or other soft drinks to customers. While serving, the girls solicit +their customers to enter small rooms in the rear of the basement. The +keepers of these "stubes" are constantly advertising in the foreign +papers published in New York for waitresses, offering to pay five or six +dollars a week for such service. There is no doubt that many ignorant +foreign girls are thus lured into lives of prostitution. One keeper who +had a waitress about 38 years of age told the investigator that she +expected to have two or three young girls in a few days. Another +proprietor tried to secure the custom of the investigator by saying that +he expected to secure two nice young girls for his "stube." Both were +advertising in a German paper for help at the time. Such an advertisement +for a very disreputable "stube" on East 4th Street appeared in a German +newspaper on March 29, April 6, 8, 12, 13, 14, and 19. + +Our records abound in material illustrating the foregoing account. For +example, on May 19, 1912, at 7 P. M., and again on May 20, 1912, at 8 P. +M., the investigator visited a vice resort in a tenement in West 43rd +Street.[40] There were four inmates in the receiving parlor, all claiming +to have medical certificates. The madame[41] declared, however, that if +none of them suited she would for a larger price call up a young girl who +was not "a regular sport." Thereupon she summoned the girl by +telephone.[42] The newcomer appeared to be about eighteen years of age. +While talking with the investigator, Irene said she had been in the +"business" since last September but worked in a department store in +Brooklyn.[43] Previously to this she had been employed in a store on Sixth +Avenue. About one and a half years ago--so she says--her sweetheart, a +shipping clerk, who makes $12 a week, seduced her, promising marriage: he +does not know that Irene is making money "on the side" in this manner. Her +aunt, with whom she lives, is very strict with her, requiring her to be +home at ten o'clock every night. + +The investigator pretended not to be satisfied with Irene; thereupon +another girl, Margie, spoke up: she knew a "kid" that would suit, but the +price would be ten "bucks" (dollars). From other remarks made, the +investigator believes that the "kid" referred to is her sister. Margie +leaves the flat at 5.30 P. M., for her home in Brooklyn, where she lives +with her parents. They are under the impression that she is employed +through the day in a wholesale millinery store downtown. The madame still +insisted that if the supposed prospective customer really wanted young and +pretty girls she could get them: "but," she added, "these girls come high, +five and ten dollars." + +On November 6, 1911, a woman who was afterwards employed in this +investigation received a letter concerning a cider "stube" in a tenement +in East 5th Street.[44] The letter read as follows: + + "Reading of your good work in lending your services to assist the + unfortunate creatures, I hope you will give your undivided attention, + for this certain woman[45] is engaged in this business for the last + seven years and is too shrewd to be caught. You will have to watch + carefully her movements. She keeps a cider store on East 5th Street, + New York.... Look up her record and you will see she was arrested a + few times.... She just was sentenced four months over the Island.... + Please I beg you to look into this matter. I would give you my name, + but it is impossible for me to do so. I am a citizen of the U. S. A. + I know this place ruins many young girls." + +At 12.30 P. M., February 22, 1912, the investigator found two women in +this place, by both of whom he was solicited to go to a rear room for +immoral purposes. When they failed in their efforts, the proprietor said +that she could get him a young girl if he preferred. Two days later the +resort was visited by another investigator, who found two women acting as +waitresses, by one of whom he was similarly solicited. + +The various establishments above mentioned were all repeatedly visited in +order to show their relatively permanent character and their freedom from +interference: one[46] on Broadway was visited nine times in five weeks: +another,[47] in West 29th Street, five times between February 8 and August +19; a third,[48] in the same neighborhood, five times in four months. + + +(2) ASSIGNATION AND DISORDERLY HOTELS + +The parlor house and the tenement vice resort are, like shops, fixed +places for the carrying on of prostitution as a trade. There is, besides, +an enormous amount of itinerant prostitution utilizing mainly disorderly +hotels. These places are commonly called "Raines Law" hotels. + +The history of the creation of the "Raines Law" hotels in New York City is +exceedingly interesting. The primary object of the framer of the law was +to minimize the evils connected with saloons. As pointed out in the report +of The Research Committee of The Committee of Fourteen, issued in 1910 +under the title of "The Social Evil in New York City, a study of Law +Enforcement,"[49] + + "from the passage of this law dates the immediate growth of one of + the most insidious forms of the Social Evil. This growth was due to a + heavy increase in the penalties for a violation and the expected + increased enforcement of the law by state authorities beyond the + reach of local influences. To illustrate, the license tax was raised + from $200. to $800., and the penalty of the forfeiture of a bond was + also added.[50] To escape these drastic penalties for the selling of + liquor on Sunday in saloons, saloon keepers created hotels with the + required 10 bedrooms, kitchen and dining-room. The immediate increase + was over 10,000 bedrooms. There being no actual demand for such an + increase in hotel accommodations, the proprietors in many instances + used them for purposes of assignation or prostitution, to meet the + additional expense incurred. In 1905 there were 1407 certificated + hotels in Manhattan and the Bronx, and of these about 1150 were + probably liquor law hotels. In 1906 an important administrative + provision was added to the law. This amendment, known as the Prentice + Act, provided that hotels must be inspected and passed by the + Building Department as complying with the provisions of the law, + before a certificate could be issued to them. As a result of this new + legislation, 540 alleged hotels were discontinued in Manhattan and + the Bronx. A large number of these places, however, continued under + saloon licenses." + +Since that time the fight against these vicious hotels on the part of the +Committee of Fourteen has been constant and effectual. As a result, the +business of prostitution as formerly carried on in them has been well-nigh +suppressed. Very few of the hotels found to be used for "assignation" and +"disorderly" purposes during the present investigation are ten-room +establishments. In 1912, 400 of the 425 ten-room hotels which now exist +were conducted as hotels for men only.[51] + +A disorderly hotel, as we use the term, is one which violates Section 1146 +of the Penal Law (keeping a disorderly house) by admitting the same woman +twice in one night with two different men, or by renting the same room +twice in one night to two different couples, or by regularly admitting +known and habitual prostitutes. An assignation hotel is one doing business +with transient couples, the women not necessarily being habitual +prostitutes. + +According to the official records, there were 558 hotels in Manhattan in +1912 which were certificated under the Liquor Tax Law. This number +includes the legitimate commercial hotels as well as those which were the +outgrowth of the Liquor Law. During the period of this investigation in +1912, 103 hotels were found which are classed as being assignation places, +disorderly, or suspicious. Evidence was discovered which proved that +habitual prostitutes were openly soliciting men on the street and +elsewhere to go to 65 of these hotels for immoral purposes. A woman +investigator discovered 25 additional hotels where prostitutes declared +they could freely take customers or have them openly visit their +apartments or rooms. This gives a total of 90 different hotels in +Manhattan which may be classified as "disorderly." In addition to these, +seven different hotels were discovered which prostitutes claimed to be +able to use for immoral purposes, though admitting that they had to be +careful not to frequent them too often. In some of these places +prostitutes are not allowed to use a room more than twice during every +twenty-four hours, once during the day and again at night. There are six +very high-class hotels which prostitutes asserted to a woman investigator +they had used, or could use, under certain conditions. It is no uncommon +thing for the more prosperous and well-dressed prostitutes to solicit +trade in the lobbies of these hotels. + +The hotels above referred to are situated in the following sections of +Manhattan: Sixth Avenue from West 23rd Street to West 46th Street; Eighth +Avenue from West 116th to West 125th Streets; the side streets between +Broadway and Sixth Avenue from West 34th to West 53rd Street; Lexington, +Third, and Fourth Avenues, and Irving Place. The centers where soliciting +for these hotels is most flagrant are as follows: East 14th Street and +Third Avenue, and north on Lexington Avenue; Sixth Avenue and West 28th +Street; Seventh Avenue and West 35th Street; Longacre Square to the east; +Columbus Avenue from West 60th to West 62nd Street; Eighth Avenue from +West 116th to West 125th Streets. + +Of these resorts many are weather-beaten buildings, dirty and unsightly +without, unsanitary and filthy within. The small rooms are separated by +thin partitions through which even conversations in low tones can be +heard. The furniture is cheap and worn with constant use. A dilapidated +bureau or dresser occupies one corner; a rickety wash-stand equipped with +dirty wash bowl and pitcher stands in another. Cheap chromos hang on the +wall, dingy with age. A small, soiled rug partly covers the floor which is +seldom, if ever, scrubbed with soap and water. The air is foul and heavy +with unpleasant odors, for the windows are rarely opened. The awnings that +shut out the light are seldom lifted; they are sign-posts to the +initiated, hanging mute and weather-beaten all the year round. + +During the fall of 1907 a large number of parlor houses in the Tenderloin +were raided and closed through the combined efforts of the Police +Commissioner and the District Attorney's office. Some of these houses had +been operated by men who subsequently transferred their activities to +"hotels," where they continued to practise their former methods. Others +took their women with them, lodging them in the "hotels," paying them +certain commissions, and treating them in the same manner as in the house. +A group of women thus attached to a "hotel" solicit for it on the street +or in the rear rooms of saloons. + +Between the proprietors of these "hotels" there is great business +rivalry. They constantly try to induce prostitutes attached to other +resorts to patronize their place of business and become "regulars." They +even go so far as to hire young men to make friends with the women and to +offer them large commissions and better protection than they can secure +elsewhere. At times, saloon keepers who allow prostitutes to solicit in +their rear rooms do so on condition that the women take customers secured +in their places of business to friendly hotels. For instance, the owner of +a notorious saloon in East 14th Street demands that the women in his rear +room take their customers to a certain hotel on Third Avenue. If one +should break the compact and go to a rival place, she would be thereafter +debarred, as if she had violated a code of honor. + +Most of the solicitation for "hotels" is nowadays done on the street. Even +here the proprietor attempts to keep his women in line. He sets spies at +work to see that they take the trade where it belongs. The young men so +employed are often the "pimps" of the street walkers, keen to see that +their women do not "get away with any money" by going to a strange hotel, +from which they cannot collect the commission. A young man of this +character stations himself near the entrance of a certain hotel on the +Bowery and, as his woman enters with a customer, carefully takes a pin +from the right lapel of his coat and puts it on the left lapel. Woe to the +woman if she fails to produce the money represented by the accumulation of +the pins in the left lapel, when the business of the night is over! + +When the street walkers of certain hotels are arrested, the proprietor +hastens to court to pay the fines, should such be imposed, or offer bail +so that the girls may return to their "duties." In some cases he insists +on repayment of the money he has advanced; and the girl is grateful +because he has saved her from the Island. If a girl "breaks away" from a +hotel and goes to a rival place of business the proprietor will go so far +as to have her arrested again and again to teach her the lesson of +"loyalty." In some cases she is glad to return to his good graces, +especially if she finds herself on the Island. + +There are many street walkers who are "free lances," taking their trade to +the hotel which offers the best inducements. They realize that they are +adrift--with no one but their "pimp" to protect them. And "pimps" are +usually admirable protectors, masters of the art of "saving" their women +from the hand of the law. They are keen, wise young men, well grounded in +the business of exploiting the girls of the street at the least possible +expense. Some of them are known as "gun men," "strong arm guys," +"guerillas," and do effective work for politicians. + +The prostitutes who are attached to certain hotels, as well as those who +go from place to place with their trade are often given "rebates" or +"commissions" on all the business they bring in. The rebate system was +found to exist in 21 of the 65 hotels to which investigators were +solicited to go for immoral purposes. If a customer pays $2.00 for a room, +the prostitute receives $1.00 as a rebate. If, when in the room, he orders +wine or beer, the girl receives another rebate or commission on the amount +of the bill. Sometimes it is ten per cent, sometimes twenty-five per +cent: this, in addition to her own price, which varies from $1.00 to +$5.00, or as much as she is able to persuade the customer to give her. +Many hotels have rebate clerks whose duty it is to keep the accounts of +the girls and pay them the commissions due them. This is a very important +branch of the business; for if the solicitor is satisfied and is making +"good money," she feels like continuing her patronage and "hustling" all +the harder for her hotel. + +Some of the disorderly hotels have two registration books, one of which is +used for entering single visits during a period of twenty-four hours, the +other to register the number of times different rooms are used during the +same period. The first book is the one displayed to inquisitive +investigators or inspectors. In some resorts there is a regular office, as +in a legitimate hotel, where couples register at the desk; in others, a +small window is all that can be seen. The clerk pushes the book through +the opening and the man registers, often without seeing the clerk's face. +The woman is not seen by the clerk at all, as she stands in the shadow +away from the window. + +Disorderly hotels offer a comparatively safe place in which to commit +crimes of one kind or another. A well-known hotel referred to on another +page has been the scene of murder. But the chief crime is stealing. The +most successful prostitutes who solicit for these hotels are "gun mols," +that is, pickpockets. They use all manner of subterfuges to "lift" the +"roll" from the pockets of their customers. When their victim is heavy and +sleepy from drink, they usually succeed, getting away before he realizes +his loss. + +But the hotel is utilized not only by the criminal prostitute: it is too +often the scene of first seduction. A young, weak, and foolish girl is +induced to dine, then to drink, with a comparative stranger who has first +taken pains to ingratiate himself with her: without recollection of what +has taken place in the interval, she awakens next morning amid the totally +strange surroundings of a hotel of this character. + +A brief description of a typical assignation and disorderly hotel will +illustrate some of the general observations above made: + +A Third Avenue hotel[52] has had an interesting and varied history. The +ground is owned by citizens who are well known in social and financial +circles. The name of the place has been changed since 1906-7, but the same +proprietor conducts the establishment. Once he ran a house in the old +Eldridge precinct, later another in East 9th Street. When these places +were suppressed, he opened the hotel here in question. He and his +manager[53] were both members of the Independent Benevolent Association in +1909. For some years this hotel has been on the Police List as under +"strict surveillance"; now and then it has been raided. As far back as +1906 one of the agents of an investigation then in progress was told by a +prostitute that detectives had informed the girls that if they resorted to +this hotel they would not be molested; whether this is true or not, the +fact remains that the hotel was still doing business during the period of +this investigation. + +On January 26, 1912, an investigator was solicited in the rear room of a +notorious saloon on East 14th Street by "Pearl," who said she would have +to take him to the hotel in question. Knowing the history of the resort, +he accompanied the girl to the sitting-room in order to see if conditions +were still the same; while there he talked with two other girls who are +attached to the place. Thus he ascertained that the proprietor has two +relays of solicitors, one group on the street from early morning until +night, the other group on duty all night. To see that they attend strictly +to business, a young man is employed to watch them at their work. If the +girls enter into a dispute with customers over terms, the assistant +endeavors to straighten out the difficulty. If they are arrested, he +informs his employer, who, in turn, goes to the court and does what he can +to secure their release. Mamie and Mary both stated that the rebate clerk +gives them all amounts over $1.00 which their customers pay for rooms. In +case customers buy wine at $5.00 per bottle, the girls receive $2.00 per +bottle as a commission.[54] + + +(3) FURNISHED ROOM HOUSES + +In addition to the more elaborate establishments already described, +furnished rooms frequently serve their occupants as vice resorts. During +the period of this investigation 112 furnished room assignation houses +were discovered. The majority of these are within the following +boundaries: First Avenue, Houston Street, the Bowery, and Avenue B; +Second Avenue, 27th Street, Seventh Avenue, 31st Street; 33rd Street, +Seventh Avenue, 42nd Street; Third Avenue, 27th Street, Seventh Avenue, +31st Street; Eighth Avenue, 33rd Street; Seventh Avenue, 42nd Street. The +places are particularly dangerous because a stranger, seeking inexpensive +board and lodging, has no way to ascertain their character: an innocent +girl may thus unwittingly find herself in the most demoralizing +surroundings. + +Prostitutes do not necessarily live in the furnished room house. They may +simply have an understanding with the madame, who, in reality, conducts an +assignation house run on the same principle as a hotel, but without +register or clerk. The price of the room is determined by the "privileges" +for which the girl stipulates,--usually to the effect that, though not +resident, she may bring "friends" there at any hour of the day or night. +In some houses the prostitute pays $2.00 per night; elsewhere the landlady +demands as much as $3.00 per night, or half of what the prostitute earns. +In this way a large weekly rental is secured for very inferior quarters. +Once possessing such a room with "privileges," the prostitute solicits or +picks up customers on the street, and in public places of all sorts, such +as dance halls, restaurants, and the rear rooms of saloons. + +The women who use the furnished room houses are divided into three +classes. The first are the occasional or clandestine prostitutes, to whom +the furnished room offers a more secret place than the hotel for both the +woman and the man. The second are regular prostitutes who use hotel and +room alternately. They prefer to go to the hotel, as they declare it is +safer. "We are protected in the hotel," they say; "the proprietor knows us +and you won't be molested." But customers who object to hotels are taken +to her furnished room if the girl is not suspicious. The third class, who +use the furnished rooms almost exclusively, are women who are nearing the +end of their vogue as professional prostitutes. Rejected by hotels because +they are dirty, diseased, or in the last stages of drug and liquor habits, +these outcasts from the prosperous marts of trade escort their prey to +their own miserable quarters. + +A few illustrations of the manner in which the furnished room trade works +will suffice: + +A house of this character in West 31st Street[55] is one of the most +notorious in the city. Late at night, August 23rd, 1912, it was entered by +a large number of couples from a dance hall near by; subsequently, one of +the men, about forty-five years of age, complained to the investigator +that he had been robbed there that night. Four evenings later, eight +different prostitutes entered with their customers in the course of less +than five minutes. Shortly after, a colored maid from the house applied to +a saloon near by to change two five-dollar bills. During the conversation +she told the bartender, from whom she frequently bought liquor for the +guests, that the rooms in the house were nearly all taken. + +At 11 P. M. on March 19, 1912, several prostitutes were soliciting on +Third and Lexington Avenues for a furnished room house in East 116th +Street.[56] They each pay the landlord $2.00 per night for room and +"privileges." One of these women appeared to be about twenty-one years of +age. "I pay $2.00 per night for my room," she said, "and bring in as many +men as I can grab. Whenever I am ready to quit for the night I meet my +'fellow' and we go there to sleep." + +A furnished room house in West 40th Street[57] is surrounded by tenements +in which many white and colored families are living. On February 9, 1912, +two colored women stood in the doorway, soliciting men as they passed by. +As the investigator approached, two white children about ten and twelve +years of age respectively, stood a few feet away listening to what was +said. + + +(4) MASSAGE PARLORS + +The massage parlor, so-called, is the last of the resorts to be dealt +with. It is estimated that there are over 300 so-called massage parlors in +Manhattan, a large part of which are believed to be vice resorts: only 75, +however, were actually investigated in the course of this study and this +is the number used in calculating the number of vice resorts in Manhattan. + +Our investigation was thus restricted because of the peculiar difficulties +involved in ascertaining the real character of many of these +establishments. Some are transparent enough: others can be uncovered only +by a customer. Our workers were instructed that it was not desired to +attempt an extended investigation of every place. They were told to learn +the nature of the massage given, the equipment, prices, the bearing, +attire, and general behavior of the operatives. On the basis of these +data they were to form an estimate as to whether or not conditions were +suspicious. From earlier investigations and reports it was already +believed that in nine cases out of ten the practices in these places are +immoral and degrading to the last degree. + +A large number of massage parlors are located on the upper floors of +buildings on Sixth and Columbus Avenues and on the side streets from West +23rd Street to West 80th Street. They are indicated by means of large +signs displayed in the windows or tacked on the doors. These places also +advertise in a weekly paper published on Saturdays and offered for sale at +five cents per copy on news-stands in hotels and other public places. + +The rooms are usually equipped with high couches, bureaus displaying comb, +brush, alcohol, and powder, and with wash stands. A manicure table is +often placed by the window,--on it a set of instruments used in caring for +the nails. In these places the operators insist that they give straight +massage and that they do not conduct an immoral business. In other +parlors, the sign on the window or door is the only evidence that such +treatment is given. These are openly disorderly, no apparent effort being +made to conceal the fact. The prices charged range from two dollars to +five dollars, according to the service demanded. + +Not a few former madames of houses of prostitution have established vice +resorts under the guise of massage parlors for the purpose of continuing +in business after their houses were closed by action of the law. Into +these resorts they bring their former inmates, who now pose as experts in +the art of scientific massage. In the matter of securing new girls, the +keeper of a massage parlor has a great advantage; for she openly +advertises in the daily papers for girls to learn the "business of +massage," or for those who have had experience in this or that method of +massage as practiced in foreign lands. The advertisements state the age of +the girl wanted and the weekly salary. As a result, many unsuspecting +girls, answering advertisements, come into personal contact with +well-dressed and apparently respectable proprietors. If the girl appears +to be weak and easily led, the keeper begins by asking her how much money +she has been in the habit of making each week; then remarks smilingly that +some of her former operatives have made four or five times as much by not +"being too particular." She describes in a general way what she means by +"too particular." "Her customers," she says, "are often very rich and +generous; if a girl is attentive and jolly, these men will give her +generous prices and tips, and thus she can 'coin' money." + +It is only just to say that not all massage parlors are of the type +described above. Some are legitimate and render scientific service to men +and women who are actually ill. If the proprietors of such places would +escape the general condemnation of their business, they should voluntarily +seek the endorsement of respectable physicians and engage operatives who +have _bona fide_ certificates showing that they have spent a certain +period of time in recognized institutions in preparation for their +calling. + +A few examples only need be given: + +Margaret,[58] proprietress of a massage parlor on Sixth Avenue,[59] spent +the evening of May 10, 1912, at a cafe in West 45th Street.[60] She +admitted that business had latterly not been brisk: it had become +difficult to get suitable operatives. The men who were procuring girls for +her were becoming afraid to go after "young girls" and she did not want +any "old ones." "Some fools," she said, "are writing stories about young +girls being sold into slavery and even country girls are getting wise and +think the men are going to put them into prison instead of giving them a +chance to make a little money for themselves. That sort of thing only +happens in the lower class of places. I have a nice business and nice men +and I give the girl one dollar out of every two and three, and two dollars +out of five, and half of anything over that. I had two girls; but one left +me the other night because I would not let her take 'dope.' There comes a +time with these 'dope fiends' when it interferes with business and they +have to cut it out." + +By way of inducement, Margaret invited the investigator, who was a woman, +to work in her massage parlor the following Saturday and Sunday, offering +to allow her to keep all she made: she "had to have an operative to help +take care of her regular Saturday and Sunday customers"; by the following +week she felt sure that her procurer would have a girl for her. The +investigator called at the parlor early the following week to ascertain +what had happened. She found that the house had been sold and that the new +landlord had raised the rent for the "parlor" occupied by Margaret from +$60 to $75 per month. Thereupon Margaret had moved out, going to the +beach to open a temporary house for the summer. + +Massage parlors are not uncommonly found in tenements,--there is one, for +instance, in such a building in West 47th Street.[61] Two operatives were +employed there with a madame[62] in April, 1912. Different resorts in this +tenement have been reported to the Tenement House Department several times +by the police, and arrests have been made here as far back as 1909. + +A former member of the Chicago Vice Commission was in New York City in +April. His experience in studying conditions in the former city had made +him watchful and suspicious. One day he noticed a number of working girls, +young, and foreign in type, climbing the stairs of a building in West 43rd +Street.[63] As the girls came down some appeared to be disappointed, as +though they had not been successful in their errand, whatever it might be. +His interest was aroused. Observing a massage sign on the second floor, he +concluded that the girls had been answering an advertisement to call at +this place of business. An investigation thus started resulted in securing +the following facts: + + On April 3, 1912, a morning newspaper contained the following + advertisement under the classification of "Help Wanted--Female." + "Girl for light housework, not under 18; $7 to $9 a week. Mrs.[64] + ----, ---- West 43rd Street, 2 flights up." + + Later in the day a young woman investigator was sent to the address + with a copy of the advertisement. She was greeted at the door by the + woman, who soon disclosed the character of the place. In reply to the + inquiries of the investigator, she explained the nature of the + business: her customers paid from two to ten dollars, the girls + receiving approximately one-half. An inmate had earned $48 in a week: + but a girl's usefulness is brief, for frequent changes are necessary + in order to retain the trade. + + On the same date a morning paper published in the German language + printed the following advertisement under the classification, + "_Verlangt Weiblich_."[65] "Girl, neat, German, not under 18 years of + age. One who knows how to massage or one who is willing to learn. + Wages paid while learning. Inquire Mrs.[66] ----, ---- West 43rd + Street, two flights up." This is the massage parlor described above. + + On April 9, 1912, the same investigator received the following letter + from the proprietor of the parlor: + + "_Dear Mrs. ----_: + + "If you have not taken any position yet, would you kindly call + on me? + + "Respectfully, + (Signed) "----." + + A week later the investigator called again, finding the establishment + still in operation, with a new assistant, procured through the + landlord. With a little prodding, the garrulous madame resumed her + confidences, explaining the process of "fixing up" girls so as to + appear young, and other details of her nefarious occupation. + +In the foregoing pages we have circumstantially described the more +prominent forms taken by vice in New York City. It is surely no +exaggeration to maintain that the evidence submitted proves that +prostitution in New York City is widely and openly exploited as a business +enterprise.[67] The exploiters, the scenes of their operations, their +methods, their associations, and their victims are all equally notorious. +It is idle to explain away the phenomena on the ground that they are the +results of the inevitable weakness of human nature: human weakness would +demand far fewer and less horrible sacrifices. Most of the wreckage, and +the worst of it, is due to persistent, cunning and unprincipled +exploitation: to the banding together in infamous enterprises of madame, +pimp, procurer, brothel-keeper, and liquor vender to deliberately carry on +a cold-blooded traffic for their joint profit,--a traffic, be it added, +from which the girl involved procures at the most, with few exceptions, +her bare subsistence, and that, only so long as she has a trade value. + + + + +CHAPTER III + +PLACES WHICH CATER TO VICE + + +Places which cater to vice are divided into two groups. The first group, +catering directly to vice, includes saloons and their accessories, such as +concert halls and cabaret shows; the second group, operating indirectly, +comprises public dance halls, burlesque theaters, amusement parks, and +boat excursions. The proprietors of these places usually have full +knowledge of the demoralizing influence of their establishments, and +deliberately encourage such conditions for the purpose of increasing their +profits. "The saloons which cater to women," writes Professor +Rauschenbusch, "the dance halls that encourage indecent dances and supply +long intermissions for the consumption of liquor; pleasure resorts and +excursion steamers, theaters, music halls, and moving picture shows that +use the ever ready attractiveness of sex interests--are all smoothing the +downward road--and they know it."[68] + +Nevertheless, it would be unjust to condemn indiscriminately all persons +connected with the places which indirectly promote vice. An exception +should be made of certain proprietors of dance halls and amusement parks, +the commissioners of public parks, and some excursion boat owners. + + +(1) DISORDERLY SALOONS, CONCERT HALLS, AND CABARET SHOWS. + +These places may all be considered under one heading because they are +connected with saloons: they differ only in the character and grade of +entertainment given in them, this varying with the ingenuity of the +proprietor. + +A disorderly saloon is one where indecent acts occur, where indecent +language is used publicly, where there is open solicitation for immoral +purposes, or to which known and habitual prostitutes resort. The records +in the office of the State Commissioner of Excise show that up to and +including January 28, 1913, 4,583 liquor tax certificates were issued in +the Borough of Manhattan under Sub-Division One of the Liquor Tax Law. +During the period of this investigation, _i. e._, from January 24, 1912, +to December 15, 1912, the rear rooms of 765 saloons at separate addresses +were investigated. Unescorted women, who from their actions and +conversation were believed to be prostitutes, were seen in 308 of the 765 +rear rooms investigated, and the investigators were openly solicited by +prostitutes for immoral purposes in 107 separate rear rooms. In some of +these places white men and colored women, in others colored men and white +women, mingle freely. + +The majority of disorderly saloons are situated on Third Avenue and side +streets from East 10th to East 125th Streets; on Sixth Avenue and side +streets from West 22nd to West 49th Streets; on Seventh Avenue and side +streets from West 23rd to West 52nd Streets; and on Eighth Avenue and side +streets from West 14th to West 125th Streets. There are other disorderly +saloons on the lower East Side, on the Bowery and surrounding streets, on +Amsterdam, Columbus, and Lexington Avenues. + +Many of these disorderly saloons occupy the ground floor of buildings the +upper floors of which are used as assignation and disorderly hotels under +the same management. The rear rooms are filled with small tables, where +customers are served with drinks from the bar. Some of the rooms are large +and clean, others small and exceedingly dirty. The ladies' retiring rooms +in the most disorderly places are very unsanitary. A report on one of the +rear rooms describes it as being "long and narrow, with a row of tables +down the length of two walls and in the center. So narrow and low and +dirty is the room that it is as if a stable had been hastily emptied and +swept out and turned into a temporary drinking booth." + +The managers of these establishments are sometimes sober and industrious +men. They have been selected by the brewers to open saloons because of +their personal qualities; for they are hail fellows well met, "good +mixers," who make and hold friends. But these qualities do not always go +hand in hand with business sagacity. The "good mixer" soon finds himself +in debt to the brewer who set him up in business. The iron-clad mortgage +which the brewer holds on the fixtures hangs over the saloon keeper like a +menacing hand. He finds that he cannot make any money in the ordinary +business of selling liquor over the bar; sales are increased if women of +the street are encouraged to use the rear room as a "hangout" where they +can enter unescorted to meet men. In addition, the proprietor finds that +he can still further increase his profits by renting rooms over the +saloons to the women and their customers. "We have to evade the law to +make any money,"[69] remarked the owner[70] of a resort in East 116th +Street. + +Some of the saloon keepers, of course, need no forcing. They started out +to exploit prostitution in connection with the liquor business. Their +business is organized with that in view. Prostitutes are attached to the +rear room, as to the hotels previously described, by certain rules and +customs. For example, one woman is not permitted to entice the customers +of another; the girl who is unable to hold her customer is gradually +forced to saloons that are less exacting. When the prostitute has secured +her customer, she must in certain saloons order fancy drinks. This has to +be cleverly done so as not to offend. The girl intimates that she loves to +drink wine because it makes her jolly and companionable. If she is +personally attractive and well dressed, the man does not object. "You +know," she murmurs, "I hate a cheap skate who won't treat a girl like a +lady." If she is unsuccessful in persuading her customer to buy expensive +drinks, the proprietor puts her out as a poor "wine agent," discharges her +from his employ, as it were. This is the practice of the manager of a +well-known saloon in East 14th Street.[71] On the other hand, the +proprietor protects the successful prostitute, just as does the hotel +keeper, previously mentioned. + +The giving of commissions to prostitutes on the sale of drinks to their +customers in the rear rooms of saloons does not appear to obtain as a +general practice in Manhattan; but it is understood that women do receive +commissions on bottled wine and beer which customers order when occupying +with them the rooms upstairs. + +Efforts are frequently made to enliven the scene by music and singing. In +the ordinary rear room, with cheap furniture, flickering lights, bad air, +and filled with rough men, a sallow-faced youth, with a cigarette hanging +out of the corner of his mouth, sits at a piano and indifferently bangs +out popular airs in wild, discordant notes. This becomes a "concert hall" +when the proprietor provides more music and additional singers. After a +while a cafe is established, where food can be obtained as well as drinks. +The grade of the entertainment improves a bit further and the place is +known as a cabaret show, a poor imitation of the legitimate cabaret show +given in respectable restaurants. Besides music, dancing, sometimes of an +obscene character, is carried on in the rear room. Dancing is, indeed, +cultivated for the express purpose of stimulating the sale of liquor and +what goes with it. The dances are frequented by prostitutes, pimps, +thieves, and those who want to see the "sights." Young and foolish girls, +for whom "social club" dances have become commonplace, are persuaded to +visit these saloons. Here they meet men whose sole object is their +subsequent exploitation for pleasure or for money. Under this influence +and environment they drift all the more rapidly into lives of +professional prostitution. + +The prostitutes who frequent certain saloons in Manhattan combine their +immoral business with crime, particularly stealing. They boldly seek out a +man who appears to be "green," or under the influence of liquor, and "trim +him," as they say. The girls use their pimps, or, what may be nearer the +truth, the pimps use their girls, to carry out these robberies. A pimp, +becoming acquainted with a stranger, "steers" him "up against" his "gun +mol" (a prostitute who is a pickpocket), who aids in the "trimming" +process. Sometimes, if the hour is late and they are in the right place, +the pimps and their women become so bold as openly to go through the +pockets of their victims and afterwards throw them into the street. On one +such occasion the victim called loudly for the police, and, though an +officer stood on the other side of the street, his eyes were withheld and +his ears were stopped. The pimp laughed at the stranger and told him to +"yell louder" for all the good it would do him. + +Of the statements just made abundant confirmation is at hand: + +A saloon in East 14th Street,[72] one of the landmarks of this busy +street, has been notorious for many years. Its proprietor has a wide +reputation. His home life, according to report, is all that it should be; +no one has ever seen him intoxicated. Big, jolly, aggressive, he is the +embodiment of hospitality as he stands at the bar, greeting those who +enter with a kindly shake or a friendly nod. In the rear room of his +resort disgraceful conditions exist. At one end there is a small platform, +on which a young man sits, playing popular airs on a piano through the +long hours of the night. White-faced waiters, with their hair carefully +cut and plastered down, glide noiselessly about the tables. Carefully +trained are these young men in keeping the glasses full. They work +quickly. About the tables sit equally well-trained prostitutes. A man who +entered at 6.30 P. M., January 26, 1912, and stayed until 8.30 saw the +waiters urge the men customers to invite different girls to their tables. +Two of the girls were not engaged. As the rule of the place forbade them +to go to the table where men were sitting, they enlisted the waiter's aid. +Gliding to the table where three men were drinking, he soon succeeded in +having the girls invited to join the party. The investigator gained the +confidence of the girls with whom he conversed. "A girl must order fancy +drinks here when she is treated," said one of them; "if she don't, the +manager[73] orders her out and won't let her come in again." Pearl, a girl +about twenty years of age, solicited him to go to a hotel[74] not far +away. Two months later, at about 11 P. M., there were more than twenty +prostitutes and fifteen men in this rear room. The same conditions existed +during the evening of April 8, 1912, when a woman entered the rear room +alone. She walked to the extreme end of the room and saw eleven +prostitutes and four men sitting at tables. If this woman had been a +"regular," that is, one who frequented the place night after night, a +waiter would have brought her, entirely free, a small glass of beer or +ginger ale. She learned on inquiry that if a "regular" was "arrested" the +manager would "fix it up." Inducements were also offered in the hope that +she would enter the service of this house. The "suckers" all come down +here, she was told: "We get them before the girls on Sixth Avenue do." + +On January 20, 1912, a well known pimp[75] met his woman in the rear room +of a saloon on Seventh Avenue.[76] An investigator saw this prostitute +give him a ten dollar bill. The pimp upbraided the girl for not having +more money and struck her a heavy blow in the face. She fell to the floor. +There was some excitement when this occurred. The girl was advised to have +the pimp arrested, but she refused to do so although her eyes were swollen +and discolored. This same rear room harbors other prostitutes who night +after night take their customers to a furnished room house in West 27th +Street,[77] where the landlord charges twenty-five cents for the use of a +room.[78] + + +(2) MISCELLANEOUS PLACES + +In New York City there are places of a certain type which cater directly +to vice in that they are frequented, for the most part, by immoral and +dissolute persons who not only solicit on the premises for immoral +purposes, but create conditions which stimulate the business of +prostitution. The proprietors have a guilty knowledge of the fact that +prostitutes and their kind use the premises as an adjunct to immoral +trade. Such places include restaurants, pool rooms, delicatessen stores, +candy shops, hair dressing and manicure parlors, barber shops, cigar +stores, palmist and clairvoyant parlors, livery stables, and opium dens. +The places in question are usually situated in the vicinity of vice +resorts. To the ordinary observer their outward appearance is that of any +respectable business establishment. The signs are on the windows, goods +are displayed, customers may come and go, and there is a general air of +activity. From January 24, 1912 to November 15, 1912, 180 reports were +made in connection with conditions in 91 such miscellaneous places. + +In some of these places, known as "hangouts," respectable trade is neither +sought nor encouraged. A stranger is looked upon with a certain amount of +suspicion and treated as an intruder. If he asks for a meal, he is told +that the hour for serving meals has passed; if he desires to purchase a +package of food from the shelves, he is informed that the particular brand +he seeks is missing. + +The real purpose of the place is to afford a rendezvous where confidences +may be exchanged and deals planned--where birds of a feather may flock +together and be fed or entertained. It is indeed a varied group that sit +about the tables or lounge idly at the entrance: owners of houses of +prostitution, madames and inmates, street walkers, pimps, procurers, +gamblers, pickpockets, thieves, and crooks of every shade and kind. Young +boys of the neighborhood become fascinated with the adventurous lives of +the men who frequent these places and soon join their ranks. + +One of the most important of these establishments is a delicatessen store +on Seventh Avenue,[79] a notorious and popular place. The little room is +crowded with things to eat and drink. Small tables are placed about the +vacant places and at these tables sit owners of houses, madames and +inmates, pimps, runners, and lighthouses. All the forces for the conduct +of the business of prostitution in parlor houses are here, scheming, +quarreling, discussing profits, selling shares, securing women, and paying +out money for favors received. If the walls of this little room could +speak, they would reveal many secrets. The value of houses is debated, the +income from the business, the expenses of conducting it, the price of +shares to-day, or to-morrow, or in the future, if this or that happens. +Here is the center of the trade in certain types of houses,--the stock +market, where members bid and outbid each other and quarrel over advantage +given or taken. The owner of this delicatessen store, a stout and rather +handsome man, moves about quietly. Upstairs, his wife, hearty and ample, +cares for his home and his children. Now and then the children sit at the +tables with wondering eyes and listen. The eldest girl, about seventeen, +dressed in white, talks earnestly with a handsome procurer or holds the +hand of a madame. + +In some of the places here alluded to liquor is sold without a license; in +others, gambling is carried on. Poker, stuss, No. 21, pinochle, are played +in the rear behind closed doors. For instance, during the month of April, +1912, a stranger entered a "coffee and cake hangout" in East 114th +Street.[80] The usual crowd of pimps, crooks, and gamblers sat about the +tables eating and drinking. A man rose from a table and walked to the rear +to a little white door. He tapped gently; the door opened and closed +behind him. As it did so, the stranger saw in an inner room men seated +about a table. + +Elsewhere a lucrative business in the sale of drugs is carried on. +Blanche, a street walker, crazy for morphine at 2.30 A. M., on May 18, +1912, pleaded with a man in a restaurant on Seventh Avenue[81] to purchase +some for her. The stranger with whom she was at the time, moved to pity at +her pleading, furnished the money. A bottle of morphine tablets was +hastily procured from a well-known pharmacy on Seventh Avenue. Snatching +the bottle from his hand, she concealed it in her stocking.[82] + +The cigar store, the pool room, the coffee and cake restaurant, are the +favorite resorts of the pimps. Here they come to make deals for their +women, to receive telephone messages from their girls on the street or in +vice resorts, to plan "line ups"[83] when a "young chicken" is about to be +broken into the business, and to buy drugs for their girls and themselves. +It is common knowledge that here gangs are formed and arrangements for +robberies or other criminal acts made; here the spoils are divided; guns +are hidden when officers come to search, and men beaten who make a +"squeal." + +The prostitute herself frequents the hairdressing and manicure parlors, +popular with her for two reasons: first, because here she makes herself +"beautiful" under the hands of the proprietor, and second, because through +the operator she learns of resorts where she may earn "better money." The +imparting of such information is a part of the hairdresser's trade. She is +the fount of knowledge on this subject; "swell" madames patronize her +place, urging her to send them attractive girls. If the right girls do not +come in, she advertises in the papers, using her "parlor" as a decoy. Her +husband--if she has one--may be a thrifty man who mingles with his wife's +customers, selling them attractive hats or suits, and other things, and +finally acting as their bail bondsman if they are arrested and brought to +court. At least one such husband has grown wealthy in the business. + +Such a hairdressing and manicure parlor, for example, is conducted on +Sixth Avenue.[84] The woman caters only to prostitutes; and part of her +business is to find out if any of her customers are dissatisfied with +their present places or if they are not attached to any resort. In either +event, she offers to send them to find a place where they can earn more +money. One day a woman having her hair shampooed in this parlor actually +heard the proprietor send girls to different vice resorts. She advertises +in the daily press for help. For instance, on Saturday, April 6, 1912, a +daily paper contained the following advertisement under "Female Help +Wanted": + + "Hairdresser and manicure wanted, experienced. Apply ----, ---- Sixth + Avenue."[85] + +Pool rooms and cigar stores offer peculiar facilities for young boys of +the neighborhood to become acquainted with the life of the underworld. +Even before leaving school, boys often frequent them; soon some of them +join little cliques and gangs formed by the criminal element. They become +pickpockets or ordinary crooks. If endowed by nature with large muscles +and an instinct for fighting, they become preliminary boxers and gradually +develop into the gang members or political guerillas who do such valiant +service at the polls on primary or election day. From the ranks of these +the pimp is developed. As neighborhood boys they have little difficulty in +securing girls who, like themselves, are adventurous, or already immoral. +It therefore becomes easy either to trap a girl and ruin her, or to "break +in" the already immoral girl to a life of professional prostitution under +protection. + +It is a strange fact, but it is true, that prostitutes often select young +men whom they see in front of pool rooms and cigar stores and actually +invite them to become their pimps and share the proceeds of their +business. A young boy about eighteen years of age was standing near the +entrance of a pool room on Second Avenue one hot afternoon in August, +1912, jauntily puffing a cigarette as a stranger passed with a man who had +lived in the neighborhood many years. "See that kid?" said the man. "A +young prostitute on the avenue has picked him out for her pimp. They grew +up together and both have gone on the bum. She was 'lined up' about a year +ago by a gang that 'hangs out' in a cigar store on East 14th Street. Since +then she has been a regular prostitute." + +There is another group of miscellaneous places, different from those +referred to above, namely, the natural channels through which the varied +life of a great city passes. These are freely used by the prostitute. +Attention is called to them simply to emphasize the fact that wherever +groups of people meet for innocent pleasure or for business, there the +prostitute lingers to ply her trade. Such places include subway and +railway stations, hotel lobbies, entrances to department stores, ferry +slips, and post office buildings. Prostitutes find these crowded +thoroughfares excellent centers in which to solicit or to make "dates." +Pimps and procurers also frequent such places to "pick up" adventurous +girls who are alone or in pairs, out for pleasure or excitement.[86] + + +(3) THE STREETS + +The streets of Manhattan are openly used by prostitutes for soliciting. +During the period of this investigation, street walking has been most +conspicuous in certain localities which may be roughly described as +follows: + +Broadway, from West 27th to West 68th, and the side streets from West 26th +to West 64th; + +Sixth Avenue, from West 16th to West 45th, and the side streets from West +25th to West 31st; + +Seventh Avenue, from West 24th to West 42nd; + +Columbus Avenue, from West 59th to West 66th; + +Columbus and Eighth Avenues, from West 99th to West 125th; + +Second Avenue, from East 8th to 9th, and between East 12th and East 14th; + +Third Avenue, from East 9th to East 28th, and from East 99th to East +137th, and the side streets to Lexington Avenue; + +Irving Place, from East 14th to East 15th; + +Houston Street, on the lower East Side around Allen and Forsythe Streets. + +Of all these thoroughfares, Broadway is most freely utilized for +soliciting. During the nights of March 7, 11, 14, 19, 20, and 21, 1912, at +the hours of 8.30 P. M., 9 P. M., 10 P. M., 11 P. M., 11 to 12 P. M., +11.30 P. M., 12 A. M., 12.15 A. M., 12.30 A. M., 12.45 A. M., and 1.55 A. +M., eighty-four street walkers were seen accosting men at different places +on Broadway from West 34th to West 65th Streets. This number does not take +into account prostitutes who were merely promenading or those who were +lurking in the shadows of the side streets. Reports of a similar character +could be given for the months of April, May, June, July, August, +September, and October, 1912, showing that solicitation on Broadway was +continuous. + +Sixth Avenue is another favorite resort for street walkers. On September +17, 18, 23, 25, 26, and 28, 1912, at such hours as 4 P. M., 4.30 P. M., +6.30 P. M., 7.15 P. M., and 8 to 9 P. M., fifty-five prostitutes were seen +soliciting men between West 24th and West 29th Streets. In most instances +the destination of these couples was hotels on two corners of West 28th +Street. The same general conditions as described regarding solicitation on +Broadway and Sixth Avenue exist in other sections of the city.[87] + + +(4) PUBLIC DANCE HALLS + +No places of amusement are so filled with moral dangers to boys and girls +as certain public dance halls in New York City. A conviction to this +effect, long held, has been strengthened as a result of a thorough and +comprehensive investigation of 85 public dances given in 47 different +dance halls in Manhattan from January 24 to June 24, 1912. Ninety-six +reports were made of conditions in these dance halls by three +investigators, two young men and a young woman, who worked independently. +In some instances they reported on the same dance without knowing of the +presence of one another, thus removing all doubt regarding the facts as +presented. No special dances were selected for observation, the +investigators having been sent to those which were publicly advertised +from time to time. + +Of 75 different dances reported between January 24 and June 24, only 5 are +characterized as decent; 11 were more or less objectionable, 59 wholly so. +At all but 3, intoxicating liquor was sold; at 61, minors were present; at +all but 2, the investigator concluded that the attendance was largely +disreputable. + +A woman investigator reported 31 dances, at 22 of which she was solicited +by 53 men; men investigators, reporting 80 dances, were solicited 47 times +by 43 different women. + +The proprietors of the dance halls in question have "open dates," on which +their halls may be rented by social clubs or other organizations for the +purpose of giving an "affair" or a "racket," as a ball is sometimes +called. There are hundreds of these clubs and organizations in New York +City, and the chief feature of the year's activity is the giving of a ball +which all the friends of the members are expected to attend. Their +membership lists are made up of cliques or gangs of young boys and men who +come together because of some mutual interest, sometimes for worthy +motives, but very often as a cover for disorderly and even criminal +purposes. Between some of these groups there is great rivalry, at times +leading to fights and disturbances. + +The usual method of advertising dances is by distributing "throw aways" or +small colored cards on which are printed, not only the name of the group +giving the dance, but also the choruses of popular songs, parodies, or +verses. These latter intimate the character of the proposed frolic. They +all appeal to the sex interest, some being so suggestive that they are +absolutely indecent. During the progress of a dance in St. Mark's +Place,[88] a young girl, hardly above seventeen years of age, presented a +boy with a printed card advertising a ball soon to be held. When the card +is folded, it forms an obscene picture and title. + +During the past few years aggressive measures have been taken by +different reform organizations aiming to bring about a more wholesome +atmosphere in connection with public dances, especially those attended by +poorer boys and girls. Proprietors have been induced to employ special +officers to attend the dances and keep order, prevent "tough" and +"half-time" dancing, and protect innocent girls from the advances of +undesirable persons. The duties of the special officer are difficult to +perform. If he interferes too much, the dancers go to some other place +where they enjoy more freedom. As a result, the honest proprietor who +endeavors to conduct a respectable hall loses patronage, while the +disreputable owner makes all the profit. Again, the young people who +attend these balls know immediately when a person different from +themselves appears in the hall. At once the dance becomes modest and +sedate and the visitor goes away to report "that while conditions are not +what they should be, yet on the whole there is great improvement." + +A social club[89] gave a ball on the evening of March 23, 1912, at a +hall[90] in East 2nd Street. The dancing was very suggestive. The special +officer[91] was entertaining a police sergeant, but neither made any +effort to regulate the actions of the dancers. The next afternoon another +club[92] occupied the hall at the same address, with the same special +officer in attendance. Suddenly, when the dancing was in full swing, the +officer hurriedly rushed among the dancers and told them to "cut it out" +as three detectives had just come in and he did not want to see the place +closed up. A girl, apparently thirteen years of age, was dancing at the +time and the officer put her off the floor, loudly declaring that the +proprietor did not allow young girls to dance in the hall. Things resumed +their former aspect, however, as soon as the detectives retired. + +Wine, whisky, and beer, freely sold in connection with certain public +dances, are responsible for much vulgarity and obscenity. Young girls have +been seen to yield themselves in wild abandon to their influence, and have +been carried half fainting to dark corners of the hall and there, almost +helpless, have been subjected to the most indecent advances. + +A political organization gave a ball at a resort[93] in Avenue D, February +16, 1912. Wine, champagne and beer were sold from a bar located on the +north side of the hall or served at tables. The waiters were men, while +three women acted as bartenders. By actual count, one hundred girls and +boys were intoxicated. Many of the drunken girls were sitting in corners +of the hall on the laps of their equally intoxicated partners, who were +hugging and kissing them. The same conditions, with variations, have been +observed in other dance halls where liquor was served and where the +intermissions between the dances were extended so as to give all an +opportunity to buy drinks. + +At a ball given by another organization[94] in an East 2nd Street +resort[95] on March 1, 1912, the dancing was exceedingly vulgar and +suggestive. A police officer watched the obscene exhibition in company +with the proprietor of the hall. After the officer left, a detective in +plain clothes and another officer in uniform came in. The proprietor +escorted them to the bar, where they were served. Then the host +entertained his guests by pointing out the girls whom he considered to be +the most adept; and the three men passed comments upon their cleverness. + +A crowd of pimps, gamblers, pickpockets, and "strong arm guys" attended a +dance given on March 30, 1912.[96] Here a pimp named Daniel[97] +deliberately struck his girl in the face with his fist. She fell to the +floor and was carried to the dressing room covered with blood. The woman +investigator, who had been a nurse, took charge of the girl and summoned a +physician. A doctor[98] with an office in East 4th Street, sewed four +stitches in the girl's lip and charged her five dollars, which was to +include two future visits. The doctor offered the investigator fifteen +dollars to help him with a case that night, and five dollars extra if she +would accompany him to his room. Nor was this the only immoral +solicitation that the woman investigator was subjected to in order to get +the facts. + +A man who was shot to death not long ago, a "gun man," gave a dance on +March 29, 1912, for his own benefit. It was a great event. "Three of the +foremost gamblers were present," a man proudly declared, and, with equal +pride further said that several madames of houses of prostitution and +their inmates were there also. The program of this dance is a veritable +directory of "gamblers," "gun men," "strong arm guys," pimps, doctors, +lawyers, and politicians. Some of the names are very familiar. They made a +motley crowd--all with mutual interests. Many in this remarkable +gathering came together and paid large admission fees at the door because +they feared the gambler who gave the dance. + +The occasions above described are not utilized only by hardened +profligates: young girls, some perhaps innocent, others, if not entirely +innocent, at any rate not yet wholly depraved, and young men not yet +altogether vicious attend the gatherings in search of amusement and +change. Some of the girls who frequent these public dance halls reveal +their loose morals by their manners and actions, but many are innocent +working girls who seek legitimate recreation. The sinister element is the +pimp who attends with the coldblooded purpose of finding new subjects of +debauchery and of subsequent exploitation for gain. These agents of +commercialized vice are usually well-dressed, well-mannered, and introduce +themselves politely and easily to strangers. They often pretend love at +first sight and exhibit marked devotion, by which girls are deceived and +to which they too often yield. Clever subterfuges are sometimes employed: +a pretended drummer states that he has "sample shoes" or "sample dresses" +at his room: "If they fit, they are yours," he says. When the seduction of +the girls is accomplished, they are put on the street, and their ruin is +complete. These "powers that prey" are a constant danger in public dance +halls and find there easy quarry. The girls who refuse to be inveigled are +often so ostracized that they must unbend, if they wish to participate in +the fun. Dances and refreshments are withheld until the "wall-flower" +comes round. Examples can be cited: a model who earns $18 a week, one-half +of which she gives her father;[99] an embroidery worker,[100] making $10 +a week; the head of stock in the shoe department of a Sixth Avenue +store;[101] a department store girl earning $6 a week.[102] With these +working women, pimps and professional prostitutes freely mingle. Forty +professional prostitutes were counted at one dance given on March 10, +1912.[103] + + +(5) EXCURSION BOATS AND PARKS + +In addition to the places already mentioned, the prostitute and her +exploiter take advantage of other opportunities to ply their trade. The +excursion boats between New York and Albany, Bridgeport, New Haven, +Providence, Block Island, etc., are often used for a rendezvous. +Occurrences of a highly suspicious character are abundant: + +August 25, 1912, three couples left the boat bound for New Haven because +they could not secure rooms: this, in spite of the fact that it was a day +trip. On an excursion boat bound for Montauk Point on July 28, 1912, two +young couples occupied staterooms 19 and 21. The girls appeared to be +about eighteen years of age. Two girls, apparently seventeen years of age, +rented stateroom No. 11, where they remained all day and were visited by +four different men. When the boat returned to New York the girls went +ashore and boarded a car on East 23rd Street. One pretty little girl on +this excursion was accompanied by a woman who appeared to be her mother. +The girl became friendly and offered to make a "date" with the +investigator. She lives on DeKalb Avenue in Brooklyn. There were two +others, living in Harlem, evidently working girls, who were also willing +to make "dates." + +It is indeed a matter of common knowledge that professional prostitutes +make a practice of soliciting on excursion boats for immoral purposes. The +women make regular trips and have a business understanding with porters +and waiters, who aid in securing customers. On July 20, 1912, as the boat +for New Haven was about to leave the dock, two prostitutes who solicit in +a cafe on West 44th Street[104] came aboard. A street walker who solicits +on Broadway and has a home in the Bronx took the trip to New Haven on +August 25, 1912. Six prostitutes were soliciting young men on the trip to +Block Island on August 11, 1912, one of them formerly an inmate in a house +of prostitution in West 47th Street.[105] Her companion solicits on +Broadway. These girls said they had rooms in a Block Island hotel,[106] +where they invited the men to meet them. + +Some of the waiters and porters on these boats act as solicitors for +prostitutes. A colored porter[107] on a boat running to Block Island, +August 11, 1912, said there were many couples on board having immoral +relations. He offered to introduce two men to two girls. On August 8, +1912, a colored porter on a boat for Providence, Rhode Island, told a man +that a "wise young girl" occupied stateroom No. 68, and that she would +receive men. Robert,[108] a waiter on one of them, declared that immoral +conditions were most flagrant on the Sunday trips. He described in detail +the actions of couples in the staterooms when he served them drinks. + +Amusement parks are similarly abused. Seven such parks in the vicinity of +New York City were visited during the summer of 1912, and vicious +conditions were found to exist to a greater or less extent in all of them. +In the drinking places prostitutes sit on the stage in short skirts and +sing and dance for the entertainment of men and boys drinking at the +tables. The girls are paid very low salaries, and therefore depend upon +making extra money from prostitution. The waiters aid in securing +customers and receive commissions from the girls on the stage for this +service. In some concert halls the girls have signs which they use to +indicate the time they are free to leave the stage or the price they +require. If they succeed in persuading a man to buy wine in the balcony of +the hall, they receive a commission on the sale. In the winter time some +of these prostitutes join burlesque shows or continue to carry on their +immoral business otherwise in the city. + +An investigator visited a concert hall connected with an amusement park on +Long Island, July 23, 1912. There were eighteen girls seated on the stage +in short skirts, the majority of them intoxicated; in their wild efforts +to entertain the crowd of men and boys they exposed their persons. +Twenty-five girls sing and dance in a concert hall at another popular +amusement park. They are divided into two shifts, each shift working a +stated number of hours during the afternoon and night. One of the singers +was recognized by a man who had seen her in a house of prostitution in a +city in Pennsylvania; one of her companions solicits for immoral purposes +on Broadway. Many of these concert halls and similar places are connected +with the hotels to which the entertainers take their customers. A very +notorious hotel of this character[109] adjoins a disreputable concert hall +in an amusement park on Staten Island. + +The conditions in dance halls in connection with certain amusement parks +are similar to those described under the heading "Public Dance Halls." +Here young and thoughtless working girls and boys often yield themselves +to the degrading influence of liquor and suggestive dancing; and here also +are found the prostitutes and their pimps. + +In reference to public parks, it may be stated that the police force is +entirely inadequate to their proper surveillance. Shocking occurrences by +the score are reported in Central and other parks by different +investigators under the date of July 15, August 5, July 20, July 12, etc. +Not infrequently boys and girls of sixteen and seventeen are involved in +these affairs,--and cases implicating still younger children are reported. +The benches in certain sections of Central Park, between 10 P. M. and 1 A. +M., presented a most demoralizing spectacle to the observation of every +one who walked through the Park during the months of July and +August.[110] + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +THE EXPLOITERS + + +The present investigation has established the fact that the business of +prostitution in New York City is exploited and, for the most part, +controlled by men, though women are also involved. The names and addresses +of over 500 men so engaged have been secured, together with personal +descriptions and the records of many of them. Some are owners, others, +procurers, the rest mainly cadets or pimps,--younger men who have a single +girl, at times a "string" of girls, "working" for them on the street or in +houses. The woman exploiter is at times, herself a proprietor; usually, +however, she is employed by men on a salary to operate a resort. + + +(1) OWNERS + +The men proprietors have reached their present vocation by many paths. +They have been wrestlers, prize-fighters, gamblers, "politicians," +proprietors of "creep houses,"[111] fruit venders, pawnbrokers, +pickpockets, crooks, peddlers, waiters, saloonkeepers, etc. Some of them +pose as "business men," carrying cards and samples, to serve as a +subterfuge when they are arrested as vagrants or for living off the +proceeds of prostitution. Not a few, however, without concealment, devote +their entire time and energy to managing parlor houses and other resorts +of prostitution. Some of the latter own a business outright; others have +partners who share in the profits. One man, for instance, conducts a house +with from fifteen to twenty-five inmates, and, in addition, has an +interest in several other ventures of the same character. In some cases +the firm is a family affair, including brothers, brothers-in-law, uncles, +and cousins. + +For several years thirty one-dollar houses of prostitution in the +Tenderloin have been operated as a "combine," under the direct control of +fifteen or more men. The individuals in question have been in business for +many years in New York City, as well as in other cities both in this +country and abroad. They buy and sell shares in these houses among +themselves, and it is seldom that an outsider, unless he be a relative, +can "break" into the circle and share in the profits. The value of the +shares depends upon the ability of the owners to maintain conditions in +which the houses, being unmolested, are permitted to make large profits. +The man who proves himself capable of achieving this through business +sagacity and political pull is called the "king." Upon him falls the +responsibility of "seeing" the "right" individuals. + +Owners follow the trend of public sentiment with a keenness and foresight +truly remarkable. If a new official indicates by orders or by sentiments +expressed in public that he is in favor of an "open town," there is great +rejoicing among the promoters. Agitation in the opposite direction reacts +on the value of their properties: prices drop and there is a scramble to +"get under cover." If spasmodic efforts at reform are made, the more +prominent owners meet in council with their lawyers and solemnly discuss +what their policy should be. If their houses are closed, they still keep +on paying rent, ready to open again--when a favorable word comes or when +the moral outbreak subsides. For the owner has no faith in reformers. +"They get tired and quit"; "all this will blow over"; "they are sick of it +already";--such are his reflections as he recalls past experiences. + +The majority of men exploiters of prostitution in New York City are +foreigners by birth. Some of them have been seducers of defenseless women +all their lives. In one instance, at least, a whole family is engaged in +the business,--the parents[112] conduct a restaurant, which is a "hangout" +for pimps, procurers, crooks, and prostitutes; the daughters are +prostitutes, the two sons, pimps and procurers. The father and mother are +constantly on the lookout for girls whom their sons may ruin and exploit +on the street or in houses. Another family[113] has already been referred +to as conducting a delicatessen store in Seventh Avenue: they occupy the +upper floors as their dwelling; the shop below is the favorite rendezvous +of owners, madames, procurers, pimps, and prostitutes. The children of +this family, one a girl just reaching womanhood, mingle freely with them. +The father keeps an eye on the handsome procurers who talk with his +children; though he listens daily to their schemes for securing women and +girls he would "cut to pieces" any man among them who attempted to defile +his own daughters. + +The owners in question did not all come directly to America. Some of them +drifted to other parts of Europe with young girls whom they had secured in +the small towns or cities of their own countries. South Africa was a +favorite destination--especially Johannesburg. Many, going thither during +the Boer War, are reputed to have made large profits from their business +with soldiers as customers. The authorities, however, beat them with whips +and drove them from the cities. They fled to South America and then to +North America. Their trail of seduction and corruption may be traced +through Argentine, Brazil, Cuba, Canada, Alaska, and the large cities of +our own country--San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Tacoma, Butte, Denver, +Omaha, St. Louis, Chicago, Pittsburg, Philadelphia; finally they realize +their hopes in New York City. Here they have made a center, and from this +center they go back over the old trail from time to time. + +If a composite photograph could be made of typical owners of vice resorts, +it would show a large, well-fed man about forty years of age and five +feet, eight inches, in height. His clothes are the latest cut, loud in +design, and carefully pressed. A heavy watch chain adorns his waistcoat, a +large diamond sparkles in a flashy necktie, and his fat, chubby fingers +are encircled with gold and diamond rings. + +On April 6, 1912, a group of owners were parading up and down Seventh +Avenue in front of the above-mentioned delicatessen store, discussing +"business." They were all dressed in their best and looked prosperous. +One, a large man with a black mustache, wore a very fine English suit and +a hat which was said to have cost eight dollars. A large diamond ring +sparkled on his fat hand, a diamond horse shoe pin flashed in his tie, and +a charm set with precious stones hung from a heavy gold watch chain. His +brother-in-law, part owner with him of a house of prostitution in West +25th Street,[114] was also dressed in the height of fashion,--a smart +suit, a black derby hat, and patent leather pumps. A third partner +presented an equally dignified appearance. There were eight other owners +in the group, making a very imposing appearance as they eagerly waited to +talk over matters of "business" with the representative of the "boss,"--a +certain official who, as the men claimed, was on this day to send word +whether or not the owners could proceed with their nefarious business. + +The "king"[115] of this set has the reputation of being able to "see" the +right persons; when a member is "in wrong" or wants to open a house, the +"king" must first be consulted. The "king" is interested in eleven houses +of prostitution--of some of which he is the sole owner; each establishment +contains an average of about fifteen inmates. He supports two notorious +women,[116] who serve as madames, each jealous of every attention bestowed +by him on the other. Many years ago he was a soldier in Russia, where he +ruined a young girl whom he afterwards took to South Africa. Since that +time she has earned thousands of dollars for him. He brought her to this +country and traveled with her from city to city until finally he settled +in New York, where he has since built up a prosperous business and gained +an "influential" position. + +Among the others are two brothers who combine the business of exploiting +prostitution with that of selling diamonds. They are noted for their +ability to outwit the law, for they openly declare that they can buy their +way out of any trial. Besides their houses, they have conducted pool +parlors and restaurants, and one of them has the reputation of being a +"fence," or receiver of stolen goods. The history of these two men +illustrates the manner in which pimps develop into proprietors. When they +first came to America about twenty years ago, they found employment on a +peddler's wagon. Soon after, one of them ruined a fifteen-year old girl +who was born on Broome Street, New York City. For seven years subsequently +she was his woman, earning money for him on the street and in houses. The +other brother, not to be outdone, also secured a girl and became a pimp. +Later they were both employed as watchboys about houses of prostitution. +Being ambitious, they were soon operating regular houses on Allen Street, +which at that time was part of the old Red Light District in Manhattan. +Here they prospered for a number of years, though in the end they were +driven from the East Side. With four women they then went to Boston, where +they opened a house. Apprehended there, they "jumped their bail" and +returned to their former haunts in New York. Their old enemy had +evidently lost his power; for the brothers were allowed to continue in +business. After the closing of the district, the scene of their business +ventures was transferred to Buffalo during the Exposition of 1901. Driven +thence, they went to St. Louis, where they soon owned houses, saloons, and +gambling places. Ex-Governor Folk was District Attorney in St. Louis at +that time and the brothers were among those who fell into his net. One +brother, known as the "King of White Chapel," that being the Red Light +District, was indicted on several counts for felonies and misdemeanors. +The other brother and one of his women[117] were also indicted. The +enterprising pair secured bail, which they immediately forfeited, and, +leaving all their wealth behind, began to roam from place to place with +their women. One went to Havana, and one to Pittsburg; driven from +Pittsburg, the latter soon joined his brother in Havana. From Havana the +two men and their women went to South Africa and settled in Johannesburg. +Here once more they made a large sum of money. The authorities seized one +of the brothers and sentenced him to jail; on the expiration of his term, +he was whipped and ordered out of the city. The brothers then went to +Vienna, to London, and from London sailed to New York City. When they +returned to the city of their early business success, they opened a house +of prostitution on West 34th Street in company with a man who had just +returned from South Africa. For a year they prospered. When the former +District Attorney of St. Louis, who had since become Governor, learned of +their presence in this country, he secured their extradition. The brothers +took $25,000 to St. Louis with them and not long afterwards returned to +New York entirely penniless. No wonder the elder and more crafty of the +two brothers declares that the law cannot touch them! No wonder, when he +is intoxicated, he strikes his chest and shouts defiance to the law! +During all these vicissitudes one of his women[118] remained loyal. She is +known among the owners of houses all over the country as the "best money +getter" in the world. When her owner was "broke" and in sore distress, she +put him on his feet again. She is his woman to-day. + +The instances cited are by no means exceptional. Prostitution has become a +business, the promoters of which continually scan the field for a location +favorable to their operations; and the field is the entire civilized +world. No legitimate enterprise is more shrewdly managed from this point +of view; no variety of trade adjusts itself more promptly to conditions, +transferring its activities from one place to another, as opportunities +contract here and expand there. The keeper of a disorderly saloon[119] +finds himself hampered in Chicago: he migrates to New York to become part +owner of a Sixth Avenue resort.[120] Raided in Philadelphia, another[121] +goes first to Pittsburg, thence to this city, where he purchases an +interest in a West 25th Street[122] establishment. The former owner[123] +of places in St. Louis and Omaha is now part owner in two houses[124] on +this same street. Still another[125] was in the business successively in +Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, and Los Angeles. One of the +partners[126] in a resort in West 36th Street[127] has at different times +had houses in Portland, Seattle, Brazil, Argentine, and London. +Another[128] is simultaneously interested in houses in this city[129] and +in Norfolk, Virginia. The part owner[130] of a notorious place on Sixth +Avenue[131] has conducted houses of prostitution in St. Louis, Buffalo, +and Johannesburg, South Africa, and has traveled all over the world in the +business of exploiting prostitution.[132] + + +(2) PROCURERS + +While keepers of houses are also procurers, there is a group of men who +devote themselves singly to this work. These are the typical "white +slavers," whose trade depends entirely upon the existence of houses of +prostitution. To this point we shall in a moment recur in connection with +women promoters of prostitution. For the present I desire simply to +emphasize the fact that the procurer has practically no chance to ply his +trade unless there are houses of prostitution from which he can accept +orders and to which he can dispose of "goods." The successful procurer as +well as the pimp, to be next described, boasts that, once a girl comes +under his influence, she will do anything for him. No matter how ugly or +repulsive outwardly, he holds his women. One of the most active procurers +in the city is short, heavy, and humpbacked.[133] He has the reputation of +being even more successful than a competitor[134] who is handsome, +athletic, and well-dressed. The former has been apprehended in other +cities on the charge of procuring, once serving two and a half years in +Philadelphia under an assumed name.[135] To-day he walks the streets of +New York City, a free man, unmolested. + +Procurers frequent entrances to factories and department stores, or walk +the streets at night striking up acquaintance with girls who are alone and +looking for adventure. They select a girl waiting on a table in a +restaurant, or at the cashier's desk, and gradually make her acquaintance. +They attend steamboat excursions, are found at the sea shore and amusement +parks, in moving picture shows, at the public dance halls,--in fact, +wherever girls congregate for business or for pleasure. They choose with +almost unerring judgment the type of girl who may be pliable to their +will. + +At 5 P. M., on March 14, 1912, six procurers[136] stood on the corner of +27th Street and Sixth Avenue waiting for the shop and factory girls to +pass by on their way going home from work. For one hour the investigator +watched these men and saw them endeavoring to attract the attention of +several girls. At last two of them[137] succeeded in interesting two +girls, who accompanied them. + +On Sunday, June 23, 1912, a group of procurers[138] went to a certain +seashore resort. On the beach they were joined by a notorious procurer, +then employed as a life saver.[139] He greeted his comrades with the +words: "Ich hob' frisch' Schore" (I have fresh goods.) The group then put +on their bathing suits and went into the surf. After a while they missed +one of their number,[140] whom they finally found with a young girl +apparently eighteen years of age: she was the "fresh goods,"--the object +of the "line up," as it afterwards developed. + + +(3) THE PIMP + +The pimp or cadet as he is commonly called, has not yet developed into a +professional procurer or keeper of a house of prostitution. While all +procurers and owners of houses are in reality pimps, the converse is not +always true: all pimps are not procurers, though they may hope to be some +day. + +The pimp enters the business when he either ruins a young girl for his +future profit or becomes the lover and protector of a prostitute already +in the business. As the future pimp grows up in a crowded neighborhood, he +becomes a member of a gang and, as such, is admired by some reckless girl +in the vicinity. Proud of her acquaintance with him, she shares the spoils +resulting from his petty thieving and other escapades. Very early in +their career the two begin to have immoral relations, not only with each +other, but with different boys and girls of their own kind. They have +never had moral standards in any proper sense of the term. The large +majority of boys who become pimps and seducers of girls and the large +majority of girls who become prostitutes were at the start not immoral, +but unmoral. Later the boy drifts to the pool parlor or gambling room for +his recreation and companionship, the girl to public dance halls and +similar places of amusement. Many of these girls are already clandestine +prostitutes, secretly carrying on the business of prostitution while at +the same time engaged in some legitimate employment "just to keep up a +respectable appearance." Under the pimp's influence and suggestion the +girl finally "breaks" away from her secret immoral life and becomes a +"regular." The pimp shows her the way, provides places for her to solicit +or "hustle" on the street or in the vice resort. He attends to the +business arrangements, even to the collection of her money, though when +she is "well broke," he allows her to collect her own money and give it to +him. Some pimps beat their women, on the principle that that is the only +way to make them fear and love them. This may seem a paradox; but it is +indeed true that many prostitutes do not believe their lovers care for +them unless they "beat them up" occasionally. + +The psychology of the relation of prostitute to pimp is a complicated one, +difficult for the normal individual to understand. In the cases above +alluded to, boy and girl have been comrades, the boy lording it over the +girl until she submits to being his property. But there are prostitutes, +apparently quite able to stand alone, who deliberately select a pimp; if +they cease to be satisfied with him, he is discharged and a successor +taken. Why should a prostitute of either kind desire a pimp? There are +many reasons: the pimp is her business agent in dealing with owners, hotel +keepers, etc.; he is her "go-between," if she gets into "trouble" with the +law; her companion, for she is lonely after the night's business; +but--most important of all--her lover--one person who seems to care for +her as a human being, whether he does or not, and for whom she does +herself really care. A spark of affection lives at the heart of this +ghastly relation. + +In her relation to the pimp, as well as to the house madame, the +prostitute is not infrequently to all intents and purposes a white slave. +For the pimp, like the madame, subjects her in many cases completely to +his will and command. This does not mean that the girl is necessarily +imprisoned behind locked doors and barred windows. But restraint may be +thoroughly effective, even though not actually or mainly physical. +Uneducated, with little or no comprehension of her legal rights or of the +powers which could be invoked to aid her, often an immigrant or at least a +stranger, she is soon cowed by the brute to whom she has mistakenly +attached herself. Should she make an effort to break away, she is pursued +and hemmed in by the concerted efforts of her cadet and his associates. As +a rule, however, pimps are skilful enough to play for and to obtain the +sentimental loyalty of their women; so that the prostitute herself becomes +the greatest obstacle to her own freedom and rehabilitation. + +There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of pimps in New York City. During +this investigation scores of their names and personal descriptions have +been accumulated, as well as those of their women. One of the best +known[141] is a "life-taker" and "strong arm guy," a dangerous fellow, +twenty-two years old, who has been repeatedly arrested as a consequence of +his quarrels. A "pipe fiend" and gambler, his favorite occupation is +"stuss." At elections he has his own "mob" who work at the polls for +corrupt politicians. His girl is a slim, bleached blonde, "good for $100 +to $150 a week on the street," it is said. + +On June 26, 1912, five pimps were playing cards in a restaurant on Seventh +Avenue. The day was very hot. During the afternoon the girl[142] who is +"hustling" for one of them[143] came into the restaurant wearing a heavy +velvet suit. The wife of the proprietor asked: "What are you doing, +wearing a suit like that in this kind of weather?" She replied that though +she was bringing home eight, ten, and twelve dollars every night, she +could not afford a new dress. "He needs it for gambling," she said, +pointing to her pimp. Leaving the table in anger he deliberately slapped +her in the face: "Didn't you pay $32 for that suit?" he said. "What more +do you want?" + +Another[144] frequents a restaurant in Second Avenue.[145] He is +twenty-nine years of age, smooth shaven, with a scar on his face. Before +he became a pimp he was known as a "pool room shark." He smokes opium, +snuffs cocaine, and plays stud poker. With men of his kind he is not very +popular: they declare that he cannot tell the truth, that for a "shell of +hop" he would kill a dozen Chinamen, and for a nickel would "frame up" his +best friend. "Just an ordinary, every day, common pimp," they say,--"can't +borrow a dollar and lives on nothing but the money his woman earns." + +Hearing of places where business is better, owners and pimps ship their +"goods" about in hope of larger profits. The women remit their earnings, +even if separated hundreds of miles. For example, Fanny, a woman belonging +to a notorious pimp,[146] formerly solicited on Third Avenue. A year or +more ago Fanny was brought into court, charged with street walking. She +was sentenced to not less than three months nor more than five; after a +month she was released, according to her pimp, who declared that it had +cost him $500 in lawyers' fees, etc. Thereupon he sent Fanny to Butte, +Montana, whence at the end of one week she sent him $150. On June 21, +1912, the pimp complained that Fanny was then sending him only $150 per +month. He was sure that she was "holding out on him," for he knew that she +made at least $100 a week. + +Sophia, belonging to an equally well-known cadet,[147] whose own parents +try to secure women for him, reached New York from New Orleans late in +June, 1912. Her pimp and her brother met her at the station. To the +former's utter surprise she declared that she was "through" with him. A +quarrel ensued; the pimp was worsted and had to abandon his claim to the +girl,--one of the occasional cases, already referred to, in which the girl +throws over her pimp. + + +(4) MADAMES + +The women who run houses have as a rule risen from the ranks. They were +once street walkers or parlor house inmates who possess unusual business +talents. They have learned the secrets of the trade; they know the kind of +inmates to get, and where to get them. They know how to deal with +customers and how to make them spend money. + +It takes a woman of tact and force to operate a house with from fifteen to +twenty-five inmates competing with one another on a commission basis. She +must keep them contented, prevent quarrels, and stifle petty jealousies. +She must attach as many of them to the house as she can and keep them +loyal. To do this the madame seeks to become the adviser and friend of the +girls, while at the same time she drives them to the utmost to earn larger +profits for the house. It is not uncommon for the girls as well as the +customers to call her "mother." Strange as it may seem, some men marry +these women and find them devoted wives. + +All of the thirty cheap resorts referred to in a previous chapter as +belonging to men are managed by madames and housekeepers who are either +their wives or their women. These women attend to all the details +connected with the business. They receive customers, "show off the girls," +urge visitors to spend money, collect money, punch checks, sell liquor, +keep the books, and settle up with the boss: when the houses are raided or +an arrest has to be made they are the ones to go to jail. The large +majority of them were born in foreign countries. They have had years of +experience in operating houses in many cities of North and South America, +as well as in foreign lands, especially South Africa. The loyalty +displayed by them toward the men who employ them has become a tradition. +Year after year, through adversity and prosperity they have followed their +masters and obeyed their will. Beaten, exploited, infected, jailed, they +still remain steadfast. Very rarely can one of them be persuaded to +testify in a court of law against her master. A striking example is +furnished by a woman[148] who came under the influence of her master[149] +when she was a child of fifteen and was living with her parents in a +distant country, where he had seduced her. At 9 P. M., on June 27, 1912, +she came into a restaurant where her man was playing cards and upbraided +him because he had purchased an automobile and placed it at the disposal +of another one of his madames, neglecting her. She called him vile names +and declared that she would go to the police and "squeal" on him. She told +how for fifteen years she had earned money for him, and all she had to +show for it was a furnished room to sleep in and a diamond ring, while he +put his other woman in a "swell" apartment. "I've been cut to pieces for +you," she wailed, "I've been your slave for fifteen years and now you +turn me down for that wench." She had hardly concluded her tirade when her +man rose from his chair and struck her brutally in the face with his fist. +She reeled as though about to fall, then cowering before him left the +place weeping. She did not "squeal" to the police. + +When a man owner employs either his wife, woman or a housekeeper to +operate his house, it is understood that she shall be the one to suffer +punishment in case of arrest. In order to avoid punishment, men who rent +houses for these purposes sub-let them to the women, who are then held as +the responsible parties. When arrest or eviction comes, and the madame is +sent to jail or dispossessed, the real proprietor again sub-lets his house +to another woman. This fact explains why the arrests for conducting houses +of prostitution do not result in diminishing to any extent the number of +such resorts. On June 24, 1912, a keeper had a sub-lease drawn up for a +house and inserted the name of Anna,[150] the prospective madame who was +to "stand for" the arrest or eviction notice, should there be one. On +March 31, 1912, "Joe"[151] said that he was paying $85 per month to his +landlord and $25 per month as a bonus to the agent for his house of +prostitution in West 28th Street.[152] The landlord[153] is reputed to be +a wealthy business man,--"a fine fellow," said Joe, "he is now fighting a +dispossession notice for me. It is understood between us that if I can't +beat it, I can sub-let the house to another woman and charge her a bigger +rent. Later, when we get another notice, I can say, 'All right, I will +dispossess this woman.' Then I can get another. It's no joke to run a +house, believe me. The women are sent to jail. My wife got sixty days for +running this house the other day. That arrest will cost me $300 for her +alone. Now the women have started a new game. In case one gets three +months, we have to give her $500 to keep her mouth shut." On March 11, +1912, a partner[154] in a house of prostitution in West 24th Street[155] +was describing his fortunes as a keeper of houses in New York City during +the past fifteen years. Among other things he said, "My housekeeper got +three months last week, and I am paying her $5 a day for every day she is +in jail." + +Not a few of these madames have been arrested in different countries and +cities as "gun mols" (pickpockets). That is part of their training, and +the robberies they commit add many dollars to the incomes of the men who +have put them in the business. A customer who enters their houses in an +intoxicated condition is often robbed of everything of value. If he +remonstrates he is told by the police to swear out a warrant for the woman +he suspects and appear as a witness against her. It is not often a man +will do this under the circumstances. + +The women who operate houses on their own account belong to a rather +different type: their establishments are almost always pretentious. Born, +as a rule, in this country or in France, they make a show of elegance and +refinement. Their houses are elaborately furnished and they and their +"boarders" appear in stylish gowns, and endeavor to interest their guests +by affecting a knowledge of art or music or literature. Many of them +openly boast of influential and prominent friends, on whose good offices +they can rely in emergencies. + +In either case the housekeeper earns money not only from the customers of +the house, but from the inmates. Theoretically the inmates receive +one-half of all the money they take in. This is not actually the case. +They are indeed fortunate if they receive any money at all after weeks of +service. At most, they obtain from fifteen to twenty per cent instead of +fifty per cent. Sometimes, as the first step in the process of +exploitation, the madame tries to induce the girl to give up her pimp, in +order that she may have her more directly under control. Having attached +the girl to herself, she sells her all sorts of things: coats, suits, +dresses, kimonos, chemises, underwear, hosiery, shoes, hats, gloves, +feathers, plumes, combs, hairpins, toilet articles, silver meshbags, +watches and rings. Hundreds of girls are thus preyed upon. Not +infrequently, however, it happens that madames prefer that their girls +keep their pimps, because such girls are made to work harder by the aid of +the latter. As the madames and pimps divide the gains of the unfortunate +creatures, their interests usually agree and they unite to exploit their +common property. + +The articles mentioned in the preceding paragraph are not infrequently +described as stolen goods, brought to the houses by peddlers who are hired +to dispose of them by crooks and shoplifters. A pimp and procurer[156] was +in a resort[157] on the third floor of a house on West 58th Street[158] +on June 15, 1912, trying to sell the madame several pairs of silk hose, to +be sold in turn to the inmates. The stockings were frankly admitted to be +stolen goods which had been turned over to him by a shoplifter[159] who is +a member of a 14th Street gang and is known as a "strong arm guy." On +March 28, 1912, about 8 P. M., a young crook[160] came into a restaurant +in Seventh Avenue[161] and exhibited a dress which he declared he had +stolen from a prominent store.[162] The dress was marked $18.29. It did +not fit any of the madames who were in the restaurant at the time. Finally +he sold the dress to the madame[163] of a house in West 25th Street[164] +for $10. She in turn disposed of it to one of her inmates for $35. The +notorious madame[165] of a house in West 25th Street[166] had fifty +chemises on March 25, 1912, which she had purchased from a peddler,[167] +giving him $31 for the lot. "I am selling these to the girls for $6, $7, +and $8 apiece," she said. "If I bought them in a store they would cost +$2.75 apiece; but what is the difference whether I get it or the pimp gets +it?" + +"I never allow a girl to get down to owing me less than $5," said another +madame. "When she is as nearly out of debt as that, I send for Sam the +peddler and suggest that she buy some clothes and toilet articles. There's +Ruth,--just watch her when she comes in. I dressed her up the way you +will see her; the dress cost me $20. She paid me $70 for it." + +The procuress may be dealt with in this same connection. Like the madame +she has, as a rule, become too old to find prostitution itself any longer +a profitable business; but native shrewdness and plausibility enable her +to turn her experience to account as a pandar. I have already spoken of +men procurers; but the woman procurer is even more insidious. She meets +young girls in private rooms, talks to them in public places, invites them +to her home without arousing suspicion. As a woman she knows many avenues +of approach closed to men, and is quick to sympathize with discouraged or +vain girls. + +One of the best procuresses in New York City operates as a sort of +employment agent, receiving a commission from immoral girls for finding +profitable houses for them to work in. In this way she supplies the +cheaper grade of houses, the girls paying her from $2 to $5 commission, +according to the character of the house to which she sends them. +Another,[168] also the madame of a house in West 38th Street,[169] goes to +France to secure girls for her exclusive $5 and $10 house. On June 6, +1912, eight inmates were counted in her establishment, several of whom +were young French girls who could speak little or no English. One of them +told a stranger that she had not been in this country very long. On July +17, 1912, at about 7 P. M., a madame was asked[170] whether she could use +three girls just brought from Vancouver, British Columbia. Betsy, the +madame, said she could not, but pointed with her finger to two men +owners[171] of a house in West 28th Street.[172] One of them asked the +woman what the girls looked like. The procuress indicated that they were +well built, young, and pretty. The man cautiously advised the woman to +take the girls somewhere and "green them out."[173] + +The close and essential connection between the white slave traffic and +houses of prostitution is clearly exhibited by the foregoing instances. +Houses of prostitution cannot exist except through trafficking in women. +Prostitutes who live scattered through the city may earn money for their +pimps; but traffic in scattered prostitutes is practically impossible. As +soon as houses are set up, an opportunity for trade is created. The +proprietors give specific orders to the procurer--for young girls, for +innocent girls, for blondes, for brunettes, for slender women, for stout +women. And the procurer fills the order, resorting to every possible +device in the effort to do so,--to deceit, misrepresentation, +intoxication, "doping," or what not. The white slave traffic is thus not +only a hideous reality, but a reality almost wholly dependent on the +existence of houses of prostitution. + + + + +CHAPTER V + +PROSTITUTE AND CUSTOMER + + +(a) THE PROSTITUTE + +The professional prostitute, in the sense in which the term is here used, +is the woman or girl who sells herself for money, whether for her own +pecuniary benefit, or under the direction or control of owners of vice +resorts, of madames, procurers, or pimps. There has been much speculation +as to the number of such women in New York City. Various estimates have +been made from time to time, ranging from 25,000 to 100,000. A recent +estimate places the number at 30,000. + +At the beginning of this investigation, it was determined to count all +women who were believed to be professional prostitutes seen in connection +with resorts of all kinds in Manhattan, as well as those who used the +streets for solicitation. Although these resorts were visited two or more +times, only one count made on one visit is included in the total. As a +result of this method, adhered to throughout the entire period of the +study, _i. e._, from January 24th, 1912, to November 15th, 1912, the +number of professional prostitutes actually counted was 14,926. Of this +number, 6,759 were found on the streets in different localities in +Manhattan; 8,167 prostitutes were seen and counted in parlor houses, +resorts in tenement apartments, disorderly massage parlors, hotels, +saloons, concert halls, and miscellaneous places.[174] Not all the vice +resorts operating in Manhattan were visited; nor were all the women in +these resorts seen during the visits: a certain number of repetitions +would thus probably be more than offset. On the basis of the foregoing +figures, it is safe to say that a total in round numbers of 15,000 does +not overstate the number of professional prostitutes in Manhattan. This +estimate does not include occasional or clandestine prostitutes; it +includes those only who publicly offer themselves for sale in the open +marts. + +An effort was made to ascertain the salient facts in the personal history +of 1,106 prostitutes--mostly street walkers. The approximate accuracy or +truthfulness of the facts stated may be inferred from the extent to which +they are confirmed by Miss Davis's intensive study of the inmates of +Bedford Reformatory.[175] Our investigator was a woman who was regarded as +extraordinarily successful in winning the confidence of the girls, with +whom she associated on easy and familiar terms, and by whom she was +regarded as one of themselves. Of the 1,106 women thus interrogated, 762 +gave America as their native land; 347 gave New York State as their +birthplace; 95 were born in Pennsylvania, 63 in New Jersey, 35 in Ohio, 26 +in Connecticut. Of the 344 born in foreign countries, 107 came from +Russia, 72 from Germany, 35 from Austria-Hungary, and 32 from England and +Scotland. Their previous occupations include domestic service, trade, +industry, commerce, stenography, school teaching. Those who are arrested +come mainly from the class first named, thus confirming the results +obtained by Miss Mary Conyngton, an investigator for the Department of +Labor at Washington, who declares that out of 3,229 women arrested for +offenses against the law, 2,606, or 80.71 per cent claim to have followed +the ordinary pursuits of women "within and outside the home."[176] But, it +must be added, the majority of those now engaged in prostitution seldom +reach the Night Court or rescue homes. They are too well-dressed, too +clever, and have long since learned the art of escaping the hand of the +law. Of the women at large interrogated, 487 gave their occupational +history; of these, it is not surprising to find that the percentage of +domestic servants is lower than among 168 girls found in rescue homes, +refuges and asylums. Of the 487, there were 117 who stated that they had +been or were employed in department stores; 28 were clerks in smaller +stores; 72 had worked in factories; 25 gave office work; 31 said they had +been or were then stenographers; 9 telephone operators; 72 had been on the +stage, and 16 of these still remained in this occupation during the +theatrical season; 13 declared they had been milliners; 8 were school +teachers; 4 were trained nurses; 5 had sold books on commission; 4 were +artists; 2 artists' models; and 1 was a translator. Seventy-nine of the +487 gave home pursuits as their former occupation; 27 of these said they +had been domestic servants; 8 were nurse girls, 17 were dressmakers, 18 +were waitresses and 9 chambermaids. Five hundred and eighteen (over half) +represented themselves as without regular employment, either before or +after they became prostitutes and 101 refused to say what their employment +had been. + +The types of employment appear to be much more varied than the types of +girl. With few exceptions, the girls are characterized as weak, vain and +ignorant, fond of pleasure,--not, of course, at the beginning, necessarily +vicious pleasure,--easily led,--now by natural emotion, again by cunning +design. The explanation of her present plight as given by the girl is +almost invariably complicated. No single reason can usually be assigned. +Roughly speaking, four kinds of causes are mentioned: + + First. In connection with family life. + Second. In connection with married life. + Third. Personal reasons. + Fourth. Economic reasons. + +The great difficulties in their family life seem to have been neglect and +abuse by parents, sternness and lack of understanding, immorality of +different members of the family, and poverty in the home. In connection +with marriage, it was usually alleged that the husband persuaded the wife +to go into the business: he was practically a pimp. Sometimes, cruelty or +criminality on his part is assigned,--again, incompatibility, failure to +provide, or desertion where the wife stated that she had no other +recourse, never having learned to support herself. Of personal reasons, +there are usually several, no one of which can be regarded as paramount. +Sometimes a girl's lover puts her into the life or deserts her after +seduction, leaving her without hope for the future: "I was ruined anyway," +she would say, "and I did not care what became of me." Again, "I loved the +excitement and a good time, easy money and good clothes." Another one +remarks, "I was born bad and actually enjoy the life." "I was tired of +drudgery as a servant," said another, "I'd rather do this than be kicked +around like a dog in a kitchen by some woman who calls herself a lady." +Few girls ever admit that they have been forced into the life as "white +slaves." Some were lonely and wanted company, some were demoralized by the +environment of the stage; others fell into bad company, and did not have +the moral courage or the opportunity to desist. Generally speaking, of +girls and women who are either ignorant, lonely, giddy, sub-normal, +loveless, childless, rebellious, weak of will, discouraged of heart, +unhappy or poverty-stricken, the prostitutes are those who at critical +periods have given way to such an extent that they drift or plunge into +immoral lives, professional or otherwise. + +The same sort of explanation is given regardless of former occupation: "I +was glad to get away from drudgery," says a former servant, "father drank +and I was put out to work too young"; "my folks were poor, father died +from drink, mother is a heavy drinker," says a factory girl; "I had never +had anything for myself, father drank heavily," says a saleswoman. Or, +again,--a factory worker, "there is more money and pleasure in being a +sport." A shop-girl, "I wanted nice clothes and a good time"; a +stenographer, "I wanted good times, money and clothes." Seduction, too, is +alleged at all levels,--base men taking advantage of natural craving for +interest and affection. "I was 17 when I went with my sweetheart," said a +shop-girl; "I never intended to make it a business, I was in love with the +first fellow," declared a former stenographer. The point should also be +emphasized that victims of this kind do not succumb merely to man's +impulse; often they are conquered by deliberate design. Undoubtedly +responsible for part of the supply is, therefore, the thoughtless, +intelligent, independent man, who seeks out a vain, unhappy, emotional +girl as his victim. I refer to the employer who takes advantage of his +stenographer or telephone girl, taking her to luncheons in private +dining-rooms in expensive restaurants in the business districts. In +department stores, certain floor-walkers, salesmen, buyers, managers, +foremen, and even proprietors are constantly placing temptations before +the weak and yielding girls who come under their direction.[177] + +How far direct economic pressure is responsible for prostitution, it is +difficult to state. A calculation of the wages previously received reveals +great discrepancies. Seventeen former domestics averaged $5.55 a week, +plus board and lodging; 18 factory workers received from $3 to $7.50, 20 +received from $8 to $14 a week; 110 shop-girls averaged $8.24 a week. The +above salaries range, however, from $3 to $15 weekly, the majority +receiving $6, $7, and $8. Eleven receive $10; eleven, $12 apiece; and +three, $15 each. Twenty former stenographers earned on the average $11.25 +a week; of the eight women who claimed to have been school-teachers, one +had earned $80 a month, and one $90. One hundred and thirty-nine girls (12 +per cent) declared that they went into the life for economic reasons. +Thirty-three put it this way, "I could not support myself"; fifty-five +declared that they could not support themselves and their babies, +sometimes their parents; forty-five said they were out of work and could +not get it; nine were in ill health or had some defect keeping them out of +work. Many more cited in explanation of their conduct the deprivations to +which they would otherwise have to submit. Their alleged earnings as +prostitutes, even if exaggerated, suggest a startling contrast: former +servants claim that their receipts from soliciting vary from $26 to $68 +per week; thirty former factory workers claim average weekly returns of +$24; 40 more profess an average of $76 a week; a group of stenographers +(17) average $55 per week. + +The critical period when the first sexual offense of these women was +committed appears to belong between the 14th and 21st years of life; the +average of 1,106 such girls is 17 years. Twenty-five servants first erred +between the 9th and 26th years; their average age was 16; 40 factory +workers, first erring between 14 and 22, averaged a little over 17; 110 +salesgirls give the same result. Occasionally they declare that they never +knew the time when they were virtuous. "When I was a kid of 6, I used to +kiss sailors and other men for candy and do other things," said one. +Naturally the age is highest in case of the former teachers, of whom one +reports her first offense at 21, another at 20; one or two report their +fall in their 18th year. The average time which elapsed before the girls +finally drifted into professional prostitution was two years, _i. e._, +when they were 19 years of age. The life of the professional prostitute +has been estimated at five years, on the ground that she dies, withdraws, +or is incapacitated after she has been in the business on the average for +that length of time. But a study of more than a thousand prostitutes, all +now actively engaged in the business in New York City, does not sustain +this view. The majority of these girls, though entering the life before +18, are at 24 still active and aggressive in seeking trade. There is a +sudden drop, however, at 25, fluctuating more or less until the age of 30 +is reached. Of the 1,097 professional women whose histories were carefully +compiled on this point, 15 were exceedingly active at 32, 13 at 34, 11 at +40, 3 at 44, and 3 at 50. The average age of the 1,097 who are at present +inmates of vice resorts, solicitors in saloons, and on the streets, is 25 +years. + +It is curious to note that prostitution is definitely stratified. Women +divide themselves into three distinct classes and recognize the +subdivisions. To the upper class belong the inmates of $5 and $10 houses. +The middle class is formed by girls in one dollar and fifty cent +establishments. The street girls are, generally speaking, at the bottom. +As in the upper, so in the underworld, social status changes with +prosperity or adversity, though the tendency--by reason of the progressive +demoralization of the life--is definitely downwards. Under the influence +of age, dissipation and disease, physical deterioration rapidly sets in. +Those who are at the top fall into the lower classes, except in the cases +in which they become madames, managers or mistresses, or abandon the life. +Those in the middle class usually end on the streets. + + +(b) THE CUSTOMER + +The necessary counterpart to the prostitute is her customer: she is the +concrete answer to his demand. There are prostitutes at different economic +levels, because their customers are derived from all social classes. The +careless, unkempt woman at the bottom is adjusted to the requirements of +the least exacting; a somewhat better type meets the demands of men of +moderate means; the showy woman at the top corresponds to the +fastidiousness of the spendthrift. + +The customers found in the fifty-cent vice resorts already described are +usually longshoremen, truck drivers, street cleaners, coal heavers, +soldiers and sailors, recently landed immigrants of low moral standards, +and laborers of all kinds. Their treatment of the women is not +infrequently brutal,--usually perhaps in consequence of intoxication. To +one- and two-dollar houses resort men and boys who earn ten, twenty, +twenty-five or more dollars per week. They are proprietors of small +business enterprises, clerks, bookkeepers, bartenders, barbers, tailors, +waiters, soldiers, sailors, messengers in banks, members of social and +political clubs or of benefit organizations. Saturday and Sunday are the +popular nights with men of this type. The owners and madames provide extra +"goods" to "take care of the trade" on such occasions. This fact was +brought out many times during the investigation as the workers went from +one house to the other counting the inmates. A house that early in the +week contained only ten or twelve inmates would on Saturday and Sunday +have its numbers increased to fifteen and twenty-five. This was especially +true in resorts like those on Sixth Avenue.[178] + +I have in mind one prominent organization[179] whose members are regular +customers in houses of this grade. Many of the rank and file are +themselves owners and pimps, who joined the club in order to advertise +their houses and women to their associates. Another organization[180] of +similar character has a membership of about 500 young men whose ages range +from twenty-one to thirty. They are fond of attending boxing contests, +wrestling bouts, athletic meets and public dances. After such exhibitions +or "affairs" they go in groups of five or ten to the houses, spending long +hours in promiscuous orgies. Owners make a specialty of catering to clubs +of this character. When they give public balls, "rackets," "chowder +parties," or other outings, the madames, buying tickets liberally, attend +with their best looking inmates or with runners to drum up trade. After +the ball or outing is over, groups of men and boys follow them back to +their quarters. + +The proprietors of the highest priced houses are very cautious in the +conduct of their business. There is no promiscuous intermingling of +customers in a common receiving parlor where the men huddle on a bench +awaiting their turn, or sit in chairs gaping at each other unashamed. +Separate parlors are used for display; privacy is carefully guarded. In +order to make doubly sure that their visits will not be known, prominent +customers occasionally hire an entire establishment. An instance is cited +in which a well-to-do patron remained three days in such a resort. At +times, however, men are utterly reckless: they have been known to leave +their business cards behind them, or their signatures in books or on +presents given to the inmates or the madame. One such individual is the +New York agent for a famous automobile concern; another is the manager of +a company which manufactures a well-known typewriter; another travels +about from city to city selling hats; while still a fourth is connected +with a celebrated watch company. + +A numerous but pathetic group is that made up of young clerks who, living +alone in unattractive quarters, find in professional prostitutes +companions in the company of whom a night's revel offsets the dullness of +their lives at other times. There are thousands of these men in New York. +No home ties restrain them; no home associations fill their time or +thought. Their rooms are fit only to sleep in; close friends they have few +or none. You can watch them on the streets any evening. Hour after hour +they gaze at the passing throng; at length they fling themselves into the +current,--no longer silent and alone. + +No small part of the business is the so-called "out of town" trade. It +has been conservatively estimated that over 250,000 visitors enter this +city every day in the year for business or for pleasure. This great host +visit the theaters, parks, seashore resorts, museums; they trade in stores +and shops, and some of them, before they return to their homes, become +customers in vice resorts. They, too, include all social classes: soldiers +and sailors, traveling men and buyers, men in attendance on business, +political or fraternal gatherings and conventions, and mere pleasure +seekers. + +It is impossible to estimate the number of men and boys who become +customers in vice resorts in Manhattan during the course of one year. On +the basis of data actually on file, it may be assumed that inmates of +resorts and women on the street trade with between ten and fifteen men per +day. This statement is corroborated by data secured by the Vice Commission +in Chicago, where the average was found to be 15 per day for 18 inmates in +one house covering a period of 22 months,[181] as well as by data obtained +in Syracuse, New York, where the average number of customers entertained +by one inmate during a period of 6 months was 12.[182] Taking the lower +figures as the basis of calculation, if the 15,000 professional +prostitutes of Manhattan entertain ten guests apiece, the customers total +at least 150,000 persons every day. + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +THE BUSINESS OF PROSTITUTION; ITS COST + + +The present chapter deals mainly with the business of prostitution as +conducted in parlor houses and brothels. Our investigators were fortunate +in being able to mingle freely with promoters and their assistants during +a period of many months, listening to their conversations, consulting with +them about business deals, helping them "make up their books" after the +day's business was over, and writing letters for them; they were, in fact, +treated as members of the inner circle and thus obtained first-hand +information. Copies of leases for property are on our files; records of +expenses and receipts in the handwriting of the promoters were secured; +conversations carried on between promoters and bearing on their business +dealings, have been recorded. It is commonly believed that men who live +upon the proceeds of prostitution are untruthful, that no dependence can +be put upon their statements. This doubtless holds as to their utterances +on the witness stand or before an investigating body. But among themselves +they talk about their business dealings with great freedom, and probably +with more or less general accuracy. They eat and drink, buy and sell, plan +and scheme like other business men; and under such circumstances the +facts and conversations presented herewith were obtained. On the other +hand, it must be distinctly stated that our agents were not authorized or +permitted to "frame up" cases in order to secure facts. They did not +operate houses of prostitution in the effort to obtain direct evidence, +although opportunities of this kind frequently presented themselves. They +could have leased property for immoral purposes, bought shares in houses +of prostitution, or have become active agents in arranging the details +essential to the safe and successful conduct of the business. Their +instructions forbade anything of the kind: it was their part merely to +observe without arousing suspicion on the one hand, and without actual +participation on the other. + + +(1) LEASING PROPERTY + +In order to secure houses to be used for immoral purposes, "go-betweens" +called "mecklers" are employed. The "meckler" is paid a fee, never less +than $30 and sometimes as much as $100. Occasionally he receives a small +percentage of the receipts. + +A man of this character[183] lives in East 139th Street.[184] During the +period of this investigation, he selected a building on Sixth Avenue[185] +as suitable for the business of prostitution. Several promoters had +previously tried unsuccessfully to secure a lease on this property. +Through the pawnbroker who occupies the first floor, the "meckler" in +question ultimately succeeded in securing the owner's[186] consent: the +rental was $300 a month, despite the wretched conditions of the premises. +He therefore rented the upper floors to three others,[187] who shared with +him on a 20 per cent basis. The enterprise was not successful; not long +after the "meckler" sold his share[188] for $450. The house closed in +March, 1912, because of poor management. Later three other men purchased +the lease and re-opened the place. + +On June 26th, 1912, two owners[189] of a house of prostitution[190] in +West 28th Street, sought to rent a house[191] on West 29th Street. The +go-between was instructed to secure a lease on the house for one year if +possible, and was told to give the agent to understand for what purpose +they wanted the property. If objection was made, he was to tell the agent +that in case of dispossession proceedings, the tenant could be evicted and +a new lease issued under a different name. This was said to be the usual +plan when the police made an arrest or issued an eviction notice. The +go-between carried out his instructions literally. The house agents +candidly admitted that "the owner knows that the only thing we can let the +house for is for a cat-house" (meaning a house of prostitution). They +stipulated that the place was not to be conducted as a gambling house or +pool room; otherwise they did not care. The rental finally agreed upon was +$2,000 a year. It was also agreed to insert in the lease a clause +permitting the lessee to sublet the house to some other tenant in case of +arrest and subsequent dispossession proceedings. A deposit of $30 was +made and a receipt was given in the name of the supposed broker, or +"meckler." + +In the renting of premises for purposes of prostitution various devices +are employed to protect agent and owner, despite the fact that there is an +overwhelming probability that in most cases both possess from the outset +guilty knowledge of the facts. In some places, direct responsibility is +avoided through renting empty apartments to janitors for a rental ranging +from $40 to $50 a month. The janitor furnishes these apartments on the +instalment plan and sublets them to prostitutes at the rate of $15 to $18 +per week. Then, in addition, he often receives from $3 to $5 per week to +"look away," as he terms it. If the respectable families do not like it, +they may move; and many of them do move. + +The method of subletting furnished apartments by the janitor, with the +consent of the agent (who probably shares in the extra profits) is +employed in a tenement building on West 109th Street. In other places, the +agents rent apartments by the week, demanding payment in advance. After a +day or two, they may inform the occupants that a complaint has been made +and that they will have to move. They do not return any of the advanced +rental, but proceed to repeat the performance. This has happened in +connection with furnished apartments on such streets as West 107th and +West 108th. + +During the month of February, 1912, a woman investigator visited 122 real +estate agents for the alleged purpose of renting an apartment for immoral +purposes. In each case the investigator endeavored to convey to the agent +the object for which the apartment was ostensibly desired. Of the 122 +agents visited, only 17 refused outright to be parties to the transaction. +A few of these were indignant, others said they had to be careful, and +still others said the owners of the property were exceedingly strict. +Sixty-seven agents agreed to rent certain apartments for this purpose and +gave the investigator the addresses of 98 separate apartments where she +could conduct the proposed business. Many of these addresses proved to be +places where the present investigation had already discovered disorderly +conditions. The remaining 38 agents were classified as doubtful. Some of +them were annoyed because the investigator openly hinted her purpose; they +suggested that they did not care, but would not knowingly rent the +property in their charge for such a business. Others pretended to ignore +the questions of the investigator and gave her 65 separate addresses where +apartments could be rented. They were willing to rent apartments of this +character, but did not want to appear to do so. A young man in a real +estate office on Eighth Avenue stated that they "never ask people for +their marriage certificates; they require only that tenants conduct +themselves quietly." One well-known agent[192] betrayed and indeed +confessed embarrassment when frankly told the purpose for which it was +desired to rent a house. He remarked: "I know what you wanted the house +for, but I had much rather you had not told me. If I don't know it, I +don't know it. Now suppose you people are dispossessed and get on the +witness stand and squeal, how would I look?" At a further conference, the +agent refused to agree to a new lease in case of an eviction. "The only +trouble," he said to the stranger, "is that you talked too much. I knew +what you wanted the house for, but I very much rather you had not told me. +What I don't know don't bother me. I tell you what I'll do. You send +somebody else up here in a week or so and I will give you the house and +don't talk too much about it." + +In some of the buildings mentioned in the course of the negotiations here +in question, practically every apartment is a vice resort. As many as 16 +such resorts were found in one 7-story building. In another, every +apartment except one was a vice resort, the one exception being the home +of a butcher who supplied meat to the other tenants. + +Whatever the lease may indicate to the contrary, property rented for +immoral purposes produces extraordinarily large returns. Not infrequently +a high rental is thus produced by houses and apartments that are so +dilapidated that they cannot be rented at all to decent human beings. +Again, there is a tacit understanding that the rental named in the lease +is merely a blind. The agent receives an additional sum, which he may +pocket or divide with the landlord. The lease of a house[193] of +prostitution in West 26th Street places the rental at $100 a month; the +keeper[194] pays $150. On October 5th, 1912, three men were negotiating +with a real estate agent[195] in West 30th Street, who agreed to rent them +two houses[196] in West 38th Street at extortionate rates. On the same +day, an Eighth Avenue agent[197] was promised a bonus of $50 per month for +a house[198] in West 28th Street. Occasionally the increased charge +appears in the lease. When the madame[199] of a West 40th Street +establishment undertook to rent this house, she was told by the agent[200] +that the rent would be $110 per month, and that he would lease the +building to her for one year with a three months' clause. Then he added, +"Now be frank; I will find out anyway. Do you intend to do anything up +there?" + +"Well, I might take a chance," she said. + +"If you do," he replied, "the rent will be $125 per month." + +On March 9th, 1912, at 11.30 P. M., a man was solicited by two colored +girls to enter a vice resort in West 40th Street.[201] The agents[202] of +this building have offices in West 42nd Street. The building is 5 stories +high and four families live on each floor, paying a monthly rental of from +$20 to $25. The street walkers, however, pay as much as $40 per month for +their rooms. Their neighbors[203] declare that the agent has knowledge of +the character of these tenants. A public school is next door, and on the +opposite side of the street is a church. + + +(2) TRADING IN SHARES + +A group consisting of 38 men own and operate 28 one-dollar houses of +prostitution in a certain section of Manhattan.[204] Among themselves +they trade actively in shares. One of them[205]--already referred to as +the "King" by reason of the scope of his enterprises and influence--is +said to own shares in 10 houses, and his brother and nephew each have a +sixth interest in another resort which he gave them as a present. His +one-dollar resorts are located on the following streets:--three on Sixth +Avenue, two each in West 25th Street and West 24th Street, and one each in +West 28th Street,[206] West 31st Street,[207] and West 40th Street.[208] +He is also the proprietor of a $5 house located in West 49th Street.[209] +In some houses there are three partners who are said also to own shares in +other places of the same character; in one instance, two brothers are +partners in two houses--one in Sixth Avenue, and one in West 27th Street. +Four partners were formerly interested in a business conducted in West +24th Street. + +The group of men who operate these 28 houses of prostitution are very +careful in disposing of their shares. The purchaser must either be one of +their own number or some relative or friend. Sales are made for different +reasons, sometimes to effect economies in management. For example, on June +7th, 1912, an owner[210] sold a half interest in a Sixth Avenue resort to +a man from the West, for $2,200. Thereupon he bought a one-third interest +in another house on Sixth Avenue for $900, being admitted to the firm that +he might serve as lighthouse and procurer. A half-partner[211] was taken +into another Sixth Avenue house[212] for $1500. The low price was +subsequently accounted for by the owner as follows: "Do you suppose if the +new partner had not had a good woman, I would have taken him in for that +sum? I would have to take a woman in anyway and give her at least 20 per +cent of the profits, without getting anything for it except her labor. To +start with, I am getting $1,500 and a good woman; I save $25 per week on a +procurer, and besides get a partner who is interested in the house and not +a total stranger who does not care whether the house does business or not; +the place is running straight now." While these two men were discussing +this economical move, the madame[213] of a house in West 40th Street[214] +approached, to remark that she had a good house in the 26th police +precinct, and wanted to have one of them come with her as a partner, so +that she could use his influence in making some very necessary +arrangements looking toward the success of the business. In reply to this +offer, the person addressed replied: "They (meaning the police +authorities) will not stand for a one-dollar house of prostitution on that +street and besides I have enough, my hands are full." Thereupon one of the +partners in another resort on Sixth Avenue,[215] remarked that if she +wanted to pay him $2,000 for his one-third interest, he would sell it. + +"Why do you want to sell?" asked the woman. + +"My woman is very sick," he replied, "and she has to go to the mountains; +also her sister is very sick and I am 'broke.'" + +"How heavy is business?" she asked. + +He replied that the house was "working" between $1,000 and $1,200 per +week. She regarded $2,000 as too much for a one-third interest, as the hot +months were coming on and business would probably be very dull; however, +she would give $1,500. + +"No," he answered, "you cannot buy my share for $1,999." + +Buyers are of course wary. They must be convinced that they are getting +what they pay for; occasionally, therefore, tentative arrangements are +made. A madame is installed until actual experience proves that the +property is worth the price asked. + +The following transactions were actually witnessed by our investigators: +On March 3rd, 1912, sale of three one-third interests in a Sixth Avenue +resort for $650 apiece; March 11th, 1912, sale of a half interest in +another Sixth Avenue resort for $2,200; March 19th, a sale of a one-third +interest in a West 40th Street resort for $1,500,--a poor investment, for +the house was shortly closed; in July, 1912, a one-third interest in +another resort in West 40th Street was purchased for $3,000 by an owner, +who transferred his women thither from a place in 28th Street. +Occasionally pressure is brought to force a part owner out. On one such +transaction, a profit of $500 was made; in another a share was bought for +$500,--far below its market value.[216] + +Quarrels and disputes between shareholders are of frequent occurrence. +Such disputes are deplored among the more intelligent promoters because +they fear exposure of one sort or another. A dissatisfied shareholder may +"squeal" to the police; or his woman may sit on the steps of a rival's +resort, calling the attention of the police to a particular house. The +policy of the business is to keep everybody satisfied and contented. +Nevertheless, misunderstandings occur; on April 8th, 1912, two +shareholders were engaged in a hot dispute; one of them had been a silent +partner who never "came to the front" when extra demands were made on the +finances of the firm, but left the other to pay the bills. It was claimed +that, as a result of his neglect, the house was closed and an officer was +ordered to stay inside. The business was ruined. Finally the officer was +removed, whereupon the "silent" partner wished to be recognized as owning +a share. As the complainant had borne the brunt of the difficulties with +the police, as well as the subsequent losses, he refused; besides, he had +taken in two other men as partners. The delinquent partner became very +angry and threatened to send his woman to the house and to make all sorts +of trouble. The two new partners advised that he receive $150 and be +declared "out for good." But the silent partner was not satisfied when he +heard that one of the new partners had sold his share for $1,700. So he +demanded $600 more for his share, claiming that he was still a partner, +which sum he subsequently received.[217] + +The precarious nature of such investments, depending, as it does, for its +value on variations in public opinion and municipal policy, can be +illustrated from former as well as current history: + +During the fall of 1907, the Commissioner of Police, as well as the +District Attorney, became very active in closing houses of prostitution in +Manhattan. An owner who was put out of business at that time made the +following statement, in substance, in the presence of two witnesses: + +"At the time I was put out of business by Police Commissioner Bingham in +1907, I left New York with $4,800 and bought a farm in Jersey. After +things had cooled down, or in February, 1911, I came back to New York to +look the ground over. Finally things looked all right and I bought a +one-third interest in a place in West 25th Street for the sum of $1,200. +Three days later, "bing," I get a raid and a cop in front of the door for +a whole month. Then the cop was taken away and I opened again for a few +days, when, "bing," another $300 raid with a cop inside. I was tipped off +that my partner did not suit, so I bought her interest for $600 while the +cop was still inside. I then "doubled up" with a friend. We opened very +slowly; I would not let the women solicit at the windows. The weather was +very hot. In August I bought my friend out for $1,200 which made me even. +From February to April, I paid $100 a month in rent and other expenses and +didn't make a cent until August. Since that time up till now I have saved +only $9,000. The house stands me $4,000 after paying rent, the cost of the +raids, and the purchase price." + +As already pointed out, any change in the political situation or in the +attitude toward the business on the part of the authorities of the city, +or a reform movement, reacts immediately upon the value of the shares in +vice resorts. Just before the murder of the gambler Rosenthal last summer, +the shares in houses of prostitution were very valuable, and it was +practically impossible to secure them except at large prices. On June 4th, +a part owner in a house in West 25th Street declared: "It is impossible to +get something decent unless you pay a prohibitive price. I had to pay +$1,700 for a one-third interest in this place and only to-day I paid +$1,000 for a year's lease on three houses in the same street. These +buildings have changed hands seven or eight times during the past year and +it is rumored that they are going to be torn down."[218] On June 19th, +1912, the owner of a share in a Sixth Avenue house told a man that the +"stocks are awful high." He offered to sell his one-third share, costing +$500 originally, for $2,000. + +The Rosenthal murder took place July 15, 1912, and shares in houses of +prostitution at once declined. Some of the promoters were very pessimistic +over the situation and declared that the houses would be closed and their +business ruined. On August 6th, 1912, while discussing the situation, one +of them[219] declared that it was all over with them. His partner[220] +remonstrated with him, holding that the authorities would not close the +houses. To this the former replied: + +"Well, I show you how much I think of it--I will sell my interest and get +out." + +"It's a go," said the other, "I've been a gambler all my life; I'll buy +it." The price paid for this share several months before was $1,700, and +the same sum was demanded and refused. After some arguing, the bargain was +closed at $1,000 and $100 was paid on account. + +Prior to the murder in question, a one-third interest in a Sixth Avenue +place was worth $2,000. On August 8th, 1912, the owner offered to sell his +interest for $1,000. + +"No," said the prospective buyer, "I will give you $500, and I am taking a +gambler's chance in giving you that much."[221] + +The decline in values has continued since the date of the above +conversations. At this moment an interest in certain places can be +purchased for the amount of a night's profit. + + +(3) BUSINESS DETAILS, ETC. + +It is impossible to give even an approximate estimate of the receipts from +the business of prostitution in Manhattan during a stated period. We could +not secure access to the books of the owners, even if they kept accounts, +which none do in a systematic way. But bits of direct evidence, absolutely +accurate and reliable, in the shape of records for a day, a week, or month +were obtained here and there; we can also report what owners and inmates +say regarding their incomes. Whatever allowances are made for +overstatements and misstatements, intentional or accidental, the total is +sufficiently staggering. + +The most eloquent and significant exhibits obtained were the cards on +which the night's business of the inmate is punched. These casual bits of +information are in no wise exceptional. One shrinks from multiplying them +by the number of women engaged, and the number of days in the year. + +Lillie, inmate in a vice resort in Sixth Avenue[222] showed the +investigator a white card in which were punched 7 holes, each representing +one customer or service at $1 apiece, or $7. It was the record of her +earnings during a period of six hours ending at one A. M. on March 14th, +1912. Of the $7, Lillie received $3.50 as her share, from which amount +$1.50 was deducted by the madame to pay her board for the day. + +The account of 6 inmates in a West 58th Street resort showed that on +Sunday, April 21st, Alma had earned $7; Pauline, $15; Pansy, $14; Rose, +$17; Bella, $16; and Ruth, $15: a total of $86, or an average of $14 per +day for each inmate. The price in this house ranged from $2 to $5, +according to the customer. The receipts of 3 inmates for another day in +April were, Rose, $49; Alma, $16; and Ruth, $30: a total of $95, or an +average for the day of $31 per inmate. The receipts on May 3rd, 1912, were +as follows: Rose, $28; Bella, $21; Alma, $13; Pansy, $4: a total of $66, +or an average of over $16 per day per inmate. For the week April 22-28 +inclusive the receipts from 4 to 6 inmates were as follows: + + Monday, April 22nd, 1912, $50 + Tuesday, April 23rd, 1912, 38 + Wednesday, April 24th, 1912, 34 + Thursday, April 25th, 1912, 39 + Friday, April 26th, 1912, 54 + Saturday, April 27th, 1912, 53 + Sunday, April 28th, 1912, 57 + +This gives a total of $325 or an average of about $46 per day. + +Sixteen white cards were obtained from a dollar house in West 28th Street +showing the earnings per inmate on July 9th, 1912. "Babie" is credited +with $27; Buster, $30; a girl whose name is not readable, $27; Charlotte, +$23; Dolly, $20; Dorothy, $11; Minnie, $15; Eva, $16; one whose name is +not given, $15; another, name not given, $14; another, $10; others whose +names are omitted, $14, $14, $9, $8, $11 respectively. The total is $264 +or an average of about $16 per inmate for the day. The madame when paying +the inmates the one-half due them for their day's work always deducted the +sum of $1.50 for board. + +In the figures above given, there is no element of doubt whatsoever: they +are taken from the actual records of the day's business,--the cards in the +possession of every inmate. Whether they can be regarded as fairly +representative is another question, which it would be futile to discuss. +We possess, however, certain totals, the precise reliability of which the +reader must judge for himself. It has been stated that our investigators +succeeded in establishing themselves on an intimate footing with those +most prominently concerned in the commercial exploitation of prostitution. +They took part in conferences, and could discuss business and its +prospects without suspicion. From time to time these agents found +themselves in position to canvass freely the question of returns, past, +present and future. The approximate estimates of the value of the various +properties prior to the Rosenthal murder; and the main items of expense +incurred in their conduct were set down as thus obtained. In regard to the +general credibility of the figures it is to be remembered that these men +are decidedly communicative among themselves and that any exaggerated +departure from probability would have drawn forth expressions of +skepticism or disbelief; on the other hand, it is not pretended that the +figures are more than roughly significant of the scope and profits of a +fluctuating trade; they are given for what they are worth. + +TABLE SHOWING APPROXIMATE MONTHLY RECEIPTS FROM INMATES, MONTHLY EXPENSES, +NUMBER OF INMATES, NUMBER OF MADAMES, ETC., IN 30 ONE-DOLLAR HOUSES. + + +----------------------------------------------------- + |House receipts[223] (1/2 fees) + + +---------------------------------------------- + | |House expenses[224] + | + +---------------------------------------- + | | |No. inmates + | | + +---------------------------------- + | | | |No. madames + | | | + +----------------------------- + | | | | |No. maids + | | | | + +------------------------- + | | | | | |No. lighthouses + | | | | | + +--------------------- + | | | | | | |No. owners + | | | | | | + +------------------ + | | | | | | | | Value of business + | | | | | | | | S=sale B=bid. + ------------------------------------------------------ + Location A B C D E F G H + of house + No.--W. 18 $3,600 $814 18 2 4 1 3 + " " " 24 3,200 735 17 2 3 1 2 + " " " 25 3,200 606 16 1 3 1 2 + " " " 25 4,000 839 24 3 4 1 2 + " " " 25 3,227 705 20 1 3 1 1 $5,100 S. + " " " 25 3,000 571 9 2 3 3 + " " " 28 2,800 729 17 2 4 1 2 + " " " 28 3,000 821 16 4 3 1 3 + " " " 31 2,800 516 12 3 3 2,000 S. + " " " 35 2,400 788 14 3 3 1 2 + " " " 40 1,200 275 4 2 2 + " " " 40 1,000 293 6 2 1 + " " " 40 2,000 628 12 2 3 1 2 + " " " 56 3,200 797 20 3 4 1 2 + " Sixth Ave.[225] 2,400 691 14 1 2 1 2 + " " " 3,600 689 19 2 4 1 2 4,400 S. + " " " 2,400 733 14 2 3 1 3 + " " " 2,000 593 12 1 2 2 + " " " 3,200 555 12 2 2 3 6,000 S. + " " " 1,200 437 5 1 2 1 1 + " " " 3,200 667 15 2 2 1 2 3,750 S. + " " " 3,600 847 20 2 4 1 1 + " " " 2,800 627 15 1 2 1 4 10,000 B. + No.-- W. 24 2,000 674 10 1 3 2 4 {2,500 S. + {3,200 S. + " " " 26 3,700 819 20 2 4 1 2 + " " " 27 3,000 570 16 1 2 1 2 + " " " 28 3,000 741 16 1 3 1 3 + " " " 28 1,200 441 8 1 2 1 + " " " 36 3,000 748 16 2 3 1 2 3,000 S. + " " " 36 2,800 706 15 3 3 1 1 + ------ ------- --- -- -- -- -- ----- + Total $81,727 $19,655 432 50 87 24 65 + +Similar data were also procured--and in substantially the same manner--for +eight five-dollar houses.[226] + +TABLE SHOWING APPROXIMATE MONTHLY RECEIPTS OF HOUSES FROM INMATES, MONTHLY +EXPENSES, NUMBER INMATES, NUMBER MADAMES, ETC., IN 8 FIVE-DOLLAR HOUSES. + + House House No. No. No. Lowest + Location receipts expenses inmates madames maids price of + of house St. (1/2 fees) service + + No.--W. 38 $ 2,400 $ 871 12 2 4 $3 + " " 41 1,800 924 10 2 3 5 + " " 46 2,800 938 14 2 3 5 + " " 46 3,200 952 16 2 5 5 + " " 46 1,800 760 12 1 4 5 + " " 47 3,000 871 15 2 3 5 + " " 49 1,800 878 12 2 3 { 2 + { 5 + " " 52 1,600 885 9 2 3 5 + ------- ------ --- -- -- --- + Total $18,400 $7,079 100 15 28 + +Ten disorderly tenements were studied in the same way, with the following +results:[227] + +TABLE SHOWING APPROXIMATE MONTHLY RECEIPTS FROM INMATES, MONTHLY EXPENSES, +NUMBER INMATES AND NUMBER MAIDS IN 10 DISORDERLY APARTMENTS. + + House receipts House No. No. + Location St. (1/2 fees) expenses inmates maids + + No.--W. 43 $ 500 $ 189 3 1 + " " 45 600 235 3 1 + " " 49 700 259 4 2 + " " 50 700 264 4 2 + " " 55 600 261 4 2 + " " 58 800 143 4 2 + " " 58 800 175 4 2 + " " 58 1,000 440 5 2 + " " 60 500 208 3 2 + " " 65 600 144 3 1 + ------ ------ -- -- + Total $6,800 $2,318 37 17 + +We have deliberately refrained from attempting to make even an approximate +calculation on the basis of the foregoing tables of the profits annually +derived from commercialized prostitution in New York City. But a moment's +reflection will suggest the enormous sums involved. If, for example, the +table dealing with thirty parlor houses, _i. e._, less than one-half of +those investigated, even roughly represents the monthly volume of +business, over $2,000,000 a year are paid to their inmates, one-half of +which is at once paid over to the houses; the running expenses of the +houses are about one-quarter of a million; but the profits are not reduced +by this sum, for the payments of the inmates for board and lodging are +supposed to be equal to the expense of conducting the establishment. +Moreover, the estimates above given entirely omit certain very important +indirect sources of revenue,--for large profits are derived from the sale +of liquor, tobacco, lewd pictures, booklets, verse and other reading +matter. Finally, patrons often tip lavishly, leaving "gift" or "luck" +money, and in innumerable other ways add to the revenue of the resorts. +The total expenditure incurred and the net profit to the exploiters, +therefore, run high up into the millions annually.[228] + +A partial confirmation of the scale of the estimates above given is +furnished by the following incident: + +During the evening of May 3, 1912, one of the owners of a house of +prostitution in West 25th Street was trying to sell a one-third interest +in his one-dollar resort. He had written on a sheet of brown wrapping +paper the receipts and expenses for one month in connection with the +business in this house. This document is in our possession. The items +which interest us in this connection are receipts for four weeks and two +days, or 30 days in all: First week's receipts, $1,735; second week, +$1,612; third week, $1,463; fourth week, $1,401; two days, $243; making a +total of $6,454 for the thirty days, or an average of about $215 per day. +The average number of inmates in this house is 15. In that case, each +inmate earned $15, that is, received 15 men each day. + +The income of the street walker is probably subjected to greater +fluctuations than that of the house or flat inmate, weather and other +conditions greatly affecting her earnings. It is therefore impossible to +gain any conception of the volume of money that changes hands in +consequence of street business. Samples are, however, available; the +account book which was secured from a young prostitute, neither very +aggressive nor very attractive, who solicits on East 14th Street and +receives usually one dollar for her services, runs as follows: + + Wednesday $7.50 + Thursday 7.00 + Friday 9.00 + Saturday 9.50 + Sunday 4.50 + Monday 7.50 + Tuesday 8.00 + +a total of $53. + +The items for the next seven days are as follows: + + Wednesday $6.50 + Thursday 6.50 + Friday 7.00 + Saturday 12.00 + Sunday 10.00 + Monday 9.00 + Tuesday 6.00 + +a total of $57. + +The following six days' receipts were as follows: + + Wednesday $6.00 + Thursday 6.00 + Friday 3.50 + Saturday 8.00 + Sunday 5.50 + Monday 5.00 + +a total of $34. + +The following seven days' receipts are: + + Wednesday $6.00 + Thursday 5.00 + Friday 3.00 + Saturday 7.00 + Sunday 8.00 + Monday 6.00 + Tuesday 6.00 + +$41 in all. + +There were only five more days accounted for, when the girl ceased to keep +any record of her receipts: + + Wednesday $3.50 + Thursday 2.00 + Friday 5.50 + Saturday 4.50 + Sunday 10.50 + +the total of these five days being $26. + +Thus in 32 days, this poorly dressed, rather ignorant and unsophisticated +street walker, earned $211, an average of between $6 and $7 per day. + +Practically all the figures in the above concern profits derived from the +sale of the bodies of women. In addition, the exploiters--owners and +madames mainly--derive further gain (by no means inconsiderable in amount) +from such items as the sale to their women, at exorbitant prices, of +clothing and other feminine requirements. Huge as these immediate profits +of exploitation are, they are enormously increased by the vast sums made +from the sale of intoxicating drinks, which business has been shown to be +so closely allied with prostitution, and by abnormal rentals received for +the use of all kinds of property for purposes of prostitution. Even then, +the stupendous although unknown figure involved in the maintenance of this +army of upwards of 15,000 women in New York City fails to indicate what +prostitution costs society. For perhaps the greatest cost of all is yet +to be mentioned, namely, disease. Wherever prostitution exists, there +venereal disease flourishes,--maiming, incapacitating the participants +surely, and not infrequently innocent ones in close association with them. + +Reliable and complete statistics as to the prevalence of venereal disease, +its consequences immediate and remote, are not to be had. In the absence +of compulsory reporting, it is impossible to estimate the number of cases +under treatment by physicians; in addition to these, large numbers +endeavor to conceal the truth by foolishly resorting to quacks, advertised +nostrums, etc. Figures obtainable from hospitals represent, therefore, +only a fraction, probably an inconsiderable fraction, of those afflicted; +as far as they go, a careful study elicits the following facts: + +During the year 1911, 522,722 cases of all kinds were treated in 17 +dispensaries in New York City; 15,781, or 3.01 percent of these cases, +were venereally affected. The hospitals of the city possess few beds for +the reception of venereal patients; nevertheless, 5,380 persons--6.33 per +cent of all cases treated in 13 different hospitals--were venereally +affected, about two-thirds male, one-third female. These infections occur +at any time from the first to the seventieth year,--the period of greatest +frequency being between 16 and 30 years of age: between 16 and 20, 796 +were males and 369 females; between 21 and 25, 1,182 and 454, +respectively; between 26 and 30, 692 and 268. + +For several reasons these figures are far from suggesting the actual +extent of venereal infection,--in the first place, because, as above +stated, the hospitals receive but a fraction of the sufferers; in the +second, because accurate diagnosis has only recently become feasible. The +percentages increase heavily as soon as the more delicate and reliable +tests devised by Wassermann and others are applied. For example, 308 +adults were admitted to the medical wards of a certain New York hospital +during the months of January, February, and March, 1913; though the +Wassermann test for syphilis was made in the case of only 166 of these, +38, _i. e._, 23 percent of those examined, gave positive results; this is +equivalent to 12.3 percent of the entire 308. Had the test been applied to +all adults admitted, undoubtedly the ratio of syphilitic infection would +have been higher still. As a matter of fact, the test as usually performed +does not disclose all cases of infection; so that the prevalence of +disease is actually greater than the tests indicate. + +The civil state of the patients in the cases first mentioned is shown in +the following table: + + Males Females + + single married widowers single married widows + 640 2950 57 589 802 90 + +From the standpoint of occupation, every social class is +represented,--necessarily so, inasmuch as every social class figures in +the phenomena of prostitution. The occupations given by male patients were +as follows: professional, 52; clerical and official, 307; mercantile and +trading, 250; public entertainment, 120; personal service, police and +military, 186; laboring and servant, 1,181; manufacturing and mechanical +industry, 932; agricultural, transportation, and other outdoor +employments, 645; no occupations, 58; classified as unknown, 8; children, +11; congenital origin, 31; schoolboys, 10; students, 10. The occupations +of female patients are as follows: professional, 46; domestic and +personal, 1,144; trade and transportation, 109; manufacturing and +mechanical, 86; no occupations, 72; unknown, 9; schoolgirls, 21; children, +76. + +In respect to the disease with which they were afflicted, 413 of the 1,563 +females suffered from syphilis; 1,036 from gonorrhoea; 9 from +chancroids, and 105 from complications. Eight hundred and eighty-three of +the men were suffering from syphilis; 1,445 from gonorrhoea; 203 from +chancroids, and 1,276 from complications. + +It needs no argument to show that the cost of prostitution is enormously +augmented even by the amount of disease accounted for in the preceding +discussion; as this represents but a small part of the whole, the totals +thus reached require to be multiplied by a large factor. But the reckoning +would still be incomplete, even if we knew the actual volume of syphilis, +gonorrhoea and chancre; for there would remain to be included the remote +effects, not less certainly due to venereal affection, and even more +fateful and costly than the immediate manifestations,--paralysis, +sterility, miscarriage, deformity, degeneracy, insanity,--curses that +stretch even "unto the third and fourth generations." From the effort to +translate such losses into dollars and cents, the boldest calculator may +well shrink: yet they are a part,--a certain, inevitable part--of the cost +of prostitution. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +PROSTITUTION, THE POLICE, AND THE LAW + + +In respect to vice and vice resorts, the police rules require that each +police captain must report to the Commissioner all places in his precinct +where disorderly, degraded or lawless people congregate, and also give +notice in writing to the owner, lessee or occupant, that such room or +building is so used, and that such use constitutes a misdemeanor. If the +owner, lessee, or occupant does not abate the nuisance, the captain is +empowered to obtain a warrant for his arrest and to prosecute him as +required by law. In addition, each captain is required to make charges of +neglect of duty against any patrolman who fails to discover a serious +breach of peace on his post, or fails to arrest any person guilty of such +offense. If a house is under suspicion of being disorderly or is so in +fact, the officer on the beat is required to restrain acts of disorder, +prevent soliciting from windows, doors, or on the streets, and to arrest +all persons so doing. He must also carefully observe all other places of +suspicious nature, obtain evidence as to the character and ownership of +such houses and report the same to his commanding officer.[229] + +Between January 1 and August 1, 1912, police captains in Manhattan +reported to the department 112 separate places as suspicious or +disorderly; against these, they made 542 complaints. Seven complaints were +made against one place in the 5th precinct, 46 against 9 places in the +16th precinct, 180 against 35 places in the 23rd. The police activities +are tabulated in the following table:[230] + + POLICE REPORTS + + No. of Places + Precinct No. Reports Involved + 5 7 1 + 6 8 4 + 12 5 3 + 15 46 9 + 16 9 3 + 18 81 15 + 21 20 6 + 22 34 10 + 23 180 35 + 26 105 15 + 28 5 1 + 36 3 3 + 39 21 3 + 43 18 4 + --- --- + Totals 542 112 + +The following table distributes the places reported according to the +character of the resort and the precinct: + + POLICE REPORTS + + Prostitution Assignation Disorderly + Precincts Places Houses Places Total + 1 .. .. .. .. + 2 .. .. .. .. + 5 1 .. .. 1 + 6 .. .. 4 4 + 7 .. .. .. .. + 8 .. .. .. .. + 10 .. .. .. .. + 12 3 .. .. 3 + 13 .. .. .. .. + 14 .. .. .. .. + 15 .. .. 9 9 + 16 3 .. .. 3 + 17 .. .. .. .. + 18 .. .. 15 15 + 21 1 5 .. 6 + 22 9 1 .. 10 + 23 25 5 5 35 + 25 .. .. .. .. + 26 15 .. .. 15 + 28 .. .. 1 1 + 29 .. .. .. .. + 31 .. .. .. .. + 32 .. .. .. .. + 33 .. .. .. .. + 35 .. .. .. .. + 36 .. 3 .. 3 + 39 3 .. .. 3 + 40 .. .. .. .. + 43 4 .. .. 4 + --- -- -- -- --- + Totals 64 14 34 112 + +On the basis of both months and precincts these reports are distributed +thus: + + POLICE REPORTS + Separate + Places-- + Precincts Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Total Total + ----------------------------------------------------------------- + 1 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. + 2 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. + 5 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 7 1 + 6 4 4 .. .. .. .. .. 8 4 + 7 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. + 8 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. + 10 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. + 12 1 2 1 1 .. .. .. 5 3 + 13 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. + 14 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. + 15 9 9 8 6 4 4 46 9 + 16 3 3 3 .. .. .. .. 9 3 + 18 15 11 11 11 11 11 11 81 15 + 21 6 5 5 1 1 1 1 20 6 + 22 2 3 3 3 6 9 8 34 10 + 23 27 29 28 22 24 24 26 180 35 + 25 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. + 26 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 105 15 + 28 .. 1 1 1 1 1 .. 5 1 + 29 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. + 31 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. + 32 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. + 33 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. + 35 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. + 36 3 .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 3 + 39 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 21 3 + 40 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. + 43 4 4 2 2 2 2 2 18 4 + -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --- --- + Totals 93 90 81 66 70 71 71 542 112 + +It would appear thus that in the fifth precinct the same house is reported +month after month; in the 18th, 11 houses are reported during five of the +6 months; in the 26th precinct, 15 houses are systematically and regularly +denounced. + +Our own investigation began approximately three weeks later than the above +tables and ran three months longer. In its course, our investigators +reported 429 parlor houses, massage parlors, furnished room houses and +hotels; and 379 saloons and miscellaneous places allied with prostitution. +The 429 resorts first mentioned are distributed as follows: + + INVESTIGATORS' REPORTS + Total + Parlor Massage Furnished investigation + Precincts houses parlors rooms Hotels Addresses + + 1 .. .. .. .. .. + 2 .. .. .. .. .. + 5 3 .. .. .. 3 + 6 6 .. .. 1 7 + 7 .. .. .. .. .. + 8 .. .. .. .. .. + 10 .. .. .. .. .. + 12 3 .. .. .. 3 + 13 .. .. 1 2 3 + 14 .. .. 2 .. 2 + 15 11 .. 19 9 39 + 16 .. .. .. 1 1 + 17 1 .. 2 .. 3 + 18 21 8 10 8 47 + 21 3 .. 5 12 20 + 22 22 3 41 7 73 + 23 35 23 14 21 93 + 25 1 1 1 2 5 + 26 29 17 10 16 72 + 28 1 8 2 5 16 + 29 .. 9 .. 3 12 + 32 .. 1 .. 1 2 + 33 .. .. .. .. .. + 36 .. .. .. 10 10 + 39 5 .. 2 1 8 + 40 .. .. .. .. .. + 43 1 .. 3 6 10 + --- -- --- --- --- + Totals 142 70 112 105 429 + +The 379 saloons and miscellaneous places allied with prostitution were +discovered in the following precincts: + + Saloons, etc., and miscellaneous + Precincts places allied with prostitution + + 1 2 + 2 + 5 + 6 11 + 7 + 10 + 12 + 13 4 + 14 2 + 15 26 + 16 7 + 17 + 18 26 + 21 17 + 22 45 + 23 39 + 25 14 + 26 61 + 28 16 + 29 2 + 32 23 + 33 1 + 36 26 + 39 29 + 40 4 + 43 24 + ---- + Total 379 + +Comparison of the police reports with those made by our investigators +shows marked differences. For example: in the sixth precinct, the police +report 4 addresses, our agents 18, of which 11 were saloons, etc.; in the +15th, the police found 9, our agents 65, twenty-six of them saloons, etc.; +in the 21st, the police gave 6, our agents 37, seventeen of them saloons, +etc.; in the 22nd, the police report 10, our agents 118, forty-five of +them saloons; in the 26th, 15 and 133 respectively, 61 of the latter being +saloons, etc.; in the 28th, one place is noted by the police, 32 by our +agents, 16 of them saloons, etc.; in the 32nd, none by the police, 25 by +our agents, 23 of them saloons, etc.; in the 33rd precinct none is +reported by police, one by our agents. + +In the following table, both sets of reports are arranged side by side in +tabular form, all forms of disorderly resorts being grouped together: + + No. disorderly No. disorderly + places reported places found by + by police our investigators + Jan. 1- from Jan. 24- + Precinct Aug. 1, 1912. Nov. 15, 1912. + + 1 0 2 + 5 1 3 + 6 4 18 + 12 3 3 + 13 0 7 + 14 0 4 + 15 9 65 + 16 3 8 + 17 0 3 + 18 15 73 + 21 6 37 + 22 10 118 + 23 35 132 + 25 0 19 + 26 15 133 + 28 1 32 + 29 0 14 + 32 0 25 + 33 0 1 + 36 3 36 + 39 3 37 + 40 0 4 + 43 4 34 + --- --- + Totals 112 808 + +Tenement resorts are not included in the preceding data. In the year 1912, +the police reported to the Tenement House Department as vicious 138 +separate addresses, in which they had made 153 arrests,--65 of these +arrests in two precincts, the 13th and the 15th; from 247 other sources, +the department learned of 211 addresses: in all, 349 separate places were +reported.[231] Our own agents discovered 1,172 separate disorderly +apartments in tenements at 578 separate addresses between January 24th and +November 15th. + +In the following table, both sets of reports are combined, according to +precincts; the tenement house reports cover the entire year +(January-December 31, 1912), ours only the period of investigation +(January 24-November 15, 1912): + + TENEMENT HOUSE DEPARTMENT RECORDS + + _Complaints from_ + _Police Reports_ _all sources_ _Investigation_ + _including police_ _Reports_ + ----------------------------+------------------+------------------------ + No. | No. | No. No. separate + separate | No. separate | separate disorderly + No. buildings | comp- bldgs. | addresses apartments + Precincts reports involved | laints involved | (Bldgs.) + | | + 1 .. .. | .. .. | .. .. + 2 .. .. | .. .. | .. .. + 5 1 1 | 2 2 | 1 1 + 6 2 2 | 4 4 | 5 9 + 7 1 1 | 2 2 | 1 1 + 8 .. .. | .. .. | .. .. + 10 2 2 | 2 2 | .. .. + 12 5 5 | 6 5 | 1 1 + 13 27 23 | 38 28 | 10 10 + 14 1 1 | 1 1 | 1 3 + 15 38 35 | 46 42 | 58 69 + 16 1 1 | 4 4 | 2 2 + 17 4 4 | 15 14 | 5 5 + 18 .. .. | 3 1 | 25 26 + 21 3 2 | 7 4 | 6 6 + 22 4 4 | 18 15 | 75 123 + 23 3 3 | 8 7 | 28 44 + 25 .. .. | .. .. | 1 2 + 26 12 10 | 13 11 | 102 396 + 28 14 12 | 17 13 | 95 164 + 29 .. .. | .. .. | .. .. + 31 1 1 | 3 3 | 3 3 + 32 16 14 | 22 18 | 85 206 + 33 .. .. | .. .. | .. .. + 35 .. .. | 2 2 | 2 5 + 36 12 11 | 14 13 | 58 81 + 39 .. .. | 3 3 | 4 4 + 40 .. .. | 1 1 | .. .. + 43 6 6 | 16 16 | 10 11 + --- --- | --- --- | --- ---- + Totals 153 138 | 247 211 | 578 1172 + +During the same period, 794 separate saloons and concert halls were +investigated, of which almost one-half,--308--were found disorderly; in +addition to which, 91 miscellaneous places of a disorderly character were +reported. The distribution of such disorderly places by precincts was as +follows: + + _Miscellaneous Places_ + Total + Separate disorderly + disorderly Allied Semi-public saloons, etc. + saloons, with used by and miscellaneous + concert prostitution prostitutes places + Precincts halls, etc. + + 1 .. 2 .. 2 + 2 .. .. 1 1 + 5 .. .. .. .. + 6 11 .. .. 11 + 7 .. .. .. .. + 8 .. .. .. .. + 10 .. .. .. .. + 12 .. .. .. .. + 13 4 .. .. 4 + 14 2 .. .. 2 + 15 11 15 .. 26 + 16 7 .. .. 7 + 17 .. .. .. .. + 18 18 8 .. 26 + 21 13 4 .. 17 + 22 38 7 1 46 + 23 26 13 5 44 + 25 12 2 .. 14 + 26 50 11 3 64 + 28 15 1 3 19 + 29 2 .. 1 3 + 31 .. .. .. .. + 32 20 3 5 28 + 33 1 .. .. 1 + 35 .. .. .. .. + 36 26 .. 1 27 + 39 26 3 .. 29 + 40 3 1 .. 4 + 43 23 1 .. 24 + --- --- --- --- + Totals 308 71 20 399 + +The total number of actual vice resorts of all kinds discovered in +Manhattan was 1,606, situated at 1,007 different addresses; in the 26th +precinct, 174 were found,--29 parlor houses, 17 massage parlors, 102 +tenement resorts, 10 furnished room houses, 16 hotels; in the 22nd +precinct, 148 disorderly places were located, 22 parlor houses, 3 massage +rooms, 75 tenement resorts, 41 furnished room houses, 7 hotels. + +The investigator who succeeds in establishing himself on a footing of +unsuspected familiarity in the underworld is soon admitted to confidences +which show how the underworld accounts to itself for the comparative +statistics above given. The credibility of the confidences in question +each reader must decide for himself. Among themselves, as has already been +pointed out, owners, madames and women talk freely. The conversations +overheard are not staged, nor are they exceptional in character. Our +agents participated in and reported in the form of affidavits frequent +conversations and discussions, in which the relations between police and +promoters formed the main or sole topic. Whether the details are literally +accurate or not these conversations, reported from all sections of the +city, and by different observers, working independently of one another, at +least portray the state of feeling and opinion of the participants and +their like. + +On March 7, 1912, a group of men[232] interested in a West 26th Street +house[233] were discussing prospects. "Profits are not what they used to +be," complained one of them. "I used to be able to bank $600 or more every +week. To-day my receipts are $1,500 a week, but see,--thirteen plain +clothes men[234] get $10 a month each; one of them, a tough proposition, +gets $25; two patrolmen get $2 each a day; the lieutenant and sergeant get +$5 a month; besides, regular protection costs $100 a month, paid to a +go-between,[235] once a wardman. And then I've got to buy tickets and +contribute to funds for strong arm guys in trouble." + +Mysteriously rapid communication of inside information as to police policy +and movements is a frequent theme. A well-known owner was in conference +with his mates on March 21, 1912. "They are all transferred, not one of +them is here," he announced in reference to the plain clothes men. It +subsequently developed that at the time the statement was made, the men +transferred had themselves not yet learned that such a step was +contemplated.[236] + +On May 2, 1912, a card game and drinking-bout was in progress at a +well-known establishment. The following dialogue took place: + +"How is business?" asked one of the men, as he was shuffling the cards. + +"Well, we run pretty strong," replied the other. "Let us hope that it will +keep up. There's a new style nowadays. The 'coppers' don't call us out any +more; we deal with an outsider." + +"Who is it?" asked the questioner (our agent). + +"What do you care?" was the reply. "Do I ask you who you gave-up to, +uptown?" + +After the Rosenthal murder, however, the aspect of affairs changed. About +six o'clock in the evening of July 18 the "king" was consulted by several +anxious associates to ascertain whether he had "seen" anybody. He replied +that he had, and that everything was all right, unless something +unforeseen should happen, as the "squeal" thus far involved only the +gamblers. Suspense was thereby relieved and great was the merriment +thereon. "It might be better if we had a grocery store," suggested one of +the wits present. A week later, however, the situation was more squally. +It had begun to be whispered that "the police would take no protection +money on the first of the coming month." It was recalled that on a +previous occasion 12 houses in a certain block had each paid $500 on +Monday and that on the following Saturday, the houses were smashed up. +"The same thing might happen here," remarked an anxious proprietor. On the +day that payment was to be made, August 1, to be precise, a well-known +owner entered a West 26th Street resort with a big roll of bills, as to +the destination of which he was in doubt. One of his pals had left town, +the other was in jail. He "didn't know whether the police would take it or +not." Suddenly a brilliant idea struck him; he turned to our agent who was +supposed to be conducting an uptown flat and to be in position to secure +protection, offering him the money. "You take it," he suggested, "see what +you can do. Maybe you can connect." + +To the same effect is the testimony of a memorandum procured under +somewhat dramatic conditions. On May 3, 1912, a large group of +owners[237] were engaged in playing cards at a well-known establishment. +Two of the group stopped their game in order to engage in calculations +involving the sale of a third-interest in a house in West 25th Street. The +memorandum was subsequently obtained by our agent. Six different accounts +figured in the calculation of income, expenses, profits, etc. In the +matter of expenses, $631 appear as paid out for the following items: +"Buttons" (_i. e._, uniformed police) $166; sergeant, $30; "gang" (perhaps +plain clothes men) $104; club (meaning unknown), $200; boss, $25; smaller +items absorb the remainder. + +Personal conversations between police officers, owners of disorderly +places and our investigator, supposed to be one of themselves, pointing to +intimate dealings and relations, were likewise frequently reported with +additional data identifying those concerned. On March 18th, 1912, it was +reported that a uniformed officer[238] called at a well-known disorderly +house[239] asking for a notorious owner;[240] he explained his errand in +these words, written down from memory shortly afterwards: "I'm broke. He +hasn't seen me for a few nights and I would like to have some 'sugar.'" +Two days before, two plain clothes men, in passing a well-known hangout, +beckoned one of the owners to come outside; shortly after he returned, +remarking to his comrades, "The 'dogs' are outside." + +About two o'clock one afternoon, three men, two of them well-known owners +of a place in West 35th Street,[241] were standing in West 30th Street, +100 feet from the station house; when a few moments later the plain +clothes men started to go on duty, one[242] of them beckoned to two of the +officers[243] and engaged them in prolonged conversation. Its purport was +subsequently summarized to his friends: "Don't worry!" + +At times a "collector" is said to be the intermediary in transactions +similar to those implied in the foregoing incidents. Among the best known +of these is a saloonkeeper[244] once enjoying the reputation of protecting +the entire Red Light district, at that time situated in Allen Street. His +saloon[245] is now a hangout for thieves, gamblers and the like. Two +patrolmen and an officer[246] are named as coming to his resort to "fix" +pimp cases. The "lookout"[247] for a Sixth Avenue[248] establishment +remarked, in describing the financial operations of the place, that he +receives 10 percent of the profits monthly, that $200 a month go to +inspector and captain, and that the patrolman[249] is paid nightly. An +individual who has been publicly accused of being a vice graft +collector[250] entered a disorderly flat in West 58th Street[251] on June +15, 1912, for the purpose of perfecting arrangements in regard to +protection. The madame[252] expressed herself as satisfied with the way in +which she was being treated.[253] She stated, however, that her neighbor +downstairs "had a scrap with the collector for the police[254] over +protection and that he had refused to take her money any more. The result +is that every one of the 'underdogs' (_i. e._, plain clothes men) comes +running to her every night with a different complaint and you know what +that means. She has 'to see them' every time they come. In the long run, +it costs three or four times as much; and she got a 'collar' (_i. e._, +arrest) in the bargain." One of our agents witnessed, on the evening of +June 1, 1912, a settlement between a well-known collector for the police +in New York City and the owners of 15 different establishments, situated +between West 18th Street and West 36th Street. At one o'clock in the +morning, they sat around a large table[255] on which four piles of money, +the smallest denomination being $5 bills, were heaped up. It had been paid +to the police collector, who carried it away in a violin case. + +The foregoing incidents explain why a district such as Seventh Avenue is +called a "money post."[256] + +The employment of pressure, in order to bring about a certain kind of +differentiation of neighborhoods, is exemplified in the following +instance: A notorious madame informed our agent that she was going to open +a house in West 40th Street,[257] but admitted that she would have to be +careful, because cheaper resorts would not be permitted in that vicinity. +Through the good graces of a high official[258] whom she named, she +claimed that she had succeeded in maintaining and quietly conducting a low +grade establishment there. + +The peaceful operation of disorderly resorts is disturbed from time to +time by raids, as in the instance above noted, in which one madame "got a +collar," while her competitor on the floor above remained unmolested. +Raids are variously accounted for by those who suffer: now on the score of +punishment or revenge, as in the case last mentioned; again, for the +purpose of "covering the captain on the blotter," _i. e._, that he may +make a good showing in his report to the Inspector; sometimes--so it is +alleged--in order to keep the owners and their madames in line so that +they will be sure to pay the protection money. The police know who the +owner or madame is without even entering the house, and warrants are +declared to be sworn out in many instances without any evidence at all. It +is understood between operators and real estate agents that when a house +is opened the owner must "stand for" an occasional "collar," though the +latter sometimes protests vehemently. For instance, March 14, 1912, the +indignant owner[259] of a place on Sixth Avenue[260] declared his house +had been raided the night before for no reason. "If they don't stop that, +I'll holler," he added; "they have to discharge that case or I'll know the +reason why." Usually when houses are raided, the real culprits escape +arrest. It was reported on August 15th that 18 disorderly resorts had +been entered by the authorities. Only a few housekeepers and colored maid +servants were arrested. + +Frequent reports deal with the presence of police officers in and about +disorderly saloons and hotels. On January 25, an officer was drinking in +the rear room of a disorderly saloon on St. Nicholas Avenue.[261] On +February 1 two officers were served with beer and cigars in the rear room +of a similar resort on Columbus Avenue.[262] On March 9 a man, accompanied +by a street walker, entered a hotel in West 35th Street.[263] In the hall, +a police officer[264] in full uniform, was standing with a bottle of beer +in his hand. His number is in our possession. On March 4, a street walker +was arrested in Sixth Avenue in front of a well-known cafe.[265] Thereupon +a lighthouse called the owner of his establishment[266] who induced the +plain clothes man[267] to release the woman. + +The entire situation as respecting alleged police relations was described +by all our investigators as radically altered by the events following the +Rosenthal murder. Thirty houses were reported as closed in September. In +one case closure was so sudden that the girls were not paid off.[268] They +exhibited their punched cards and threatened vengeance unless +reimbursed--one to the extent of $5.50, another to the extent of $4. The +madame[269] of a house in West 28th Street[270] described herself on +September 29 as "down and out." In early October, the proprietor was +himself more optimistic: "It's only a question of two or three days," he +declared, "and we've got to expect these things." The owners therefore +continued in many instances to pay rent for their now empty houses. Early +in October, the impression got abroad that conditions were once more +propitious: About 2 P. M., October 4, a group of owners held a meeting on +Second Avenue,[271] later adjourning to Sixth Avenue,[272] where they +again went into "executive session." Several important persons were +present.[273] On the strength of a report that the houses could open +slowly it was decided at this meeting that certain houses would commence +"business" at 8 o'clock that evening, a few more the next day, and a few +the next. Accordingly, at the appointed hour, the owners turned on the +lights in eight houses situated in West 24th Street,[274] Sixth +Avenue,[275] West 31st Street,[276] and West 28th Street.[277] Things +however miscarried and the houses were again closed. The chief owner[278] +was indignant: on November 10, 1912, he admitted[279] that it was a "lousy +tip" he had got, though it "looked good" at the time. He named the +source--a practicing lawyer.[280] + +Since the close of this investigation on November 15, 1912, in consequence +of the activity of the police growing out of the Rosenthal murder, and +the investigations conducted by the Aldermanic and Legislative Committees, +the method of conducting the business of prostitution in houses has +changed materially. For instance, in the more expensive houses, the $5 and +$10 resorts, madames do not allow actual violations of the law on the +premises, but have the women sit in the parlor awaiting calls. One such +resort is located in an apartment in West 43rd Street,[281] where twenty +women were found sitting in the parlor on March 10, 1913. The madame, who +has a large personal acquaintance with patrons of a better class, simply +awaits telephone calls requesting a lady companion. Knowing the tastes of +her customers, she sends one of the women to an appointed place. Thus +there is no violation of the law on the premises, and the police are +unable to "cover" the situation. But a number of low-priced houses have +opened in the old way on a smaller scale: March 12, 1913, three resorts, +one each in Sixth Avenue,[282] West 28th Street[283] and West 40th[284] +were operating with two or three inmates each, all wearing street clothes. +The third inspection district was at this time declared to be free from +police molestation. Current talk in the district explains this immunity on +the ground that police and owners were so involved with each other, that +effective action on the part of the former was prevented by fear that the +latter would turn on the light. "They are all opening up," remarked one +owner, while chatting with sympathizers in a cigar store[285] in West +116th Street, as recently as March 15, 1913. One owner[286] then had six +houses going. "God pity the police if they interfere!" Of a well-known +inspector,[287] it has been said, that "having taken money, he can't well +step on anybody's corns." A former wardman,[288] now wearing a uniform in +the service of the West 125th Street station house, remarked hardly a +fortnight ago to two men, one an owner, the other a former associate: "Sit +tight; you're getting a little; you're making expenses; squealing seems to +be a fad nowadays." Among places now quietly running under changed +ownership may be mentioned one each in West 26th Street, West 28th, West +29th, West 31st, West 34th; two in Sixth Avenue and three in West 40th +Street.[289] + +Confidence is strong in the underworld that "hard times" will not last; +the police who are reputed to have worked in collusion with the exploiters +of prostitution share the same view. "It will all blow over"--that is the +refrain to every discussion. History is quoted to support this hopeful +interpretation of present conditions. A similar repressive policy was +instituted in 1907. Houses were closed; some owners with their madames and +girls left the city and others betook themselves to flats and hotels. For +three years, the business was timid, quiet, unobtrusive, gradually feeling +its way back. By January, 1911, the promoters had all returned, keen to +recoup; by the succeeding year, they had restored their former prosperity. +Now once more their schemes have been disorganized. The tide is turning +against them. But they have seen that happen before and they are confident +that, as in the past, the "good old days" will return. A prominent +madame[290] was on September 18 still paying rent for two houses, one in +West 25th Street,[291] one in West 31st Street.[292] "We outlive all those +dogs," declared an old-timer,[293] who had lived through all the spasmodic +efforts at suppression undertaken in the last fifteen or twenty years. + +Talk in the underworld does not stop with the police department: it +involves the judiciary and prosecutors as well. There is no +misunderstanding the prevalent feeling: these men and women are +hurt,--wounded to the quick--because, as they constantly assert, having +kept their part of the bargain by paying for protection, the officials do +not so regularly "deliver the goods." Our investigators report many +interviews to this effect. The owner of a house in West 35th Street has +been keenly worried by a three-months' sentence meted out to his +madame.[294] "He had understood that judges were not giving 'prison,' as +several such cases had been lately discharged." He instanced one from West +28th Street,[295] another from West 25th Street.[296] "You know what it +costs to discharge a case," he added feelingly. On August 30, 1912, three +men met at Eighth Avenue and 28th Street; one of them bitterly reviled an +official in the criminal court building. "He has no right to do this. Why, +didn't we once pay him $4,000,--$150 for each house, to keep out of the +district? There were no more raids then,--but now!"[297] On the 17th of +October, 1912, several disorderly house cases from the Tenderloin were +tried in special sessions: the places were notorious,--involving among +others the madames of houses in West 31st and West 36th Streets. The +disposition made of them represents the characteristic uncertainty of the +action of the court of special sessions. Two of the defendants were +acquitted, two were convicted, but received suspended sentences, two were +fined fifty dollars apiece, and one pleaded guilty, receiving a penalty of +imprisonment for thirty days. + +There are a number of lawyers in New York City who are being constantly +employed by the owners of disorderly houses to defend their cases in the +courts. Their fees vary according to their standing. A former magistrate, +who has an office on Broadway, charges $100 for appearing in Special +Sessions. He has latterly succeeded in securing the acquittal of the +madame of a West 28th Street[298] house. Another lawyer[299] with an +office on Park Row, charges from $15 to $25 for his appearance in the +police court, and $50 altogether if he has to appear in a higher court. + +A few weeks ago one of the madames was sentenced to the penitentiary for +three months. During the evening of the day on which she was sentenced, +the lawyer who had appeared for her came to a resort[300] where a number +of owners had gathered. They upbraided him for pleading "Guilty, your +Honors." + +"Why didn't you show fight?" demanded one. + +"Well," he replied, "there was a time when I used to walk into the court +room and make a bargain with the judges when there were three or four +charges pending against one woman. I used to say, 'Your Honors, we will +make this bargain day. There are four charges against this woman. What +will you do? Unless you are lenient, I will fight you and take up your +time.' The fine as a rule was no more than $100 for three or four charges. +At that time, the coppers used to break in a house and raid it just to get +the money for the fine. But times have changed." + +As some street walkers are picked up by the plain clothes men and brought +into court, they hire by preference a lawyer[301] who lives on West 10th +Street.[302] This man agrees to procure their discharge for $50, +distributed as follows: + +$10 for the bondsman to bail her out, if necessary; + +$15 for his, the lawyer's services, and + +$25 to go to the arresting officer for his testimony. + +It is alleged that the lawyer in question has agents on Sixth Avenue +keeping tab on the street walkers. When the girl is "picked up," these +agents are on the ground and see that he gets the case; he guarantees to +turn her out for $50 or more, whatever he can get, but under no conditions +accepts less than $35. If the girl has no ready money and has jewelry, +that is taken as security. The first thing he does is to have the case +adjourned for two days, which means no less than $15 for bail. During the +two-days' adjournment, the lawyer "feels out" the plain clothes man who +"picked up" the girl. If the detective falls, he usually gets $15 from the +lawyer's fee. If the detective insists on prosecuting, the lawyer has a +man ready to swear that it was he who was in conversation with the woman +at the time she was arrested, though this is not usually necessary. If the +plain clothes man has made an affidavit prior to the granting of the +adjournment and is ready to "fall," he will permit the lawyer to entangle +him in his cross-examination and to bring it out that he, the plain +clothes man, approached the girl, and, in other ways, will contradict +himself "safely." This is resorted to when the affidavit is unfavorable to +the girl. + +Despite the enormous volume of prostitution in Manhattan, the actual +number of convictions is small, and the main culprits go scot-free. + +During a period of nine months, ending September 30, 1912, 143 disorderly +house cases were tried in Special Sessions. Twenty-five pleas of guilty +were entered, 82 were convicted, 32 acquitted, and other disposition was +made of 4. + +The total number of disorderly house cases received in this court from +January 1, 1912, to October 1, 1912, was 180, and on September 30, 1912, +there were 62 actions still pending. + +Of the 107 cases in which the defendants were found guilty or pleaded +guilty, the following dispositions were made: + + Jail sentences 80 + Average term being 3 months and 27 days + + Fines 18 + The total amount being $2,325.00 + or an average fine of 129.00 + + Suspended sentences 9 + +In general, the convictions secured were those of employees, the +prevailing rules of evidence making it almost impossible to reach the +principals. + +In the matter of saloons, for the year ending September 30, 1912, the +Excise Commission in New York County brought revocation proceedings which +resulted in the denial of the privilege of traffic in liquor for one year +in only 6 cases. During the same period, the Commissioner brought 143 +actions to recover the penalty under bond, of which 18 were cash bond +places. These cases, we understand, refer particularly to disorderly +hotels.[303] + +From October, 1911, to September, 1912, 159 arrests were made for +prostitution in tenement houses under Section 150 of the Tenement House +Law. Of these, 36 were discharged and 123 convicted. Eighty-four of those +convicted were sent to the workhouse for six months, 27 were put on +probation, and other dispositions were made of 12. + +Between January 1, 1912, and December 31, 1912, or approximately during +the period of this investigation, the Tenement House Department recorded +247 prostitution complaints at 211 separate addresses in Manhattan. The +time which elapsed between the receipt of the complaint and the report of +the inspector was: returned the same day, 5 cases; from 1 to 5 days, 55 +cases; 6 days to 2 weeks, 139 cases; 15 days to 1 month, 38 cases; and +over 1 month, 9 cases and one unknown. The average number of days which +elapsed between the receipt of the complaint and the final report of the +Tenement House Inspector is 10.75, which represents prompter action than +was previously obtained. In the period from August 1, 1902, to October, +1908, the average length of time which elapsed between the receipt of a +prostitution complaint and the final report of the inspector was 11.28 +days. + + * * * * * + +In conclusion, it is proper to state that the purpose of the foregoing +chapter is to picture a situation and not by implication to indicate the +responsibility for it. Whether the discrepancies between our reports and +official records are due to bad laws impossible of enforcement, to the +instructions emanating from superior officials, to inefficiency, to +corruption, to the existence of evils with which no official machinery can +cope, or finally to all these causes operating together, we do not +undertake to say or to imply. The facts are as stated above; the situation +portrayed by them actually exists. It is for the community to consider +their significance, and to devise such measures as careful reflection may +approve. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +A STUDY OF PROSTITUTES COMMITTED FROM NEW YORK CITY TO THE STATE +REFORMATORY FOR WOMEN AT BEDFORD HILLS + +_By Katharine Bement Davis, Superintendent._ + + +_Sources_:--The materials for this study are found in the records of 647 +prostitutes committed from New York City to the State Reformatory for +Women at Bedford Hills.[304] Of these, 279 were in the institution at the +time the study was made. The remainder were either on parole or had been +discharged on completion of sentence. The data are gathered from the +girls' own stories supplemented by information from their families, from +correspondence with previous employers, interviews with officials of other +institutions, letters received and sent by the women themselves; from the +officers who chaperone all visits to the girls while in the institution +and from personal acquaintance extending in every case from three months +to several years. The difficulties inherent in the compilation of such +statistics are obvious. Certain data, such as birthplace, age, size of +family, education, religion and previous occupation, are probably very +nearly accurate. When we leave the domain of facts easily verifiable and +come to the question of causes of prostitution, earnings of prostitution, +reasons for coming to New York City, past institution records, conjugal +condition, there is always a possibility of error. But we believe the +study is, on the whole, a fair picture of the New York City prostitute who +is convicted in the New York City courts. It may be said that the women +convicted in the courts are not a fair sample of New York prostitutes as a +class, for the reason that the more prosperous ones are so protected as +not to suffer molestation from the police. A comparison, however, of the +tables of the institution cases with the cases of women on the streets +which include all grades from those who frequent the more expensive hotels +down, will not show wide variations. + +_Birthplace and Parentage_:--New York's population is composed of as +heterogeneous elements as any city on the continent. It is the meeting +place of the nations. What effect has this on the composition of a body of +New York prostitutes? Does the native-born American who has enjoyed the +economic and social advantages of this country contribute a greater or +less percentage than the various groups of foreign-born? Interesting from +the point of view of our immigration problem is the proportionate number +contributed by each of the chief races in New York City. + +An analysis of the 647 Bedford cases shows that American-born whites +contribute 62.75 percent of the entire number; American-born colored women +furnish 13.14 percent while the foreign-born women are 24.11 percent of +the total. (See Table I.) A preliminary bulletin issued by the United +States Census Bureau for the Census of 1910, places the native white +population of New York City at 57.3 percent, while the foreign population +is estimated at 40.4 percent of the entire population. According to this, +the American-born contribute more and the foreign-born less than their +proportion to the Bedford prostitutes. But 647 cases are a very small +number on which to base any judgment. We have at hand, however, some other +statistics. The histories of 610 prostitutes in other institutions have +been analyzed.[305] Of these, 168 or 27.2 percent were white foreign-born +and 68.5 percent were white American-born. In the study of 1,106 street +cases, all white women, made in connection with this report, we find 31 +percent foreign-born and 68.9 percent American-born.[306] The percentage +of foreign-born is here somewhat higher than in the institution cases +because practically no colored women were included among the street cases +and few in the institutions other than Bedford. Combining the three sets +of records, or 2,363 cases, we have 67 percent American-born white as +against 28 percent foreign-born; a poor showing for the American-born. +(See page 250, Table XLIX, columns III and IV.) + +Taking up a comparison of the different nationalities, we find that in the +Bedford cases the countries in the order of their numerical contributions +stood as follows: Russia, Austria-Hungary, Germany, Ireland, +England-Scotland, France, and Italy. (See Table XLIX, column II.) Ranking +the contributions to the 610 cases in the other institutions in the same +way, the first five places on the list were identical. Canada comes sixth +and France is relegated to eighth place. (Table, column III.) Examining +the street cases in the same way, Russia comes first, Germany and +Austria-Hungary exchange places as do Ireland and England-Scotland, +France and Italy occupying sixth and seventh places. (Table, column IV.) +Combining all records, the order is the same as for the street cases with +the exception that Ireland and England-Scotland are reversed. (Table, +column V.) Ranking the foreign-born population of New York City in point +of numbers, we have Russia, Germany, Ireland, Austria-Hungary, +England-Scotland, and France. (Table, column IV.) Dropping out Italy, the +order remains as in column V. + +Table L shows numbers and percentages. From this, it would seem that, with +the exception of Italy, the various foreign groups contribute prostitutes +in numbers proportioned to their numerical rank but not in proportion to +their percentage of the total population; thus, Russia forming a trifle +over 10 percent of the population contributes only about 8.3 percent of +prostitutes; Germany and Austria-Hungary come very near to contributing +their full quota; Ireland only about half, while England-Scotland send us +a very few more and France a good many more than their proper proportion. +It is a well-known fact that Italy sends to the United States every year, +many hundred unmarried men or men without their families. This probably +accounts for the small proportion of Italy's contribution. It may be +argued that this is not a fair rating as we have no complete census of New +York prostitutes, but owing to the methods employed in securing our +material both in and out of institutions, we probably have here as +representative a group of prostitutes as can be found, and a fair cross +section of the entire number. It might be a more just comparison if we +had the figures for the female population of the various national groups +within the age limits of the women studied, but that is not attainable. +With the exception of the Italian and possibly some of the component parts +of the Russian and Hungarian groups, the figures used here are believed to +be fairly comparable. + +Unfortunately, we have not the data for the parentage of any group except +that of the Bedford cases. Table II shows the nationality of parents in +detail with the greatest possible attainable accuracy. Table III gives the +summary. The graph accompanying Table II represents the same thing to the +eye. + +We find that the native-born of foreign parentage is about 51 percent. The +native-born of American parentage is 18.5 percent. Mixed parentage means +one native-born and one foreign-born parent. + +Table IV compares these percentages with the parentage of the native +population of New York City. The Tribune Almanac for 1912 gives the native +white of native parents as 19.3 percent of the total population while the +native white of foreign parents is 38.2 percent. Comparing, we see that +the native parents contribute about their proportionate quota; the +foreign-born of foreign parents contribute less than their quota, while +the group that contributes out of proportion to its percentage in the +population, is that of the native-born of foreign parents. This is not +surprising when we remember that here we have a group in which the fathers +and mothers belong to a civilization with speech, tradition and habits +different from those of the country in which they are living. The +children, native-born Americans with American companions and American +schooling, adopt American ideals often not of the highest and are very +apt, even when quite young, to feel that they know more than their +parents. Lacking in any feeling of reverence, they early refuse to listen +to the counsels of their parents. On the other hand, the parents often +stand in awe of the superior cleverness, usually superficial, of their +American-born children. An observation extending over twelve years of the +relations between foreign-born fathers and mothers and their American-born +daughters, leads me to feel that right here lies one of the important +points of attack in preventive work. + +_Status of Family_:--Occupation of father. Before we are in a position to +deal fairly with any problem, we must know all the elements which enter +into it. The most important factor in the study of any individual is the +kind of family from which he comes. The occupation of a man has very +little to do with his moral worth or his good citizenship; but it enables +us in a general way, to place him as to his position in society. By his +earning capacity we can judge something of the kind of home he can make +and the opportunities he can give his children. We have, accordingly, +included in our Bedford study, the occupation of the girls' fathers. It +will be observed from Table V that the largest single group is that of +unskilled labor which forms 21.3 percent of the whole. Men engaged in the +mechanical trades form the next largest group, or 18.6 percent; the +professions stretched to their limit furnish only 15 individuals or 2.4 +percent. + +_Size of Family_:--It has sometimes been claimed that the number of +children in a family has a direct bearing on prostitution. One theory +suggested is that prostitutes are apt to be members of a large family +where economic pressure is great, where a girl is either driven out by +want or has failed to receive proper education and training as a result of +insufficient means. In individual cases, undoubtedly, this is true. We +have a young woman of German parentage, nineteen years of age, at Bedford +at the present time, who was the eldest of ten children. She has never +been to school a day in her life, nor to church or Sunday School. She is +as much of a heathen as if she had been born in Central Africa. As a +child, she had to stay at home to "mind the baby" and there was always +one. As she grew older, she became tired of the over-crowded home, had +never received any training which would fit her for any occupation, fell +an easy prey to a young man who took her fancy; and it was but another +step into prostitution as a means of livelihood. We could tell a number of +such stories where we feel confident that a very large family on very +small means is largely to blame for the downfall of the older daughters. + +On the other hand, it is held by some that only daughters are more apt to +go wrong than those who have brothers and sisters to hold them up to +family standards. It is claimed that an only daughter is apt to be +pampered and spoiled, never learns obedience and is often discouraged from +earning her own livelihood by her parents with the idea that her social +position is thus bettered and she will be more likely to make a good +marriage. One very marked case of this kind we have at this present +moment at Bedford. The girl's father and mother are small shopkeepers, +perfectly respectable but very injudicious people. The girl was allowed to +believe all through her girlhood that she could have anything she wanted; +and when her wants exceeded the possibility of gratification by her +parents, she gratified them in any way she could. + +Table VI, which gives the size of the families from which our 647 cases +come, shows that in the largest number of cases our girls were one of +three brothers and sisters. The next largest group is that of four in the +family, two and five brothers and sisters having the same number of +representatives. The average number of children is 3.99, not greatly above +the average number of children per family in the general community which +is given in the census of 1910 as 2.7 percent for New York City. Our +figures, therefore, so far as they go, would seem to prove nothing special +except that girls go wrong in families of all sizes. + +_Occupation of Mother_:--Probably of more importance than the size of the +family is the economic position of the mother, particularly during the +years of the daughter's adolescence. It is a vital loss if a girl's mother +is away from home all day, leaving her after school hours to associates of +whom the mother knows nothing and who may be most questionable in their +influence on her developing character. In 145 instances, or in 22.4 +percent of the total number of cases studied, the mother worked outside +the home. Table VII gives a list of the occupations of working mothers, +with the number in each group. It will be seen that the women who went +out for day's work are much the largest group. They went out to wash, to +clean, to scrub offices and for other unskilled labor. The laundresses +were employed partly in steam laundries and partly in private families and +came home at night. Of the 145 mothers who worked, there were 94 who were +widows; one mother was divorced; the husband and father in one case was an +inmate of a sanitarium for tuberculosis; in one case the father was in an +insane asylum; in 8 cases the father had deserted his family; in 40 cases +the husband and father was alive and working. The necessity for earning a +livelihood explains simply the leaving of children alone in the group of +widows. In the 40 cases where the husband was working, no special +necessity for the mother's occupation is shown by our data. The 40 +husbands and fathers whose wives went out to work, were engaged in +thirty-one different occupations, no one group numbering more than four +men. These were the day laborers. Three were colored cooks; three were +teamsters; two were carpenters; others include a stationary engineer, a +walking delegate, an insurance agent, a market man, an elevator man, etc. + +Neither did the size of the family afford a special excuse, as in these +forty families there was an average of four children. One family contained +ten children; two families each had seven and eight respectively, while +the greatest number in any one group was ten families with three children +each. It may be that the father was inefficient or irregular in his +occupation or the family standards of living were higher. It would be +necessary to know all of these details in each family to offer any opinion +as to reasons and we have not these data. + +But the 94 cases of working widows do not cover all the cases where the +father was dead. Of these there were 170. Thirty of the mothers had +remarried; two received pensions; in three cases the mothers' whereabouts +were unknown and in 41 cases she was supported by her older children or by +relatives. Of the total group of fatherless girls there were 154 who had +lost their fathers before they had reached an age where they could receive +their working papers; 73 were over fourteen; 36 did not know the date of +their fathers' death. Among these were some of the orphans and probably +some girls who were not willing to tell all they knew. Of the 94 girls +whose widowed mothers were employed, 61, or 64 percent lost their fathers +before they had reached a working age. One hundred and two girls whose +fathers were living had lost their mothers previous to their admission to +Bedford. In 42 instances the father had remarried and in 20 instances the +fathers' whereabouts were unknown, but they were believed to be living. +One hundred and fifteen out of 195 girls in the motherless group had lost +their mothers when under fourteen years of age. Of the 93 orphans, 43 had +been brought up by relatives, 10 by strangers and 20 in orphan asylums; +twenty were old enough to earn their living at the time of their father's +death. To summarize, only 282, or 43.5 percent of the women studied, had +both parents living. + +Until very recently, the Reformatory has had no field worker. Our +knowledge of the families of our girls has been obtained as stated in the +first section. Accordingly, much that would have a bearing on the +conditions which have made our girls what they are, is unknown to us. But +we do know that out of the 647 cases studied, in 130 different families +there were known degenerate strains. This is shown in the following table: + + HEREDITY; KNOWN DEGENERATE STRAINS + Total Percent + + 1. Alcoholism in family 35 + 2. Criminality in family 5 + 3. Epilepsy in family 7 + 4. Feeble-minded (very marked) parents 2 + 5. General ill health of parents 9 + 6. Insanity 16 + 7. Parents sex offenders 21 + 8. Syphilitic parents 10 + 9. Tubercular 25 130 20.09 + +It is probable on the face of it that syphilis, tuberculosis and +alcoholism are likely to be much more generally present than is shown by +our figures. + +Before we are prepared to say just how many of these factors affecting +home life are directly responsible for a girl's entering a life of +prostitution, we should be able to say that these factors were or were not +present to the same extent in affecting the lives of a group of girls of +about the same age, education, industrial efficiency and social status who +have not "gone wrong." Would there be as many orphans, as many motherless +girls, as many or more working mothers in any such group taken at random? +Until we can make such a study, it is not fair to consider the facts given +in these sections on the family as anything more than a picture of the +conditions from which our girls come. + +_Education and Occupation_:--A girl's education and occupation are very +closely connected. We have data with reference to education so far as the +Bedford cases go, based on the actual examination of the girls. Table VIII +has something to say for compulsory education in New York City, especially +when taken in connection with the data from other institutions and from +the street cases. The table shows that 50 individuals, or 7.72 percent +cannot read or write any language. Of these, 15 are American-born. +Thirty-two can read and write a foreign language; 45.3 percent have never +finished the primary grades, while an additional 39.72 percent never +finished the grammar grades. Of the whole number, only 7.24 percent +finished the grammar grades. Thirteen individuals had entered but not +finished high school; only four individuals had graduated from high +school; three had had one year at a normal school and one out of 647 cases +had entered college. The institution cases other than Bedford make a +slightly better showing, but here, in a large percentage of cases, we have +nothing to go on but the girl's own statement. According to this, only 12 +percent finished grammar grades and, according to their own admission, +11.4 percent of the street prostitutes cannot read or write in any +language and only 4 percent had finished the grammar grades. (See Tables.) + +So far as the Bedford cases go, the industrial efficiency of the women is +about on a par with their education. Table X shows the occupation of these +girls before entering a life of prostitution. It will be noted that 243 +or the largest group are general houseworkers, forming 37.5 percent of the +total number. + +Almost all the studies of prostitution heretofore made have noted the high +percentage of women who were engaged in domestic service previous to +entering the life. So far as my observation goes, I do not believe that +this indicates any greater danger from domestic service itself as an +occupation than from any other in which unskilled girls engage. Domestic +service for women under existing economic conditions corresponds to casual +labor for men. It is the job where training and experience are unnecessary +in order to find work. Such services would not be desired by families +where efficiency is demanded and paid for. A very large proportion of our +girls were not competent workers but were girls employed in the lowest +stratum of families that employ domestic help at all and where standards +of service do not exist. This group includes almost all the colored girls +and a considerable number of the foreign-born white girls. The factory +operatives form the next largest group; clerks in department stores come +third. Ninety-two individuals, or 14 percent, had never engaged in any +occupation previous to having entered a life of prostitution. These were +either girls whose parents were fairly comfortably off and who preferred +to have their daughters at home pending matrimony, or girls who married +almost immediately upon leaving school and kept house until matrimony +became too much for them. A large proportion of all our young women were +not fit to fill any more responsible positions than those they held. + +Comparing the occupations of the institution cases other than Bedford with +those shown in the Bedford table, we find that the factory operatives form +the largest group or 32.46 percent, domestic service and department stores +coming second and third. (See Table XXX.) The table of occupations of +street cases makes quite a different showing, which may or may not be due +to the desire of the girls to put the best foot foremost in giving their +histories to the investigator. Here the department store clerks form the +largest group. Nearly half of the histories, however, say that the girls +have never had any occupation previous to entering the life and in 101 +cases, no statistics were given. (See Table XLVI). So far as education +goes, however, this group is no better equipped for filling more +remunerative positions than are the girls in the institutions. Their +racial distribution is about the same. There is not much reason to believe +that they were greatly different from the institution cases in industrial +efficiency. + +For comparison with the occupational groups of women wage earners in New +York City in the population at large, the latest statistics available are +those of the United States Census of 1900. This gives the total number of +wage-earning women as 329,489. The groups which run into five figures are +as follows: + + 1. Servants and waitresses 94,789 or 28.7% + 2. Factory operatives 36,458 " 11.06% + 3. Dressmakers 34,306 " 10.04% + 4. Saleswomen 20,578 " 6.2% + 5. Seamstresses 15,845 " 4.8% + 6. Laundresses 15,085 " 4.5% + +It will be noted that the third group, which is a skilled trade, has very +few representatives among the prostitutes. + +_Earnings_:--Until recently in our Bedford records, we have not +systematically recorded wages earned before entering prostitution. With +the beginning of this study, we endeavored to obtain the data from the +prostitutes now in the institution. We find, however, that the girls are +very hazy as to the exact amounts earned. They "don't remember" because +"they always gave all their earnings to their mother" is a frequent +statement. In 162 cases, however, they appeared to be sufficiently +accurate as to the maxima and minima of earnings to furnish reasonable +proof of the truth of their statements; particularly when taken in +connection with our knowledge of the girls' ability. The average minimum +is $4 and the average maximum is $8. It will be noted that even the +average maximum is below $9, an amount generally conceded to be the +minimum on which a girl can live decently in New York City. See Table IX. +By far, the largest number earned less than this, the average being pulled +up by the few girls who were more competent. In this connection we made an +inquiry of 194 young women who were at Bedford at the time the study was +made, as to whether they were living at home and as to the disposition of +their earnings at the time they entered prostitution as a business. Out of +194, one hundred and twenty-two claim to have been living at home. Of +these, 32 were supported by their parents or husbands and did not work +outside of their home; 53 were working and giving all they made to their +mothers; 39 were giving part of what they earned; 24 were living with +relatives and of these, 15 gave all they earned to their relatives, while +9 gave a part as board; 20 young women were working and boarding with +strangers. They claim they paid board ranging from $1.50 a week in one +case to one case which claims to have been paying $13.50. The greatest +number paid $4.00 per week. Twenty-six of the girls were domestics living +where they worked. See Table XI. + +It is interesting to compare the statements in regard to wages made by the +girls in Bedford with the statements of those in other institutions and +especially with the statements made by the street cases. Table LI presents +this comparison. It will be noted that of the 420 cases considered, the +average maxima and minima varied between $9 and $13, a much higher point +than is reached by girls in the institutions. The total shows data for 238 +girls who were domestic servants and 907 engaged in other occupations. In +the cases of institution girls, the knowledge that the statement which +they give can be checked up and verified by the institution officials, +will, in most instances, deter them from going wide of the mark. As this +was impossible in the majority of cases interviewed on the street, I feel +that not as much reliance can be placed on data as to salary. Granted, +however, that the data are reliable, there would seem to be no indication +of real economic pressure as a reason for entering an immoral life. + +_Social Relations_:--Statistics with regard to social relations must be +taken with several grains of salt. A girl confined in an institution is +very anxious to maintain relations with men outside and sometimes +represents a man as her husband who is simply the man she has been +supporting by her wages of prostitution. Usually we find this out sooner +or later; but as we include in these statistics a considerable percentage +of girls whom we have known only for a few months, we cannot be certain. +According to present knowledge, out of 647 cases there are 193 married +women or 29.8 percent of the whole. (See Table XII.) In this connection it +may be said that marriages are apparently entered into with as little +consideration as one would give to the purchase of a new hat, and a +husband who has ceased to please is thrown aside as easily as an old +garment. New connections are entered into with very little regard to the +legal aspects of the case. Many a girl has said to me when arguing the +matter of a new relationship and the lack of legal separation from the +first, "But, Miss Davis, he did not deserve any consideration!" One girl +who has committed bigamy by marrying the second man, gave as her excuse, +which I think was perfectly genuine, that she wished to be respectable! In +a large proportion of cases of girls sent here for prostitution, one or +more men and sometimes as many as six stand ready to marry each as a means +of securing her release. These are not always the men with whom the girls +have been living nor the men whom they have been supporting. The most +extreme case that has come to my attention is that of one of our girls who +stopped a man on the street as she was being taken to the train by our +officer saying: "She is taking me to prison. Will you marry me to save +me?" He said "Yes," and actually wrote me asking to be allowed to do so. +It should be said in connection with married women, that we have record of +comparatively few husbands who are in good and regular standing, as the +tables in our annual reports will show. + +It is equally difficult to get at the actual truth as to the number of +children that the unmarried women have had. The table shows the admissions +of 219 women on this point. There are 73 unmarried women who admitted +having had children; 16 were pregnant at the time of entering the +institution and 18 had previously been pregnant; 428 claim to have had no +children. In this connection it may not be amiss to note the fact that an +unmarried woman who has had a child is more apt to belong to the mentally +defective class discussed later on. The cleverer women know how to prevent +conceptions. + +_Religion_:--Table XIII shows the religious affiliation of the Bedford +girls. At Bedford, separate services are held for Catholic, Protestant and +for Jewish women. On entrance they are asked to state their previous +religious connection or preference. They are advised, if they have no +definite religious preference, to attend the church to which their parents +belonged. They are also told that they may not change after once having +declared themselves. The table shows that 41.1 percent are Catholics, 38.9 +percent are Protestants and 19 percent are Jews. The colored girls are +almost all included in the Protestant section. + +The warden of the Jefferson Market District prison states in regard to the +religious affiliations of the 7,408 women sentenced from Jefferson Market +Day and Night Court in 1912, that there were 3,533 Catholics or 47.6 +percent, 2,525 Protestants or 34.08 percent and 1,301 Jews or 17.4 +percent. + +The religion of the women committed for all offenses from all the courts +of Manhattan and the Bronx in 1912 is as follows: + + Catholic 4,630 or 44.4% + Protestants 3,677 " 35.2% + Jewish 1,880 " 18.03% + ------ + Total 10,424 + +A comparison of these figures with the percentage of Catholics, +Protestants and Jews in the population of New York City would be +interesting. These latter figures are very hard to get at except in the +most general way. The latest authoritative study with which I am familiar +is that made by the United States Census Bureau in 1906. It gives the +church membership as reported by the various denominations as 1,838,482. +On a basis of a regular growth in population from 1900 to 1910, the +population of New York City in 1906 was about 4,235,010. On this basis, +only 43.4 percent of the population have church connections. Only the +heads of Jewish families are reported in this census. They are placed at +30,414. The World Almanac for 1913 is responsible for the statement quoted +from "Christian Work and Evangelist" that there are 905,000 Jews in New +York. This means racially as well as religiously Jewish. This would be +about 19 percent of the entire population. The Census for 1906 gives to +the Catholics 1,413,775, or 33.38 percent of the entire population and to +the various Protestant denominations only 327,690, or 8.8 percent of the +population. This would leave about 38 percent of the population without +direct church connection to be distributed as to original affiliations +between Catholic and Protestants. I should expect that here the +Protestants would outnumber the Catholics. + +Bedford's quota of Protestant girls is high, among other reasons because +the House of the Good Shepherd, whose inmates are chiefly Catholics, is +much the largest of the private institutions to which delinquent women are +committed. I should personally believe that if we had the necessary data +we should find that, as in the case of the Jewish women, the Protestants +and Catholics would contribute in about their proportion in the community +at large to the whole group of prostitutes. + +_Age_:--Table XIV shows in column 1 the ages of 647 prostitutes on their +commitment to Bedford. In column 2 it shows the age of the girl when she +says she committed her first sexual offense. We have the data only in 300 +cases. Of these, 279 are cases still in the institution. The age on +entering prostitution is also only known for the cases in the institution, +as we did not attempt to secure this special data until the beginning of +the present study. It will be noted that about 7 percent of the whole +number committed their first offense before they were fourteen, and that +an additional 9 percent were fourteen at the time. There is, however, only +the difference of a year in the average time in committing the first +offense and in entering a life of prostitution. The graph which +illustrates this was made by using percentages in order to have comparable +curves. + +_Various Other Contributing Factors_:--There has been considerable +discussion as to the relative influence of country and city life in the +production of character which leads to an irregular sexual life. We have +registered the birthplace of all the women included in this study. We find +that out of the 491 American-born women, 404 were born in cities while +only 85 are known to have been country-born. Of the city-born, 290 or 59.2 +percent of the total number of American-born were born in New York City. +So far as this goes, it does not support the contention that the ranks of +prostitution are recruited from country girls brought to the city for the +purpose of immorality. We inquired of 139 girls in the institution at the +time the study was made who were born outside of New York City but +practised prostitution there, why they had come to New York. Seventy-eight +of these claim to have come to the city with their families, who moved +there for economic reasons. Only 9 admit having come with the purpose of +entering the life; one came with her lover; 10 "to see New York"; 26 for +work and 11 claim that they ran away from home to escape unpleasant +conditions and came to New York simply because it was the handiest thing +to do. Only 4 were unwilling to answer the question. In none of these +cases had we any information which would contradict the statements made by +the girls. + +We have previously stated that 279 of the total number studied were in the +institution when this special study began. We were interested to know how +many of them were practising prostitution continuously and living +entirely by it. One hundred and sixty-six claim to have been practising it +continuously from the time they began; 55 either did not care to answer or +gave unsatisfactory answers in the sense that they were obviously +misleading; 58 claim to have been practising prostitution intermittently +simply to eke out their wages or to get extra money. Thirty-two of the +girls who were practising it at intervals and 43 who were practising it +continuously, were engaged in trade. Of these, domestic servants were the +largest single group, with factory operatives second. The girls who were +working at trades excluding domestic service, were for the most part +earning small wages; but the number of cases for which we have this data +are few, too few on which to base any conclusions. The weekly earnings +from prostitution as given by 146 girls who gave a maximum and of 95 girls +who gave a minimum, is also to be taken with allowances. See Table XIX. It +is our general experience that the majority of prostitutes have little +conception of the value of money. They earn it easily and spend it as +easily. Even among those who claim to make far more than the wages of even +well paid working girls, it is not infrequent to find young women without +changes of underclothing. These, of course, are the women who are not +patronized by a well-to-do class of men. + +As indicative of the character of the girl, their statements as to the +reasons for their first sexual offense and of what they believe to be the +causes leading up to prostitution as a career are illuminating. One +hundred and eight out of 279 claim that their first wrong-doing was +because they yielded to a man whom they loved; 57 admit that it was for +pay; 62 claim to have been forced into the first act; 23 yielded where +there was no love and where neither money nor force was used, but +succumbed through weakness of will; two only state they did it because +they liked it; 27 "could not remember why." See Table XXI. + +As will be seen when we discuss the mentality of the girls, they are not +as a class given to introspection or self-analysis. They are as a rule, +incapable of this even if they try. It appeared to us worth while, +however, to ask them what they thought were the reasons that led them into +an immoral life. It is a very rare thing for a girl to admit that she +would be willing to have a younger sister enter the life and this often +can be used as a key to secure their willingness to discuss the situation. +Two hundred and seventy-nine girls gave 671 reasons. We have grouped them +as well as we can. The surprising thing is that very few directly economic +reasons are given. It might be supposed that in friendly conversation, a +girl would wish to make the greatest possible excuse for herself, and that +the one most ready to hand would be the inability to earn a living. But in +only 19 cases was this given as an excuse; and by referring to a similar +table for street cases, it will be noticed that only 139 out of 1,106 gave +a directly economic reason. It will be noted that only 7 out of 671 gave +previous use of drink and drugs. As a result of experience, I should say +that drink is a consequence rather than a cause of a life of prostitution, +although a good many girls have admitted to me that their first +wrong-doing occurred after taking an unaccustomed drink. In this +connection our medical records at Bedford with regard to the use of +alcoholic drinks, drugs and cigarettes, show that at entrance 112 +individuals, or 17 percent of the 647 women studied were suffering from +one or the other alone, or from combinations, as shown in the following +table: + + EXCESSIVE USE OF ALCOHOLIC DRINKS, DRUGS AND CIGARETTES + + Alcohol 45 + Drugs 23 + Cigarettes 7 + Alcohol and cigarettes 18 + Alcohol and drugs 8 + Drugs and cigarettes 5 + Alcohol, drugs and cigarettes 6 + --- + Total 112 17.3% + + Not suffering at entrance from effects of above 535 82.6 + --- + 647 + +Five hundred and thirty-five showed no injurious effects so far as was +evident from a physical examination. We cannot give figures as to the +exact number who used alcohol or cigarettes in moderation. We believe the +number to be high. + +Sixteen of the 647 were tubercular and were transferred to institutions +for tuberculosis. No examination of the sputum was made except in cases of +suspects. Seven others were epileptic and there was one case of chorea +(St. Vitus Dance). + +_Mentality_:--Of peculiar value, in view of the public interest in the +question of mental defect as a cause of delinquency, is a study of the +mentality of our 647 women. Twenty have been pronounced insane by +commissions in lunacy and have been transferred to asylums for the +insane. Three others will probably have to be transferred; 107 were +unhesitatingly pronounced distinctly feeble-minded. Not all of our 647 +cases have been examined by our psychologist. One hundred and sixteen, +however, have had laboratory tests of various sorts. Among these tests, +all have been given the Binet test. The result has been as follows: + + MENTALITY BY BINET TEST + + Showing mentality of 5 year old child 2 + " " " 6 " " " 1 + " " " 7 " " " 6 + " " " 8 " " " 6 + " " " 9 " " " 29 + " " " 10 " " " 44 + " " " 11 " " " 26 + " " " 12 " " " 2 + --- + 116 + +The 44 who have the mentality of a ten year old child and under were +unhesitatingly pronounced mentally defective. The 72 showing mentality +from ten to twelve years may possibly not be so-called. The 67 others +included among the 107 are those so mentally defective that there can be +no question as a matter of observation. Fifty-two others are distinctly +border line cases. This is the group which gives the most trouble in all +reformatory institutions. It is safe to say that 90 percent of all +disciplinary difficulties come from cases of this sort. They can be easily +divided into at least two groups. Thus divided, 26 are girls who can be +taught very little in school, whose general intelligence is low, but who +may perhaps be able to learn a certain amount of manual labor; these +cannot "stay good" any length of time. The other 26 are those who do well +in school, are capable of mastering even such subjects as algebra and +bookkeeping, but who have no moral sense or continuity of purpose. Eleven +others are also properly in this class but differ from the two preceding +groups in the character of their instability. If they were boys they would +be tramps. They are all girls who have run away from home, sometimes a +number of times, as well as from any place where they are put to service. + +The foregoing figures mean that 193 individuals, or 29.8 percent, of the +number studied are decidedly mentally defective. This is an extremely +conservative estimate. + +With the facilities which we are to have in the Laboratory of Social +Hygiene under the auspices of the Bureau of Social Hygiene, we expect to +get much more definite results not only as to the mentality but also as to +the physical condition and the social relations of the young women under +our care. + +_Venereal Disease_:--The records of the Bedford Reformatory for girls show +that 20.56 percent of the 647 inmates have clinical manifestations of +venereal disease. The facts are summarized in the following table: + + Total number of inmates 647 + Number free from clinical manifestations of disease 514 + Number showing clinical manifestations of disease 133 + Of the last named: + Number with syphilis 61 + gonorrhoea 54 + syphilis and gonorrhoea 9 + " " disease unnamed 8 + " " chancre 1 + --- + Total 133 (20.56%) + +A series of complement fixation tests on blood specimens from 466 of the +inmates show, however, that a very much larger number are infected with +either syphilis or gonorrhoea or both of these diseases.[307] With the +Wassermann test 176, or 37.7 percent gave positive reactions; 273, or 58.6 +percent gave negative reactions, and 17, or 3.6 percent gave doubtful +reactions. With a modification of the Wassermann technique where the tests +were allowed to stand for four hours at ice box temperature to fix +complement, instead of the usual one hour at 37 deg.C. in the incubator, 224, +or 48 percent gave positive reactions, 212, or 45.4 percent gave negative +reactions and 30, or 6.4 percent gave doubtful reactions, showing an +increase of 10.3 percent of positive reactions for syphilis over the +method of fixing complement at 37 deg.C. The same sera were tested by the +complement fixation test for gonorrheal infection with the result that 134 +or 29 percent gave positive reactions; 234, or 50 percent gave negative +reactions and 98, or 21 percent gave doubtful reactions, fixing complement +at 37 deg.C. for one hour. When the ice box method of fixation was used, 306 +or 65.6 percent gave positive reactions; 101, or 21.7 percent gave +negative reactions and 59, or 12.6 percent gave doubtful reactions, +showing an increase of 36.9 percent of positive results over the method of +fixing complement at 37 deg.C. in the incubator. + +Vaginal smears from the same persons were examined but it was possible to +demonstrate the presence of the gonococcus in but five of them, although +many of them show the presence of numerous pus corpuscles.[308] + +The full significance of the results above stated does not appear until +the statistics are summarized. Of the 466 girls tested, only 50, that is, +10.7 percent, are found to be free from venereal infection. Practically 90 +percent showed infection; 170, or 36.4 percent gave positive reactions for +both syphilis and gonorrhoea; 27, or 5.79 percent were positive for +syphilis only, and 117, or 25.1 percent were positive for gonorrhoea +only.[309] + +_Offenses_:--Not all of the 647 cases studied were committed to Bedford +for prostitution; but all were leading the lives of prostitutes in New +York City at the time of their commitment and the specific offense which +they committed was an incident in the life of prostitution.[310] Table +XXIV shows that 105 women or 16.22 percent were convicted of felonies, +while 450, or 69.55 percent were convicted of offenses directly connected +with prostitution. The 25 cases committed as disorderly children were +girls under eighteen years of age whose parents or relatives caused their +arrest and brought them into court as the only means of taking them from +the life. The 38 commitments for vagrancy were under Subdivision 3 and 4 +of Section 887 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which defines a vagrant +as "a person who has contracted an infectious or other disease, in the +practise of drunkenness or debauchery, requiring charitable aid to restore +him to health" or "a common prostitute who has no lawful employment +whereby to maintain herself." + +The stories of the following girls will illustrate the relation between +prostitution and crime in the cases of women sent to us for felonies or +misdemeanors: + +A. B. was a girl of eighteen, convicted of manslaughter in the second +degree. She was not only leading a life of prostitution but was supporting +her lover by it. As is so often the case, she was very fond of the man and +intensely jealous when another girl won him away. She bought a sharp knife +and carried it for a month before she met the girl, who had tried to avoid +her. When at last they met, our girl stabbed her rival so seriously that +she died from the effects. + +C. D. was also only eighteen years of age. She was convicted of shooting +her lover. The time had come when they were no longer happy together. A +quarrel arose on the street over a trivial matter. She wished to go to one +place and he to another. Neither would yield. He started across the street +to go his own way. She drew a pistol and shot him dead. Asked how she +happened to have a loaded pistol in her possession, she said that she has +always carried one ever since she came to New York. She thought it +necessary for self-protection. + +The story of E. F., convicted of grand larceny in the first degree, was as +follows: She came north from a southern city thirteen years ago with her +mother, who died soon after. She had had a lover before her mother's +death. By him she had an illegitimate child. After the child was born he +married her but they were not happy together. Another man coaxed her away +from her husband. She claims he put her on the street, that she was +violently in love with him and supported him by prostitution. Finally she +was with a man whose watch she admired and coveted for her lover. She +stole it and gave it to her lover in whose possession it was found. Both +were convicted. + +G. H. was a woman of twenty-four convicted of robbery. She had a husband +and two children. The husband was entirely able and willing to support +her. She became addicted to the use of opium. She claims it was first +prescribed by a physician during an illness. As the habit grew, she stole +money from the till in her husband's shop to supply herself with the drug. +The resulting friction between herself and her husband finally caused her +to leave home and enter a life of prostitution. She had been living the +life for two years at the time of her arrest for robbing a man of a +diamond pin. + +Three women, sentenced for corrupting the morals of a minor, had young +girls with them whom they had brought to the city for immoral purposes. + +The cases of assault were for the most part girls who had engaged in fist +fights, usually on account of rivalry. + +The attempted suicide was a girl who had tired of the life which she had +led since she was fourteen years old and saw no other way out of it. She +had made three unsuccessful attempts before she was sentenced to Bedford. + +_Previous Records_:--The law prohibits the sentencing of women to the +reformatory who have previously served a term in a state prison. With this +limitation the judge has the power of sending those who have served +numberless previous sentences for minor offenses if in his judgment there +is hope of reform in the particular case. Contrary to the impression of +many people, it is a very rare thing for a girl or woman to be sentenced +to an institution for what is really a first offense. Never in our +experience has a previously innocent girl been so sentenced. + +Throwing light on the history of the prostitutes committed to Bedford, +Table XXV gives us some information as to the various institutions in +which they spent time previous to the Bedford commitment. The first +section of the table shows that 305, or 47.1 percent have had previous +institution experiences. In cases where these girls have been in more than +one institution, this first portion of the table gives the institution in +which she has spent the most time. Out of 647 cases, 255, or 39.4 percent +only, are not known to have been at least previously arrested. These +figures give the data that we know. The probabilities are that the tables +understate the facts. The latter half of the table shows the variegated +experience of a number of the women. We have no comparable data for the +cases from other institutions. + +_Conclusion_:--As this is a statistical study, we have not touched upon +various phases of the lives of prostitutes which are of general public +interest. This is because we had not sufficiently accurate data to warrant +giving figures or percentages. For example, the relation of the women to +the men whom they support is a matter where verifiable data are very hard +to get. An increasingly large percentage of the women under our care state +that they were turning over the whole or a part of their wages to their +lovers. In other cases we were pretty well assured that this was the case +although it was denied by the girl. + +As a result of our twelve years' experience we believe that there is an +increasing number of young women who live in furnished rooms and take +their patrons to hotels. A larger proportion of prostitutes in our early +days lived in houses of ill fame. Now in many instances, even if their +work is in these houses, they live outside and go to the houses only for +business purposes. A case in point is that of a girl only sixteen years of +age who worked in one of the houses conducted by the so-called +"syndicate." She was living with a young Italian who had lured her from +her home. He conducted her to this house every afternoon at four o'clock, +calling for her at five or six next morning and receiving her earnings +from the woman who ran the house. + +A number of the young women included in this study have figured in white +slave cases. These commercialized phases of the social evil are dealt with +elsewhere in this report. + + + + +STATISTICAL TABLES + +ACCOMPANYING CHAPTER VIII + + +These tables comprise (1) _Analysis of histories of cases at Bedford_; the +histories in question were carefully compiled from the records and from +personal conferences and in so far as possible they were revised and +verified in the light of experience, outside inquiry, etc. (2) _Similar +analysis of cases from seven institutions in New York State and city other +than Bedford_; this material was gathered in different ways. In some +institutions two trained investigators interrogated the girls, checking up +their replies by the records of the institution wherever possible; in two +institutions, information was obtained from the records alone; in one, +from the girls alone. (3) _Analysis of histories of street, hotel, and +other cases_; these data were obtained by an experienced woman +investigator who interviewed the girls under conditions as favorable as +possible to her object. + +In the matter of earnings, etc., where corroboration was in the nature of +things impossible, no responsibility for the accuracy of the statements +made by the girls is assumed. + + +TABLE I + +BEDFORD CASES + +BIRTHPLACE--ANALYSIS OF 647 CASES + + _Foreign Born_ _Native Born White_ _Native Born Colored_ + --------------------------------------------------------------------- + Austria 15 New York City 263 New York City 27 + Canada 1 Other parts Other parts + N. Y. State 39 N. Y. State 3 + Cuba 2 Colorado 1 Alabama 1 + England 14 Connecticut 5 Connecticut 1 + France 8 District of Columbia 1 District of Columbia 2 + Finland 2 Florida 1 Florida 1 + Germany 26 Illinois 5 Georgia 2 + Holland 2 Iowa 2 Kentucky 1 + Hungary 12 Kansas 1 Louisiana 2 + India 1 Maine 2 Maryland 2 + Ireland 17 Maryland 4 Massachusetts 3 + Italy 7 Massachusetts 16 Minnesota 1 + Mexico 1 New Jersey 23 New Jersey 2 + Norway 1 Michigan 2 North Carolina 10 + Nova Scotia 1 Minnesota 1 Pennsylvania 5 + Poland 5 Missouri 1 South Carolina 1 + Roumania 3 North Carolina 2 Tennessee 1 + Russia 32 Ohio 4 Virginia 18 + Scotland 2 Oregon 1 Washington 1 + Sweden 1 Pennsylvania 22 Unknown 1 + Switzerland 2 Texas 1 + Wales 1 Vermont 1 + Virginia 5 + West Virginia 2 + Unknown 1 + ---- ---- ---- + TOTAL 156 = 24.11% TOTAL 406 = 62.75% TOTAL 85 = 13.14% + + +[Illustration: GRAPH ILLUSTRATING TABLE I] + +[Illustration: GRAPH ILLUSTRATING TABLE II] + + +TABLE II + +BEDFORD CASES + +NATIONALITY OF PARENTS IN DETAIL + +A. _White_ + + I. Both parents foreign, born in the same country + Austria (18 Jews) 22 + Bohemia 3 + Canada 2 + Denmark 2 + England 11 + Finland 3 + France 9 + Germany (11 Jews) 67 + Holland 3 + Hungary 12 + India 1 + Ireland 65 + Italy 12 + Norway 1 + Nova Scotia 2 + Poland 6 + Roumania (1 Jew) 2 + Russia (57 Jews) 60 + Scotland 3 + Sweden 2 + Switzerland 1 + Wales 1 290 + +II. Both parents foreign, born in different countries + + _Birthplace of father_ _Birthplace of mother_ + + Australia England 1 + Austria Germany 1 + Canada England 1 + Cuba Spain 1 + Denmark England 1 + England Denmark 1 + England Germany 1 + England Ireland 4 + England Wales 1 + France England 1 + France Germany 1 + France Irish 1 + Germany Bohemia 1 + " Denmark 1 + " France 1 + " (Jew) Hungary (Jew) 3 + " Russia 1 + " Switzerland 1 + Hungary German 1 + Ireland England 3 + " Scotland 1 + " Wales 1 + Italy Roumania 1 + Norway Ireland 1 + Roumania Russia 1 + Russia Austria 1 + Scotland England 1 + " Ireland 1 + Spain Portugal 1 + Wales Mexico 1 37 327 + -------- + +III. Father of foreign birth, mother, United States + + Belgium United States 1 + Canada " " 4 + England " " 6 + Finland " " 1 + Germany " " 10 + Ireland " " 10 + Scotland " " 2 34 + -- + +IV. Father born in U. S., mother, foreign + + United States Bohemia 1 + " " Canada 2 + " " England 3 + " " Germany 4 + " " Ireland 15 + " " Italy 1 + " " Norway 1 + " " Roumania 1 28 + -- + +V. Father of foreign birth, mother unknown + + Austria 1 + Germany 3 + Ireland 2 + Scotland 1 7 + -- + +VI. Father unknown, mother of foreign birth + + England 2 + France 2 + Germany 2 + Ireland 1 7 + -------- + TOTAL NUMBER WITH ONE FOREIGN PARENT KNOWN 76 + +VII. Both parents born in the U. S. 120 + +VIII. Father born in the U. S., mother unknown 5 + +IX. Father unknown, mother born in U. S. 5 + +X. Both parents unknown 25 + -------- + TOTAL WHITE 558 + +_B. Colored_ + +I. Both parents of foreign birth + _Father's birthplace_ _Mother's birthplace_ + Jamaica Jamaica 1 + Cuba Cuba 1 + West Indies South America 1 + +II. One parent of foreign birth + + Ireland United States 1 + West Indies " " 1 + United States England 1 + " " Ireland 1 + +III. Both parents born in U. S. 68 + +IV. Father unknown, mother born in U. S. 4 + +V. Birthplaces of both parents unknown 10 + -------- + TOTAL COLORED 89 + TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES 647 + + +TABLE III + +BEDFORD CASES + +NATIONALITY OF PARENTS + +_Summary_ + + ----------------------------------------------------------- + | Born in |White 290| | | + Both parents| the same |-----------| | | + foreign | country |Colored 2| 292 | | + |-----------|-----------|-------|------| + | Born in |White 37| | | + | different |-----------| | | + | countries |Colored 1| 38 | 330 | 51. % + ------------|-----------|-----------|-------|------|------- + |Mother |White 34| | | + |U. S. |-----------| | | + | |Colored 2| 36 | | + One parent |-----------|-----------|-------|------|-------- + foreign |Father |White 28| | | + |U. S. |-----------| | | + | |Colored 2| 30 | | + |-----------|-----------|-------| | + |Mother | | | | + |unknown |White | 7 | | + |-----------|-----------|-------| | + |Father | | | | + |unknown |White | 7 | 80 | 12.37% + ------------------------|-----------|-------|------|------- + Both parents born |White 120| 18.54%| | + in the U. S. |-----------| | | + |Colored 68| 10.52 | 188 | 29.06% + ------------------------|-----------|-------|------|------- + One parent |Mother |White 5| | | + born in the |U. S. |-----------| | | + U. S., the | |Colored 4| 9 | | + other |-----------|-----------|-------|------| + unknown |Father |White | 5 | 2.30%| + |U. S. | | | 14 }| + ------------------------|-----------|-------|-----}|------- + |White 25| |5.27%}| 7.57% + Both parents unknown |-----------| | }| + |Colored 10| | 35 }| + ------------------------|-------------------|------|------- + | TOTAL| | 647 | + ----------------------------------------------------------- + + +TABLE IV + +COMPARISON AS TO PARENTAGE OF NATIVE POPULATION IN NEW YORK CITY AND AMONG +PROSTITUTES AT BEDFORD + + ------------------------------------------------------------------------ + Population of| No. of |Percentage| Bedford | No. of |Percentage + of New York |Individuals| of Total | Cases |Individuals| of Total + City[311] in | | Pop. | 647 | | Cases + 1912 | | | | | + ------------------------------------------------------------------------ + Native white | 921,130 | 19.3% |Native white| 120 | 18.5 + of native | | | of known | | + parents | | | native | | + | | | parentage | | + Native white | 1,820,374 | 38.2 |Native white| 327 | 50.5 + of foreign | | | of known | | + parents | | | foreign | | + | | | parentage | | + Negro-- | 91,702 | 1.92 |Negro-- | 89 | 13.64 + parentage | | | total | | + unspecified| | | number | | + ------------------------------------------------------------------------ + + +TABLE V + +BEDFORD CASES + +OCCUPATIONS OF THE FATHERS + + + _Professions_ + Architect 2 + Civil engineer 1 + Colored preacher 1 + Lawyer 1 + Minister 1 + Music teacher 1 + Musician 2 + Physician 2 + Surveyor 2 + Trained nurse 1 + Veterinary surgeon 1 + ---- + TOTAL 15 + + _Own their own Business_ + Brewer 1 + Contractor 5 + Fruit dealer 2 + Horse dealer 4 + Hotel keeper 2 + Livery stable keeper 1 + Peddler 8 + Saloonkeeper 11 + Shopkeeper 29 + ---- + TOTAL 63 + + _Business Positions_ + Insurance agent 2 + Milkman 1 + Real estate agent 4 + Salesman 21 + ---- + TOTAL 28 + + _Mechanical Trades_ + Blacksmith 6 + Bricklayer 3 + Brickmaker 1 + Builder 5 + Cabinet-maker 2 + Carpenter 13 + Carriage-maker 1 + Cooper 1 + Electrician 2 + Engineer (railroad) 4 + Engineer (stationary) 15 + Gas fitter 1 + Glazier 1 + Hardwood polisher 1 + Iron worker 8 + Machinist 7 + Mechanic 3 + Painter 14 + Plasterer 1 + Plumber 3 + Printer 6 + Slate roofer 1 + Stone cutter 2 + Stone mason 9 + Terra cotta worker 1 + Tinsmith 2 + Walking delegate 1 + ---- + TOTAL 114 + + _Clothing Trades_ + Cap maker 4 + Cloak maker 2 + Designer 2 + Finisher on corsets 1 + Presser 6 + Tailor 22 + ---- + TOTAL 37 + + _Other Trades_ + Baker 2 + Barber 8 + Bartender 2 + Basket maker 1 + Butcher 10 + Carpet layer 1 + Cigar maker 10 + Draughtsman 1 + Mat maker 1 + Photographer 1 + Reed and rattan worker 1 + Shoemaker 10 + Watchmaker 1 + Weaver 2 + ---- + TOTAL 51 + + _Clerical Positions_ + Bookkeeper 3 + Clerk of Court 1 + Excise officer 1 + ---- + TOTAL 5 + + _Laborers_ + Derrick rigger 1 + Electric light trimmer 1 + Employed on boats 11 + Employed on railroad 12 + Farmers and farm hands 34 + Hod carrier 3 + Laborer 40 + Miner 3 + Stableman 3 + Street sweeper 2 + Teamster 18 + Watchman 4 + ---- + TOTAL 132 + + _Mill and Factory Positions_ + Factory 13 + Mill hand 7 + ---- + TOTAL 20 + + _Domestic Positions_ + Coachman 7 + Cook 9 + Elevator man 1 + Gardener 3 + Janitor 5 + Porter 3 + Waiter 7 + ---- + TOTAL 35 + + Foreman 7 + Asst. Supt. Life Insurance Co. 1 + Conductor 2 + Sea captain 5 + ---- + TOTAL 15 + + _In Public Service_ + Fireman 5 + Lighthouse keeper 1 + Mail carrier 1 + Policeman 5 + Soldier 5 + ---- + TOTAL 17 + + _Miscellaneous_ + Collector 1 + Gambler 1 + Sandwich man 1 + Telegraph operator 1 + Ticket speculator 1 + Undertaker 3 + ---- + TOTAL 8 + + "Does not work on account of + kidney trouble and + fainting fits" 1 + Unknown 7 + No statistics 99 + ---- + TOTAL 107 + + TOTAL NUMBER 647 + + +TABLE VI + +BEDFORD CASES + +NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN THE FAMILIES FROM WHICH THE GIRLS COME + + ------------------------------ + _No. of Children_ _Cases_ + ------------------------------ + 1 78 + 2 95 + 3 126 + 4 110 + 5 95 + 6 50 + 7 44 + 8 22 + 9 11 + 10 5 + 11 5 + 12 0 + 13 1 + Unknown 5 + ------------------------------ + TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES 647 + ------------------------------ + Average size of family 3.99 + +[Illustration: GRAPH ILLUSTRATING ABOVE TABLE VI] + + +TABLE VII + +BEDFORD CASES + +OCCUPATION OF MOTHER + + ------------------------------------------- + Actress 1 + Canvasser 2 + Charge of Hotel Linen Room 1 + Cook (6 colored) 10 + Day's work 46 + Domestic--General housework (6 colored) 9 + Dressmaker 4 + Factory Operatives 11 + Housekeeper 4 + Janitress 13 + Laundress 17 + Midwife 6 + Milliner 1 + Market Woman 1 + Nurse 9 + Peddler 2 + Small Shopkeepers 7 + Tailoress 1 + ---- + TOTAL 145 + ------------------------------------------- + Total number of cases, 647 + + Percentage of occupied mothers, 22.4 + + +TABLE VIII + +BEDFORD CASES + +EDUCATION + + Cannot read or write any language--15 American born 50 7.72% + Reads and writes a foreign language--5 read a little Eng. 32 4.83% + Read and write a little, no further education 192 29.67% + Did not finish primary grades 70 10.82% + Reached but did not finish grammar grades 257 39.72% + Graduated from grammar grades 25 3.86% + Entered, but did not finish high school 13 2.00% + Graduated from high school 4 .77% + One year in normal school 3 .46% + Eight months at college 1 .15% + ------------ + TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES 647 100.00% + +[Illustration: GRAPH ILLUSTRATING TABLE VIII] + + +TABLE IX + +BEDFORD CASES + +I _Wages before entering prostitution_ EARNINGS + + ---------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ + |$.50| .75|1.00|1.25|1.50|2.00|2.50|3.00|3.50|4.00| + +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ + Wages of {High | | | | | | | | | | | + trades {110 cases | | | | | | | | | 2 | 11 | + excluding { | | | | | | | | | | | + Domestic {Low | | | | | | | | | | | + Service {110 cases | | | 1 | | | 3 | 3 | 13 | 9 | 24 | + | | | | | | | | | | | + {High | | | | | | | | | | | + Wages of {52 cases | | | | | | | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | + Domestic { | | | | | | | | | | | + Service {Low | | | | | | | | | | | + {52 cases | | | | 1 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 13 | 9 | 10 | + ---------------------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ + + +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ + |4.50|5.00|5.50|6.00|7.00|8.00|9.00| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 18 | + +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | 5 | 14 | 7 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 6 | | 1 | 5 | 1 | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | 4 | 23 | 1 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 4 | | | | | 3 | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | |7.50| | | | | | | | | | + | 13 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | 3 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | + +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ + + +----+----+----+----+---------+---------+---------+--------- + | 20 | 22 | 25 | 30 | Highest | Lowest | Average | Mode + | | | | | Wage | Wage | | + +----+----+----+----+---------+---------+---------+--------- + | | | | | | | | + | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | $30.00 | $3.50 | $8.11 | $8.00 + | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | + | | | 1 | | 25.00 | 1.00 | 5.21 | 4.00 + | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | + | | | | | 7.50 | 2.50 | 4.30 | 4.50 + | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | + | | | | | 5.00 | 1.25 | 3.14 | 3.00 + +----+----+----+----+---------+---------+---------+--------- + +GRAPHS ILLUSTRATING TABLE IX + +[Illustration: _Wages in Trades excluding Domestic Service--110 Cases_] + +[Illustration: _Wages in Domestic Service--52 Cases_] + + +TABLE X + +BEDFORD CASES + +OCCUPATIONS + + _Before entering prostitution_ _No. of Cases_ _Percentages_ + --------------------------------------------------------------- + Book-binding 7 1.08 + Clerk in small shop 8 1.23 + Clerk in department store 40 6.18 + Domestic (general housework) 243 37.56 + Errand girl 3 .46 + Factory operative 127 19.62 + Janitress 1 .15 + Laundry employee 14 2.16 + Manicure 2 .30 + Millinery 13 2.00 + Office work (not stenographers) 13 2.00 + Sewing (handwork) 25 3.86 + Steel engraver 1 .15 + Telephone operator 9 1.39 + Theatrical work (chorus or vaudeville) 18 2.78 + Nurse (not graduate) 3 .46 + Waitress (in restaurants) 28 4.32 + No work 92 14.27 + --------------------- + TOTAL 647 + + +TABLE XI + +BEDFORD CASES + +RESIDENCE OF GIRL BEFORE ENTERING PROSTITUTION + + ------------------------------------------------------------------------- + {Giving all they made 53 + Living {Giving part 16 + at home {Supported by parents or husband 32 + {No statistics as to money paid 23 + -- 124 + + Living {Giving all 15 + with relatives {Giving part 9 + -- 24 + + Boarding $1.50 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 5.40 6.00 13.50 No + amount + given + --------------------------------------------------------------- + 1 1 1 3 2 1 1 1 9 20 + + Domestics living where they worked 26 + --- + TOTAL 194 + + +TABLE XII + +BEDFORD CASES + +SOCIAL RELATIONS + + Married 193 29.8 + Single 454 70.1 + --- + TOTAL 647 + +STATEMENT OF 219 WOMEN WITH REGARD TO NUMBER OF CHILDREN + + { Pregnant on entering 1 + { Miscarriage previous to entering Bedford 18 + { + Married { { One 66 + women { Legitimate { Two 19 + { children { Three 7 + { { Eight 1 + --- 93 + + { Pregnant on entering 16 + Single { Miscarriage previous to entering Bedford 18 + women { + { Illegitimate { One 63 + { children { Two 10 73 + --- + TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES 219 + + No children, or no record of them 428 + --- + TOTAL 647 + + +TABLE XIII + +BEDFORD CASES + +RELIGION + + Catholic 266 41.1% + Jewish 123 19.0% + Protestant 252 38.9% + No record 6 .9% + ----------- + TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES 647 + +[Illustration: GRAPH ILLUSTRATING TABLE XIII] + + +TABLE XIV + +BEDFORD CASES + +AGE + + I II III + --------+-----------------++---------------------++-------------------- + _Years_|_Number entering_|| _First sexual_ || _Number entering_ + _of age_| _Bedford_ || _offense_ || _prostitution_ + --------+------+----------++-------+-------------++-------+------------ + 7 | .. | ...... || 1 | .33-1/3% || .. | ..... + 9 | .. | ...... || 1 | .33-1/3% || .. | ..... + 10 | .. | ...... || 1 | .33-1/3% || .. | ..... + 11 | .. | ...... || 1 | .33-1/3% || .. | ..... + 12 | .. | ...... || 4 | 1.33-1/3% || .. | ..... + 13 | .. | ...... || 12 | 4. % || 1 | .37% + 14 | .. | ...... || 29 | 9.66-2/3% || 3 | 1.12% + 15 | 12 | 1.86% || 43 | 14.33-1/3% || 11 | 4.08% + 16 | 41 | 6.34% || 61 | 20.33-1/3% || 19 | 7.06% + 17 | 65 | 10.05% || 40 | 13.33-1/3% || 40 | 14.87% + 18 | 47 | 7.26% || 31 | 10.33-1/3% || 35 | 13.01% + 19 | 65 | 10.05% || 28 | 9.33-1/3% || 32 | 11.90% + 20 | 50 | 7.71% || 19 | 6.33-1/3% || 28 | 10.41% + 21 | 61 | 9.43% || 15 | 5.00% || 31 | 11.52% + 22 | 73 | 11.28% || 3 | 1. % || 22 | 8.18% + 23 | 48 | 7.42% || 6 | 2. % || 17 | 6.32% + 24 | 53 | 8.19% || 3 | 1. % || 9 | 3.35% + 25 | 40 | 6.18% || .. | ........ || 10 | 3.72% + 26 | 22 | 3.40% || .. | ........ || 3 | 1.12% + 27 | 20 | 3.09% || 1 | .33-1/3% || 6 | 2.23% + 28 | 22 | 3.40% || 1 | .33-1/3% || 2 | .74% + 29 | 24 | 3.71% || .. | ........ || .. | ..... + 30 | 2 | .31% || .. | ........ || .. | ..... + 31 | 1 | .15% || .. | ........ || .. | ..... + 32 | 1 | .15% || .. | ........ || .. | ..... + --------+------+----------++-------+-------------++-------+------------ + Total | | || | || | + No. | | || | || | + cases | 647 | 99.98% || 300 | 100% || 269 | 100% + --------+------+----------++-------+-------------++-------+------------ + Average | || || + Age |20 yr. 11.06 mos.|| 17 yrs. 16 days || 18 yrs. 9.18 mos. + --------+-----------------++---------------------++-------------------- + Highest 32 || Highest 28 || Highest 28 + Lowest 15 || Lowest 7 || Lowest 13 + Average 20.09 || Average 17 || Average 18.7 + Mode 22 || Mode 16 || Mode 17 + Mean 23.5 || Mean 17.5 || Mean 18.5 + No. of cases 647 || No. of cases 300 || No. of cases 269 + --------------------------++---------------------++-------------------- + +[Illustration: GRAPH ILLUSTRATING TABLE XIV + +(_Made from Table of Percentages_)] + + +TABLE XV + +BEDFORD CASES + +DISTRIBUTION OF AMERICAN BORN + + { White 341 + [312]City born { 404 82.48% + { Colored 63 + + { White 63 + Country born { 85 17.47% + { Colored 22 + + Unknown 2 0.05% + ---- ---- ------- + TOTAL 491 + +[Illustration: GRAPH ILLUSTRATING TABLE XV] + + +TABLE XVI + +BEDFORD CASES + +REASONS FOR COMING TO NEW YORK, OF THOSE BORN OUTSIDE NEW YORK CITY + + Ran away to escape home conditions 11 + To live with family 78 + To obtain work or easier work 26 + To practice prostitution 9 + To see New York 10 + With lover 1 + Unknown 4 + --- + TOTAL 139 + + +TABLE XVII + +BEDFORD CASES + +PROSTITUTION: PRACTICED CONTINUOUSLY OR INTERRUPTEDLY + + Continuously 166 59.50% + + { Married 19 + { Living with parents 4 + Not continuously { Stealing 3 + { Working 32 58 20.79% + + No statistics 55 19.71% + ---- ------- + TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES CONSIDERED 279 + + +TABLE XVIII + +BEDFORD CASES + +TRADES COMBINED WITH PROSTITUTION + + _Trade_ _No. of Cases_ _Per cent._ + Demonstrator 1 + Clerk in department store 4 + Domestic 22 + Factory operative 17 + Laundry employees 4 + Manicure 1 + Office work 2 + Sewing 2 + Theatrical work 6 + Waitress 8 + Stealing 6 + Received money from husband 2 + Prostitution only 204 73.11 + ---- ------ + TOTAL 279 + + +TABLE XIX + +BEDFORD CASES + +WEEKLY EARNINGS FROM PROSTITUTION + + ----+-------+-------+--+--+--+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ + |Support|Support|$3|$5|$6|$10|$12|$14|$15|$18|$19|$20|$25|$30|$35| + |Partial| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + ----+-------+-------+--+--+--+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ + High| 2 | 9 | .| 2| .| 4 | . | 1 | 7 | . | 1 | 8 | 3| 10| 3 | + Low | 1 | . | 1| 4| 1| 7 | 4 | . | 8 | 2 | . | 5 | 13| 6| 3 | + ----+-------+-------+--+--+--+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ + + +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+----+ + |$38|$40|$45|$50|$55|$59|$60|$63|$70|$75|$90|$100|$110|$120|$125|$150| + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+----+ + | 1 | 4 | 2 | 24| . | 1 | 12| . | 7 | 7 | . | 15 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | + | . | 3 | . | 14| 1 | . | 4| 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | . | . | 1 | 4 | + +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+----+ + + +----+----+----+----+----+---------+------- + |$200|$240|$250|$300|$400| Total |Average + | | | | | |No. cases| + +----+----+----+----+----+---------+------- + | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 146 |$71.09 + | . | . | . | 1 | . | 95 | 46.02 + +----+----+----+----+----+---------+------- + + +TABLE XX + +BEDFORD CASES + +EARNED AT THE SAME TIME WITH PROSTITUTION + + -----------+--------+-----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ + | Weekly | For | | | | | | | | | | + | Wages |Board|$.50|1.00|2.00|2.50|3.00|3.50|3.75|4.00|4.50| + -----------+--------+-----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ + Wages of | High | | | | | | | | | | | + occupations|34 cases| . | . | . | . | . | 1 | 1 | . | 2 | . | + excluding | | | | | | | | | | | | + Domestic | Low | | | | | | | | | | | + Service |34 cases| . | . | . | 3 | . | 5 | 2 | . | 6 | 2 | + | | | | | | | | | | | | + | High | | | | | | | | | | | + Domestic |23 cases| . | . | 1 | 1 | 1 | . | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2 | + Service | Low | | | | | | | | | | | + |23 cases| 11 | . | 5 | 3 | 7 | 2 | . | 1 | 1 | 1 | + -----------+--------+-----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ + + +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ + | | | | | | | | | | + |4.60|5.00|5.50|6.00|7.00|8.00|9.00|10.00|11.00|12.00|13.00|14.00|15.00| + +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | . | 6 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | . | . | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | . | 10 | . | 3 | . | . | . | . | . | 2 | . | . | . | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | . | 6 | 2 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | 1 | + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + | . | . | 1 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | + +----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ + + + +-----+-----+-----+-------+-------+-------+----- + | | | | | | | + |16.00|17.00|18.00|Maximum|Minimum|Average|Mode + +-----+-----+-----+-------+-------+-------+----- + | | | | | | | + | . | . | 2 |$18.00 | $3.00 | $6.42 |$5.00 + | | | | | | |to $6 + | | | | | | | + | . | . | . | 12.00 | 2.00 | 4.68 | 5.00 + | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | + | . | . | . | 15.00| 1.00 | 4.60 | 4.00 + | | | | | | | + | . | . | . | 6.00| .. | 2.86 | 3.00 + +-----+-----+-----+-------+-------+-------+----- + +GRAPHS ILLUSTRATING TABLE XX + +[Illustration: _Wages in Trades excluding Domestic Service--34 cases_] + +[Illustration: _Wages in Domestic Service--23 Cases_] + + +TABLE XXI + +BEDFORD CASES + +CAUSE OF FIRST SEXUAL OFFENSE + + Love 108 38.71% + + {Married {Living with husband 1 + { {Separated from " 10 11 + Pay { + { {Lover 17 57 20.43% + {Single {Playmate 4 + { {Stranger 25 46 + + {Relative 7 + Force {Lover 27 + {Playmate 3 + {Stranger 25 62 22.22% + + Weakness 23 8.24% + Physical predisposition 2 .71% + Unknown 27 9.64% + ------------ + TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES 279 + + +TABLE XXII + +BEDFORD CASES + +MENTAL CONDITION + + Insane--Transferred to asylums 20 + Insane tendencies 3 + Feeble-minded (distinctly so) 107 + Border-line--neurotic 26 + Weak-willed--"No moral sense" 26 + "Wild"--truants--run-a-ways 11 193 29.8% + + +TABLE XXIII + +BEDFORD CASES + +CAUSES. REASONS GIVEN BY THE GIRL + + _A. In connection with her family_ + 1. Immorality of the parents 15 + 2. Incompatibility 39 + 3. Neglect and abuse 26 + 4. No mother or father or neither 166 + 5. Over indulgence 10 + 6. Over strictness 35 + 7. Poverty 9 + 8. Turned out 6 + ---- 306 + _B. In connection with married life_ + 1. Death of husband 5 + 2. Desertion by husband 8 + 3. Immorality (includes cruelty or criminality) 14 + 4. Incompatibility 26 + 5. Husband put girl on street 2 + ---- 55 + _C. Personal reasons_ + 1. Bad company 75 + 2. No sex instruction 10 + 3. Idle or lonely 5 + 4. Sick, needed the money 4 + 5. Ruined anyway 10 + 6. Lover put girl on the street 10 + 7. Previous use of drink or drugs 7 + 8. White slave 2 + 9. Tired of drudgery 4 + 10. "Easy money" 17 + 11. Dances 13 + 12. Lazy, hated work 20 + 13. Stage environment 9 + 14. Love of the life 15 + 15. Desertion by lover 3 + 16. Desire for pleasure (theatre, food, clothes) 48 + 17. Desire for money 38 + 18. Ashamed to go home after first escapade 1 + ---- 291 + _D. Economic reasons_ + 1. Can't support herself 5 + 2. Can't support herself and children 1 + 3. Couldn't find work 13 19 + -------- + TOTAL 671 + + +TABLE XXIV + +BEDFORD CASES + +OFFENSES + +_No. Cases, 647_ + + _Misdemeanor_ + ------------------------------------------------ + Assault 3rd degree 9 + Attempted suicide 1 + Concealing birth of child 1 + Corrupting morals of a minor 3 + Indecent exposure 1 + Keeping a disorderly house 3 + Maintaining a place for smoking opium 1 + Petit larceny 71 + Unlawfully injuring propt'y 1 + Using vulgar and indecent language in public 1 + + TOTAL, 92 or 14.21% + + _Felonies_ + ------------------------------------------------ + Assault 2nd degree 4 + Attempted grand larceny 13 + Burglary 3rd degree 3 + Felonously selling cocaine 1 + Grand larceny, 1st degree 12 + Grand larceny, 2nd degree 63 + Manslaughter, 2nd degree 3 + Receiving stolen goods 4 + Robbery 2 + + TOTAL, 105 or 16.22% + + _Other Offenses_ + ------------------------------------------------ + Associating with dissolute persons and in + danger of becoming morally deprav'd 50 + Common prostitute 272 + Disorderly child 25 + Disorderly conduct 44 + Frequenting disorderly houses 6 + Intercourse with boys 1 + Public intoxication or habitual drunkard 14 + Vagrancy 38 + + TOTAL, 450 or 69.55% + + +TABLE XXV + +BEDFORD CASES + +PREVIOUS RECORDS, SO FAR AS CAN BE ASCERTAINED + + Bedford State Reformatory for women 13 + Catholic Protectory 4 + County jails 6 + Florence Crittenton Home 7 + Gerry Society 4 + House of Good Shepherd, Brooklyn 20 + House of Good Shepherd, New York 34 + House of Mercy, Inwood 23 + House of Refuge, Randall's Island 15 + Insane Asylums 2 + Magdalen Asylum 16 + Massachusetts State Industrial School, Lancaster 3 + New York Juvenile Asylum 5 + New York State Industrial School, Rochester 3 + New York State Training School for Girls, Hudson 6 + Orphan Asylum 20 + Penitentiaries 7 + Sherbourne Prison 1 + Washington Square Home 3 + Waverly House 4 + Wayside Home 13 + Workhouse 65 + Various other homes for Wayward Girls 31 305 47.1 + -- + Say never in institution and never arrested previously 255 + + Admit one or more previous arrests, but got off with + fine, suspended sentence or discharge, and claim never + to have been committed 66 + + Admit having been on probation 21 + ---- + TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES 647 + + OF THE ABOVE + + Arrested twice, once fined, once on probation 1 + In one institution, twice arrested and once on probation 3 + In one institution, three arrests and on probation 1 + In one institution, several other arrests 3 + In one institution, workhouse eight times, six months each 1 + In two institutions 30 + In two institutions, several other arrests 6 + In three institutions 5 + In three institutions, several other arrests 2 + In four institutions 1 + In four institutions, several times Raymond St. Jail 1 + Six months in workhouse, four times arrested, twice fined 1 + Workhouse once, six times arrested and fined 1 + Workhouse once, seven times arrested 1 + In two institutions, workhouse once, fined three times, and on + probation 1 + In Madgalen, twice; Good Shepherd, once; 10 days in workhouse; + three times arrested; on probation once 1 + In workhouse twice; arrested six times; on probation once 1 + In one home; workhouse twice; twice fined, and once discharged 1 + Workhouse, three terms 1 + Workhouse, three terms, six months each; four times fined. 1 + In three institutions; workhouse, three times; seven other arrests 1 + Arrested about 30 times; City prison, 10 weeks; workhouse, 6 terms; + fined over 20 times 1 + Three times on the Island; arrested over 30 times 1 + Twice at Good Shepherd, workhouse two terms and arrested nine times 1 + Two and one-half years House of Refuge, arrested five times; on + Island four times 1 + Two terms at Hudson; three arrests; workhouse, three months; + Bedford for third time 1 + House of Refuge, four years; Juvenile Asylum, one year; more + than 40 times at the workhouse, once on probation 1 + +[Illustration: GRAPH ILLUSTRATING TABLE XXVI] + + +TABLE XXVI + +CASES IN INSTITUTIONS, OTHER THAN BEDFORD + +BIRTHPLACE + + _American Born_ _Foreign Born_ + + New York City 210 Austro-Hungary 34 + Other parts of N. Y. State 53 Canada 11 + Alabama 2 England-Scotland 9 + Arizona 1 Finland 0 + Arkansas 1 France 4 + California 6 Galacia 2 + Colorado 1 Germany 24 + Connecticut 4 Holland 0 + Delaware 2 India 0 + District Columbia 3 Ireland 12 + Florida 3 Italy 6 + Georgia 3 Mexico 1 + Illinois 4 Poland 9 + Indiana 2 Roumania 2 + Iowa 0 Russia 46 + Kansas 1 Sweden 5 + Kentucky 2 Switzerland 2 + Louisiana 0 Venezuela 1 + Maine 0 West Indies 7 + Maryland 5 Total No. foreign born 175 28.68% + Massachusetts 24 " " American " 435 71.31% + Michigan 1 ---- + Minnesota 1 TOTAL 610 + Mississippi 1 + Missouri 0 + New Hampshire 1 + New Jersey 17 + North Carolina 6 + Ohio 3 + Oregon 0 + Pennsylvania 23 + Rhode Island 2 + South Carolina 7 + Tennessee 0 + Texas 3 + Virginia 8 + Vermont 0 + West Virginia 0 + Wisconsin 2 + Unknown 33 + ---- + TOTAL 435 + + +TABLE XXVII + +CASES IN INSTITUTIONS, OTHER THAN BEDFORD + +DISTRIBUTION BETWEEN CITY AND COUNTRY OF 147 CASES, BORN IN THE UNITED +STATES + + City born 85 57.82% + Country born 62 42.18% + ---- + TOTAL 147 + + Born in cities of New York 52 + Born in cities of other states 33 + ---- + TOTAL 85 + + Born in country, New York State 1 + Born in country, other states 61 + ---- + TOTAL 62 147 + + +TABLE XXVIII + +CASES IN INSTITUTIONS, OTHER THAN BEDFORD + +REASONS FOR COMING TO NEW YORK OF 400 CASES BORN OUTSIDE THE CITY, +AMERICAN AND FOREIGN + + Ran away to escape home conditions 4 + To live with family or husband 63 + To obtain work, or easier work 57 + To practice prostitution 42 + To see New York 10 + With lover 11 + Unknown or not given 213 + --- + TOTAL NUMBER CASES 400 + + +TABLE XXIX + +CASES IN INSTITUTIONS, OTHER THAN BEDFORD + +EDUCATION + + Does not read or write in any language 68 11.15% + Reads and writes a foreign language 20 3.28% + Reads and writes English, no further education 335 54.92% + Finished fifth grade 34 5.57% + Finished Grammar grades 74 12.13% + Entered High School or Business courses 36 5.90% + Unknown 43 7.05% + ---------- + TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES 610 100% + + +TABLE XXX + +CASES IN INSTITUTIONS, OTHER THAN BEDFORD + +OCCUPATIONS + + _Before entering prostitution_ _After entering prostitution_ + 662 cases used 497 cases used + + Artist .. 1 + Book-binding 1 .. + Canvasser 2 .. + Chambermaid 34 5 + Clerk in small store 9 .. + Companion 1 .. + Department store 70 10.57% 10 + Errand girl 1 1 + Factory 215 32.46% 24 + Domestic service 117 17.67% 20 + Laundry 16 1 + Librarian 1 .. + Manicure 4 2 + Massage 1 .. + Millinery 12 2 + Nurse girl 34 1 + Office work 20 0 + Palmist 1 .. + Salvation Army worker 1 .. + Sewing 16 4 + Steel Engraver 1 .. + Stenographer 8 .. + Teacher 1 .. + Telephone operator 13 .. + Theatrical work 20 3 + Waitress 53 6 + No work 10 Supported by prostitution only 353 + ---- Supported by husband or parents 23 + TOTAL 662 Stealing 11 + Unknown 30 + ---- + TOTAL 497 + + +TABLE XXXI + +CASES IN INSTITUTIONS, OTHER THAN BEDFORD + +AGE + + _Years_ _Number_ _First_ _Number_ + _of_ _entering_ _sexual_ _entering_ + _age_ _Institution_ _offense_ _prostitution_ + + 6 .. 1 .. + 7 .. 1 .. + 8 .. .. .. + 9 .. 1 .. + 10 .. 2 .. + 11 2 5 3 + 12 2 9 1 + 13 .. 7 .. + 14 7 33 7 + 15 7 67 32 + 16 20 59 45 + 17 28 83 67 + 18 43 77 73 + 19 54 56 59 + 20 51 35 66 + 21 31 31 37 + 22 54 32 35 + 23 41 12 25 + 24 54 10 24 + 25 31 7 13 + 26 31 11 9 + 27 20 3 8 + 28 28 6 6 + 29 15 1 1 + 30 23 5 4 + 31 14 2 2 + 32 14 1 2 + 33 6 .. .. + 34 7 .. .. + 35 1 .. 1 + 36 5 3 1 + 37 2 .. .. + 38 1 .. .. + 39 2 .. .. + 40 4 1 1 + ---- ---- ---- + TOTAL 598 561 522 + + Highest Age 40 40 40 + Lowest Age 11 6 11 + Average 22.66 years 17.95 19.60 + +[Illustration: GRAPH ILLUSTRATING TABLE XXXI] + + +TABLE XXXII + +CASES IN INSTITUTIONS, OTHER THAN BEDFORD + +WEEKLY EARNINGS--BEFORE ENTERING PROSTITUTION + + --------------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ + |Living|$ .50|$1.00|$1.50|$2.00|$2.50|$3.00|$3.50| + | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | + --------------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ + Wages of {High | | | | | | | | | + Trades {377 cases| | | 2 | | 1 | 2 | 6 | 5 | + excluding { | | | | | | | | | + Domestic {Low | | 1 | 2 | | 9 | 13 | 41 | 20 | + Service {377 cases| | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | + {High | | 2 | | 4 | 14 | 14 | 20 | 14 | + Wage of {156 cases| | | | | | | | | + Domestic { | | | | | | | | | + Service {Low | 4 | | 2 | 7 | 11 | 22 | 15 | 17 | + {156 cases| | | | | | | | | + --------------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ + + -----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------+------+------+ + $4.00|$4.50|$5.00|$5.50|$6.00|$7.00|$8.00|$9.00|$10.00|$11.00|$12.00| + | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | + -----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------+------+------+ + | | | | | | | | | | | + 14 | 15 | 57 | 9 | 60 | 48 | 42 | 22 | 28 | 4 | 27 | + | | | | | | | | | | | + 36 | 26 | 73 | 29 | 48 | 15 | 22 | 8 | 12 | | 10 | + | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | + 17 | 25 | 33 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | + 19 | 26 | 22 | 7 | 2 | | 1 | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | + -----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------+------+------+ + + ------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ + $13.00|$14.00|$15.00|$18.00|$20.00|$22.00|$25.00|$30.00|$50.00|$70.00| + | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | + ------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ + | | | | | | | | | | + 2 | 4 | 14 | | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 | | 1 | + | | | | | | | | | | + 1 | 1 | 4 | | 4 | | 1 | 1 | | | + | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | 1 | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | + | 1 | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | + ------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ + + -------+------+-----------+-------+------ + Highest|Lowest|Mode, wage |Average| Mode + wage | wage |of greatest| wage | + | | frequency | | + -------+------+-----------+-------+------ + | | | | + $70 | $1.00| $6.00 | $8.10 | $6.00 + | | | | + 30 | .50| 5.00 | 5.53 | 5.00 + | | | | + | | | | + 20 | .50| 5.00 | 3.99 | 5.00 + | | | | + | | | | + 14 | Liv'g| 4.50 | 3.63 | 4.50 + | | | | + -------+------+-----------+-------+------ + + +COMBINED WITH PROSTITUTION + + --------------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ + |Living|$ .50|$1.00|$1.50|$2.00|$2.50|$3.00|$3.50| + | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | + --------------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ + Wages of {High | | | | | | | 2 | | + Trades {63 cases | | | | | | | | | + excluding { | | | | | | | | | + Domestic {Low | | | | | | | 2 | 2 | + Service {63 cases | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | + {High | | | | | 1 | 2 | 3 | | + Wage of {15 cases | | | | | | | | | + Domestic { | | | | | | | | | + Service {Low | | 1 | | | | 5 | 2 | | + {15 cases | | | | | | | | | + --------------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+ + + -----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------+------+------+ + $4.00|$4.50|$5.00|$5.50|$6.00|$7.00|$8.00|$9.00|$10.00|$11.00|$12.00| + | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | + -----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------+------+------+ + | 2 | 8 | | 12 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 3 | | 6 | + | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | + 5 | 5 | 14 | | 12 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 6 | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | + | 1 | 3 | | 2 | 2 | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | + 2 | | 4 | | | | | | 1 | | | + | | | | | | | | | | | + -----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+------+------+------+ + + ------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ + $13.00|$14.00|$15.00|$18.00|$20.00|$22.00|$25.00|$30.00|$50.00|$70.00| + | | | | | | | | | wage | + | | | | | | | | | | + ------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ + | | 6 | | 2 | | 1 | 1 | | 1 | + | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | + | | 3 | | | | 1 | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | + | | 1 | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | | + ------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ + + -------+------+-----------+-------+------ + Highest|Lowest|Mode, wage |Average| Mode + wage | wage |of greatest| wage | + | | frequency | | + -------+------+-----------+-------+------ + $70 | $3.00| $6.00 | $9.98 | $6.00 + | | | | + | | | | + 25 | 3.00| 5.00 | 6.83 | 5.00 + | | | | + | | | | + 15 | 2.00| | 5.10 | + | | | | + | | | | + 10 | .50| 2.50 | 3.70 | 2.50 + | | | | + -------+------+-----------+-------+------ + +[Illustration: GRAPH ILLUSTRATING TABLE XXXII + +_Earnings in Trades excluding Domestic Service_] + +[Illustration: GRAPH ILLUSTRATING TABLE XXXII + +_Wages in Domestic Service_] + + +TABLE XXXIII + +CASES IN INSTITUTIONS, OTHER THAN BEDFORD + +SOCIAL RELATIONS + + No children 214 + Miscarriages and abortions 36 + + {One 28 + {Two 7 + Legitimate {Three 5 + children {Four 1 + {Five 2 + {Eight 1 44 + + Illegitimate {One 66 + children {Two .. + {Three 2 68 + + Unknown 135 + ---------- + TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES WHERE STATISTICS ARE GIVEN 497 + + +TABLE XXXIV + +CASES IN INSTITUTIONS, OTHER THAN BEDFORD + +RESIDENCE OF GIRL BEFORE ENTERING PROSTITUTION + + {Giving all they made 66 + Living at home { + {Giving part 62 128 + + {Giving all they made 0 + Living with relatives { + {Giving part 22 22 + + BOARDING AMOUNT PAID PER WEEK + + $1.00 $1.50 $2.00 $2.50 $3.00 $3.50 $4.00 + 2 4 4 6 31 12 12 + + $4.50 $6.00 $5.00 $7.00 $8.00 $10.00 + 9 17 1 3 .. 3 104 + ---- + Total number cases, where statistics are given 254 + + +TABLE XXXV + +CASES IN INSTITUTIONS, OTHER THAN BEDFORD + +CAUSE OF FIRST SEXUAL OFFENSE + + Love 231 37.86% + + { { Living with husband 6 + { { Separated from husband 10 + Pay { Married { + { { Widow 51 + { { Put on street by husband 10 77 12.78% + { + { Single 48 125 20.49% + --------------- + + { Relative 11 + { Lover 5 + Force { + { Playmate 3 + { Stranger 43 62 10.16% + --------------- + + Weakness 26 4.26% + + Physical predisposition 41 6.72% + + Unknown 125 20.49% + --- + TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES 610 + + +TABLE XXXVI + +INSTITUTION CASES, OTHER THAN BEDFORD + +PROSTITUTION, PRACTICED CONTINUOUSLY OR OCCASIONALLY + + _No. cases_ _Percent._ + + Continuously 445 72.95 + + { Working girls 48 + Occasionally { + { Married women 27 75 12.29 + + Unknown 14 2.30 + + Cases omitted, first offenders, etc. 76 12.46 + ---------------- + TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES 610 + + +TABLE XXXVII + +CASES IN INSTITUTIONS, OTHER THAN BEDFORD + +WEEKLY EARNINGS FROM PROSTITUTION + + ----+-------+-------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--- + |Partial|Support|0-2| $5|$10|$15|$20|$25|$30|$35|$40|$45|$50|$55|$60 + |Support| | | | | | | | | | | | | | + ----+-------+-------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--- + High| | | | 2 | 1| 10| 6| 20| 11| 5| 5| 1| 36| | 5 + Low | 4 | 77 | 3 | 8 | 18| 21| 20| 35| 11| 3| 9| | 28| | 4 + ----+-------+-------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+--- + ----+---+---+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ + |$65|$70|$75|$80|$90|$100|$120|$125|$150|$200|$250|$400|$500| + | | | | | | | | | | | | | | + ----+---+---+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ + High| | 4 | 18| 5| 2| 41 | 4 | 3 | 20 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | + Low | | 17| 10| 4| 43| | 4 | 10 | 1 | 2 | | | | + ----+---+---+---+---+---+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+ + ---------+------- + Total No.|Average + Cases | + ---------+------- + 211 |$81.91 + 334 | 53.06 + ---------+------- + + +TABLE XXXVIII + +CASES IN INSTITUTIONS, OTHER THAN BEDFORD + +DISPOSITION OF EARNINGS FROM PROSTITUTION + + To lover or any one { All given 138 + acting as pimp, except { + husband { Part given 9 147 + To husband 31 + To parents or children 45 + To self 216 + Unknown 171 + --- + TOTAL 610 + + +TABLE XXXIX + +CASES IN INSTITUTIONS, OTHER THAN BEDFORD + +DISEASES INCIDENTAL TO PROSTITUTION + +(_Clinically Determined_) + + _Cases_ _Percent._ + No disease 75 47.4 + Syphilis 25 + Gonorrhea 49 + Syphilis and gonorrhea 9 52.5 + --- + TOTAL NUMBER OF CASES 158 + +Only institution cases are counted in which a physical examination has +been given. All are taken from the records of Waverly House and the Church +Mission of Help. But all of their cases were not examined. That is, out of +158 cases where they deemed an examination desirable 52.5 per cent were +found to be diseased. + + +TABLE XL + +CASES IN INSTITUTIONS, OTHER THAN BEDFORD + +CAUSES. REASONS GIVEN BY THE GIRL + + _A. In connection with her family_ + 1. Neglect or abuse 41 + 2. Immorality of parents 25 + 3. Over strictness 21 + 4. Over indulgence 3 + 5. Poverty 27 + 6. Incompatibility (quarrels, nagging, etc.) 27 + 7. Father, mother or near relative put girl in life 6 + 8. Turned out of the house 18----168 + + _B. In connection with married life_ + 1. Incompatibility 8 + 2. Non-support 24 + 3. Immorality (including cruelty or criminality) 29 + 4. Desertion 12 + 5. Death 16 + 6. Husband put girl in the life 26----115 + + _C. Personal reasons_ + 1. "Ruined anyway" 15 + 2. Lover put girl in the life 80 + 3. Desertion by lover 33 + 4. White slave (put into life by force) 21 + 5. Bad company 108 + 6. Dances and shows 23 + 7. Love of excitement or a good time 58 + 8. Lazy, won't work 12 + 9. Love of money (a business enterprise) 3 + 10. Idle or lonely 0 + 11. No sex instruction 6 + 12. Ashamed to go home after first escapade 23 + 13. Not satisfied with one man 7 + 14. "Born bad"--enjoys the life 2 + 15. Previous use of drugs or drink 11 + 16. Stage environment 9 + 17. Tired of drudgery (usually housework) 16 + 18. "Easy money" 58 + 19. Love of clothes 7----492 + + _D. Economic reasons_ + 1. Can't support herself 67 + 2. Can't support herself and children or parents 37 + 3. Can't live according to her standards 17 + 4. Out of work, can't get work (often because of) 60 + 5. Ill health or defect 53 + 6. Not trained for skilled work and above the unskilled 2----236 + --------- + TOTAL 1011 + +[Illustration: GRAPH ILLUSTRATING TABLE XLI] + + +TABLE XLI + +STREET CASES + +BIRTHPLACE + + _American Born_ + {New York City 234 + {Brooklyn 20 + {Staten Island 1 + {Other cities in New York 36 + {New York State (country) 53 + California 8 + Colorado 5 + Connecticut 26 + Delaware 2 + District of Columbia 1 + Florida 2 + Georgia 2 + Illinois 14 + Indiana 1 + Iowa 1 + Kansas 2 + Kentucky 10 + Louisiana 5 + Maryland 8 + Maine 3 + Massachusetts 25 + Michigan 13 + Mississippi 1 + Missouri 10 + Nebraska 1 + New Hampshire 2 + New Jersey 63 + Ohio 35 + Pennsylvania 95 + Rhode Island 6 + South Carolina 3 + Tennessee 2 + Texas 4 + Vermont 7 + Virginia 20 + Washington 1 + West Virginia 6 + Wisconsin 3 + Unknown 31 + ---- + TOTAL AMERICAN BORN, 762 + + _Foreign Born_ + Austria-Hungary 35 + Belgium 1 + Bohemia 1 + Canada 13 + Denmark 1 + England-Scotland 32 + France 13 + Galacia 12 + Germany 72 + Ireland 29 + Italy 8 + Holland 1 + Poland 4 + Russia 107 + Roumania 7 + Sweden 5 + Switzerland 3 + ---- + TOTAL + Foreign born 344 31.04% + American born 762 68.94% + ---- + GRAND TOTAL, 1106 + + +TABLE XLII + +STREET CASES + + EDUCATION + _No. Girls_ + + Does not read or write in any language 127 + + Reads and writes a foreign language 10 + + Reads and writes English, no further education 687 + + Reads and writes, how much more not given 222 + + Graduated from grammar grades, at least 46 + + {4 stenographers + Some special education {2 translators 7 + {1 linguist + ---- + TOTAL NUMBER CASES [313]1099 + + +TABLE XLIII + +STREET CASES + +PROSTITUTION, PRACTICED CONTINUOUSLY OR OCCASIONALLY + + _No. Cases_ _Percent._ + + Continuously 1049 94.84+ + + {Working girls 26 + Occasionally { + {Married women 7 33 2.98+ + + Unknown 24 2.17+ + ---- + TOTAL NUMBER CASES 1106 + + +TABLE XLIV + +STREET CASES + +AGE + + Years Number at First Number + of age present age sexual entering + offense prostitution + 6 ... 2 1 + 8 ... 2 ... + 10 ... 2 ... + 12 ... 11 ... + 13 ... 3 ... + 14 ... 71 6 + 15 ... 85 26 + 16 ... 167 114 + 17 1 189 176 + 18 12 147 223 + 19 40 94 123 + 20 66 61 110 + 21 88 38 72 + 22 131 29 44 + 23 137 15 22 + 24 205 15 30 + 25 57 15 21 + 26 98 15 23 + 27 46 8 11 + 28 74 5 10 + 29 44 ... ... + 30 36 3 2 + 31 3 ... ... + 32 15 1 3 + 33 7 1 1 + 34 13 ... ... + 35 8 1 1 + 36 3 ... ... + 37 ... 1 1 + 38 2 1 1 + 40 11 ... ... + 42 1 ... ... + 44 3 ... ... + 49 2 ... ... + 50 3 ... ... + Not given ... 124 81 + ---- ---- ---- + TOTAL 1106 1106 1106 + + Highest Age 50 38 38 + Lowest Age 17 6 14 + Average 25.62+ yrs. 17.87+ yrs. 19.44 yrs. + Mode 24 11 18 + Mean 33.5 22 25 + + +TABLE XLV + +STREET CASES + +WEEKLY EARNINGS FROM PROSTITUTION + + -------+-------+-------+----+-----+------+------+------+------+------+ + |Partial|Support|0-$3|$5-$7|$10.00|$15.00|$20.00|$25.00|$30.00| + |Support| | | | | | | | | + -------+-------+-------+----+-----+------+------+------+------+------+ + Highest| | 3 | | | 2 | 5 | 22 | 23 | 25 | + Lowest | | 19 | 23 | 59 | 85 | 58 | 103 | 75 | 80 | + -------+-------+-------+----+-----+------+------+------+------+------+ + + ------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ + $35.00|$40.00|$45.00|$50.00|$55.00|$60.00|$65.00|$70.00|$75.00|$80.00| + | | | | | | | | | | + ------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ + 12 | 73 | 34 | 90 | 38 | 80 | 21 | 39 | 76 | 61 | + 64 | 53 | 24 | 81 | 12 | 23 | 7 | 6 | 17 | 10 | + ------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+ + + ------+------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+ + $85.00|$90.00|$95.00|$100.00|$110.00|$120.00|$125.00|$150.00|$175.00| + | | | | | | | | | + | | | | | | | | | + ------+------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+ + 23 | 22 | 2 | 103 | 22 | | 22 | 84 | 9 | + | 4 | | 43 | | | 4 | 10 | | + ------+------+------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+ + + -------+-------+-------+-------+-------+------+----------+------- + $200.00|$250.00|$300.00|$400.00|$500.00|$1,000| No. Cases|Average + | | | | | | Used | + -------+-------+-------+-------+-------+------+----------+------- + 86 | 20 | 15 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1022 | 97.725 + 1 | 2 | | | | | 863 | 35.80 + -------+-------+-------+-------+-------+------+----------+------- + + +TABLE XLVI + +STREET CASES + +OCCUPATIONS + + _Before_ _After_ + _Entering_ _Entering_ + _Prostitution_ _Prostitution_ + + Artist 4 4 + Artists' model 2 3 + Canvasser 5 4 + Chambermaid 9 1 + Clerk in small store 28 16 + Companion 1 1 + Department store 117 68 + Errand girl 1 ... + Factory 72 21 + Domestic service 27 20 + Laundry 2 ... + Librarian 1 ... + Manicure 6 4 + Massage 2 2 + Millinery 13 2 + Nurse girl 8 1 + Office work 25 18 + Palmist 2 2 + Sewing 17 5 + Stenographer 31 27 + Storekeeper 1 2 + Teacher 9 6 + Telephone operator 9 5 + Theatrical work 72 88 + Trained nurse 4 3 + Translator 1 1 + Waitress 18 8 + No work 518 ... + Unknown 101 33 + Supported by prostitution only ... 677 + Supported by husband or family ... 83 + Stealing ... 1 + ---- ---- + TOTAL NUMBER CASES 1106 1106 + + +TABLE XLVII + +STREET CASES + +CAUSES OF FIRST SEXUAL OFFENSE + + Love 441 39.87% + + { {Living with husband 51 + Pay {Married {Separated from husband 41 + { {Widow 33 + { {Put on street by husband 28 153 13.84% + { + {Single 116 269 10.49% + --- + {Relative 26 2.35% + Force {Lover 1 .09% + by {Playmate 2 .18% + {Stranger 32 2.89% + + Weakness (yielded to importunities) 34 3.07% + + Physical predisposition 84 7.60% + + Unknown 217 19.62% + ---- ------ + TOTAL NUMBER CASES 1106 + + +TABLE XLVIII + +STREET CASES + +CAUSES. REASONS GIVEN BY THE GIRL + + _A. In connection with her family_ + 1. Neglect or abuse 20 + 2. Immorality of parents 36 + 3. Over strictness 52 + 4. Over indulgence 11 + 5. Poverty 36 + 6. Incompatibility (quarrels, nagging, etc.) 20 + 7. No mother or no father, or neither 12 + 8. Father, mother or near relative put girl in the life 10 + 9. Turned out of the house 21 218 + + _B. In connection with married life_ + 1. Incompatibility 31 + 2. Non-support 34 + 3. Immorality (including cruelty or criminality) 39 + 4. Desertion 34 + 5. Death 14 + 6. Put girl in the life 61 213 + + _C. Personal reasons_ + 1. Ruined anyway 32 + 2. Lover put girl in the life 144 + 3. Desertion by lover 40 + 4. White slave (put in life by force) 6 + 5. Bad company 61 + 6. Dances and shows 1 + 7. Love of excitement or a good time 103 + 8. Lazy, won't work 49 + 9. Love of money (a business enterprise) 50 + 10. Idle or lonely 19 + 11. Ashamed to go home after first escapade 13 + 12. "Born bad"--enjoys the life 116 + 13. Previous use of drugs or drink 1 + 14. Stage environment 36 + 15. Tired of drudgery (usually housework) 42 + 16. "Easy money" 58 + 17. Love of clothes 85 866 + + _D. Economic reasons_ + 1. Can't support herself 33 + 2. Can't support herself and children or parents 55 + 3. Out of work 42 + 4. Ill health or defect 9 139 + -------------- + TOTAL 1436 + +In many cases, more than one reason was given, which explains the large +_total_. + + +TABLE XLIX + +RANK NUMERICALLY OF DIFFERENT COUNTRIES CONTRIBUTING TO POPULATION OF NEW +YORK CITY COMPARED WITH THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARD 2363 PROSTITUTES + + I II III + ----------------------------------------------------------- + Foreign born _Bedford_ _Other Institutions_ + population 647 cases 610 cases + of New York 156 foreign 175 foreign + City born born + ----------------------------------------------------------- + 1. Russia Russia Russia + 2. Italy Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary + 3. Germany Germany Germany + 4. Austria-Hungary Ireland Ireland + 5. Ireland England-Scotland England-Scotland + 6. England-Scotland France Canada + 7. France Italy Italy + 8. France + ----------------------------------------------------------- + + + IV V + -------------------------------------- + _Street Prostitutes_ _Combined_ + 1106 cases 2363 cases + 344 foreign born 664 foreign born + -------------------------------------- + Russia Russia + Germany Germany + Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary + England-Scotland Ireland + Ireland England-Scotland + France-Canada France-Canada + (equal) (equal) + Italy Italy + + -------------------------------------- + + +TABLE L + +COMPOSITION OF THE POPULATION OF NEW YORK CITY AS TO BIRTHPLACE COMPARED +WITH BIRTHPLACE OF 2363 PROSTITUTES + + ---------------------+------------+------------+-------------+----------- + | I | II | III | IV + ---------------------+------------+------------+-------------+----------- + Population of New |_1910_[314] | Percentage | Prostitutes |Percentage + York City | 4,766,883 | of | 2363 | of + | --------- | Population | cases |prostitutes + | --------- +------------+-------------+----------- + Native White | 2,741,504 | 57.3% | 1586 | 67.1 + Foreign White | 1,927,720 | 40.43 | 664 | 28.0 + Negro | 91,702 | 1.92 | 113 | 4.78 + All other | 5,957 | .12 | ... | ... + ---------------------+------------+------------+-------------+----------- + _Of the foreign born_| | _Percent. | | + | |entire pop._| | + ---------------------+------------+------------+-------------+----------- + Russia | 485,600 | 10.18 | 197 | 8.33 + Italy | 340,400 | 7.14 | 21 | .88 + Germany | 279,200 | 5.85 | 122 | 5.12 + Austria-Hungary | 265,500 | 5.57 | 110 | 4.65 + Ireland | 252,500 | 5.29 | 58 | 2.45 + England-Scotland | 104,100 | 2.18 | 57 | 2.41 + France | 18,200 | .38 | 25 | 1.05 + ---------------------+------------+------------+-------------+----------- + Canada | ... | ... | 25 | 1.05 + ---------------------+------------+------------+-------------+----------- + + +TABLE LI + +COMPARISON OF EARNINGS AT PREVIOUS OCCUPATIONS OF BEDFORD CASES WITH THOSE +OF OTHER INSTITUTIONS AND WITH THE STREET CASES + + _Average_ + { Domestic service { High $4.50 } with 52 cases + Bedford { { Low 3.00 } board 52 " + { Other occupations { High 8.00 110 " + { { Low 4.00 100 " + + { Domestic service { High 5.00 } with 156 " + Other { { Low 4.50 } board 156 " + Institutions { Other occupations { High 6.00 377 " + { { Low 5.00 377 " + + { Domestic service { High 5.43 } with 30 " + Street { { Low 4.29 } board 27 " + Cases { Other occupations { High 13.92 420 " + { { Low 9.88 332 " + + TOTAL CASES CONSIDERED: + Domestic service 238 + Other occupations 907--1145 + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +PREVENTIVE, REFORMATIVE, AND CORRECTIONAL AGENCIES IN NEW YORK CITY + + +The agencies working to meet the need of wayward and professional +delinquent women and girls in New York City are both private and public, +direct and indirect. Work in this field can rarely be strictly +characterized as either preventive, reformative or correctional. Almost +all the agencies in question do both a preventive and a reformative work, +though, in the main, the tendency toward preventive work is stronger than +that toward rescue work. The following account is not exhaustive, but aims +to deal with the representative institutions in each field. + + +(a) THE WORK OF PREVENTION + +Preventive agencies cover a very wide range, beginning of course with the +home and family, the school and the church; but important as these and +similar institutions are, they are too general to come within the scope of +this chapter. There are, however, certain societies and institutions which +exert a potent though indirect influence,--among them the New York Society +for the Suppression of Vice, the Society for the Prevention of Crime and +the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. A few +institutions render more direct service,--the Association for Befriending +Children and Young Girls and the Children's Aid Society, for example. +These, with the Home for the Friendless, the Sheltering Arms, the girls' +departments of the Catholic Protectorate, the Juvenile Asylum, and other +organizations maintain homes for the young. There are, moreover, numerous +settlements with a hold on the young through kindergartens, clubs, and +friendly services, doing a quiet but constantly effective preventive work; +independent girls' clubs, thirty special ones in New York, providing +opportunities for friendship, recreation and training; some societies, +such as the Girls' Friendly, offering attractions to girls who have few +advantages in their homes. The work of the Committee on Amusements and +Vacation Resources of Working Girls has been active in the difficult dance +hall problem, previously shown to be an important factor in the +exploitation of prostitution. The Travelers' Aid Society, which assists +incoming women of all classes at railway stations and docks, is a valuable +safeguard. This society definitely helped 18,562 persons in the year 1912. +Of these, 5,161 were from seventeen to twenty-five years of age, and +nearly all women. Similar work for traveling colored girls is done by a +department of the National League on Urban Conditions among Negroes. The +Big Sisters assist girls who have already come to the point of grave +danger. Working along the lines already marked out by the Big Brothers' +Movement, women of devoted abilities are taking little girls who have +already yielded to temptation and endeavoring to win them to useful lives. + +Homes for working girls and women, though touching this need indirectly, +touch it strongly. There are many of these homes, maintained by +philanthropic and religious boards of women; seventeen hundred women are +accommodated in them. Their economic value has long been realized; their +moral and social importance is beginning to be appreciated. Their +usefulness as preventive agencies probably varies with the degree of +experience, resourcefulness, and sympathy possessed by those who are +directly in charge. + +Among the more definitely preventive agencies may be mentioned, first, +societies of a national scope which aim to create healthy sentiment by +emphasizing the grave dangers of the social evil. Such are the American +Federation of Sex Hygiene and the Society of Sanitary and Moral +Prophylaxis, operating through meetings, lectures and printed matter; the +American Vigilance Association, which, originally organized to secure +legislation and law enforcement as respects the white slave traffic, has +now extended its operations so that it is actively engaged in a propaganda +that touches the entire field of commercialized vice; it publishes a +monthly periodical, _Vigilance_. + +Prominent among local organizations is the Committee of Fourteen, +originally organized for the suppression of the Raines Law Hotels, now +occupied in combating all manifestations of commercialized sexual vice in +New York. It endeavors to secure more vigorous and effective action by all +departments of state and city government having power to suppress vice; +and it also strives to improve conditions in saloons and hotels through +the influence and control over such places exercised by brewers and surety +companies. + +Two societies doing important work in other lines are strongly interested +in educational preventive work--the New York Probation Association and the +Church Mission of Help. Both make special appeal to churches, to +societies, and to clubs of women. The Probation Association organizes +among working girls protective leagues, fourteen of which leagues have +been started. Their main purpose is to secure the help of girls in +protecting other girls. They endeavor to raise the tone of conversation in +places where girls assemble and work. Lectures on sex hygiene are given, +wholesome recreation is encouraged, and higher ideals of life cultivated. +The Church Mission of Help organizes bands of women, principally in +Episcopal churches, to study the needs of wayward girls and to give help +as they are able. Both of these societies encourage parents, guardians, +and girls in need to come to them for advice and help, thus making their +work more personal. + +The foregoing direct agencies mainly exert their preventive influence on +the public _en masse_. The more definite and concrete examples of +preventive work appear in the work of homes which concern themselves with +individuals in distress. They take girls, some of them very young girls, +who are subject to bad influences, who are incorrigible, or who for +various reasons find difficulty in their home life. Of such homes there +are several. Those reaching the larger numbers are represented by the +Children's Department of the House of Mercy and the House of the Good +Shepherd. For colored girls the work on the larger scale is done by the +Howard Orphan Asylum, which maintains a house at Kings Park, Long Island. +The smaller homes, of which there are at least six in New York, deal more +personally with the individual girl. Their capacity ranges from 25 to 75. +Of this type is the Free Home for Young Girls, managed by an incorporated +association of church women. The inmates, mostly sent by guardians and +friends, are from eleven to seventeen years of age. A real home life is +maintained. Most of the girls attend the public schools. All are taught +sewing, simple cooking, laundry work, and housework. They remain two or +three years and are sent out to friends or to situations with approved +surroundings. In Brooklyn the Training School and Home for Young Girls +cares for and trains girls by a method similar to that of the Free Home. +Two of these homes are partly preventive and partly reformative--the House +of the Holy Family and the Washington Square Home. The first named is +conducted by the Association for Befriending Young Girls, under the +immediate charge of the Sisters of the Divine Compassion, and cares for 75 +young girls, mostly Roman Catholics. Instruction in ordinary school +branches is given. Physical exercises, manual training, and domestic +science are taught. Special attention is given to the matter of +amusements; religious as well as friendly care is provided. Provision is +made for all girls leaving the home. Correspondence with Sisters and +visits to the home are encouraged. This home cared for 177 girls in 1912. + +The Washington Square Home is a non-sectarian institution. It provides a +home for indefinite periods for girls who have erred or who are in danger +of so doing. They come voluntarily to the home. Twenty-seven can be +accommodated and the home is usually full. Of the 64 received in 1912, +fifty were Protestants, 12 Roman Catholics, and 2 Hebrews. The average age +of the girls is 18. Instruction in housework, laundry, and plain sewing is +given. Girls are kept as long as necessary to train for self-support. + +All these homes maintain good discipline and friendly relations. The girls +usually go out equipped to live and with a strong appreciation of what has +been done for them. Unfortunately their facilities are very limited in +consequence of the meager resources. Usually from three to eight girls +occupy a room when, as a matter of principle, each girl should be given +her own cubicle. Moreover, the capacity is far below what is +required.[315] Even as it is, valuable preventive results have been +accomplished in case of those girls who have been reached. + + +(b) REFORMATIVE WORK + +The border line between preventive and reformative work is in theory +definite and clear; in practice, as illustrated by institutions, it is +rather hazy. These institutions and homes endeavor to help women who have +actually yielded to temptation or to force of circumstances. + +They are susceptible of division along several lines. Some are small, +under religious or private control, and for the most part reach the less +demoralized class. There are also larger establishments, which receive +both girls committed by the court and girls who enter voluntarily. Among +the former may be mentioned the Margaret Strachan Home, the Midnight +Mission and St. Michael's Home, and the New Shelter for Young Women, quite +recently opened. + +The Margaret Strachan Home cares for 24 girls temporarily. They come +voluntarily, through doctors and mission friends, remain from one to six +months, receive certain training under religious influences, and are sent +out to maternity hospitals or to friends. There were 80 girls in the home +in 1911, most of them under twenty years of age. For twenty-nine years +this home has been conducted under the management of an association of +religious women. The Wayside Home in Brooklyn provides a home for +friendless girls and serves as a reformatory for Protestant young girls in +Kings County. It emphasizes home care and practical training. + +The St. Michael's Home is at Mamaroneck. It is operated under the +Protestant Episcopal Church by the Sisters of St. John the Baptist. It +cares for 60 girls at a time, most of them for the space of two years. +Instruction in school branches and in housework and home-making is given. +Girls come through parents and guardians, a few by commitment. Many of +them are discovered by the missionary visitor. They go out to proper +places equipped for usefulness. + +Of the larger institutions there are four,--the House of the Good +Shepherd, the House of Mercy, the New York Magdalen Benevolent Society and +the Ozanam Home for Friendless Women. All of these receive wayward women +of all kinds, and the House of the Good Shepherd and the House of Mercy +receive little girls from dangerous surroundings. While they do not seek +for committed cases, such are accepted. The Magdalen Society is the oldest +home of this kind, having been founded in 1833. + +The Ozanam Home in Brooklyn under the leadership of Roman Catholic women +offers shelter and help to those who wish to reform. The work is of a +temporary nature in that inmates do not as a rule remain in the home over +three weeks. In the year 1912, six hundred and sixty-seven were cared for +at public charges and 198 at private charges. + +The House of the Good Shepherd can care for 500 women and girls, making it +the largest institution of the kind. No account is taken of race, color, +or creed, although probably the majority of its wards are Catholic. The +girls are divided into classes according to their condition and purpose of +entering the institution. Some look forward to giving their lives to +religious service; others are to be trained for useful work and to be +discharged when it is best. Volunteers leave at any time. The training +covers usual school work, laundry, cooking, embroidery and lace making. +Physical and recreational needs are cared for. + +The House of Mercy does a similar work under the guidance of the +Protestant Episcopal Church. The capacity of this house is 110. At the +close of 1910 there were 107 inmates. These come, some of free will, +others by commitment. The department for women is entirely separate from +that for young girls, which, conducted as the work of St. Agnes Guild, is +referred to above. The women are given practical training in domestic +service and do the work of the large laundry which is a source of income. +Attention is given to recreation, religious training and to the life after +leaving the institution. + +The Magdalen Benevolent Society Home cares for about 100 women, the larger +part of whom are committed by magistrates. Erring women under 30 years of +age also come voluntarily into the home for six months or more. Suitable +school and practical training is given, physical and recreational wants +are met, moral influences are exerted, and women go out to situations +approved by the management. Unmarried mothers with babies are received and +trained. This home is non-sectarian in its management and in its work. + +All institutions dealing with erring women have to receive in larger or +smaller numbers unmarried girls expecting to become mothers. There are, +however, certain homes specially devoted to this class of women. The +Heartsease Work for Friendless Women in this city, the St. Faith's Home at +Tarrytown, and Lakeview House at Arrochar, Staten Island, are perhaps the +best examples. To these the girls come voluntarily or are directed by +relatives, friends and charitable workers. St. Faith's Home, though +smallest in capacity and in total numbers cared for during the year, is +representative in respect to the policy pursued. From 15 to 17 can be +accommodated, and 39 girls were cared for in 1912, twenty-four of whom +were received during that year. Mothers with their children are kept for +two years in most cases. They are taught all kinds of home work and +especially nursery work. Instruction in the fundamental branches of school +work is given as well as lessons in hygiene, in dress, and in the +expenditure of and accounting for money. Safe places are provided for all +leaving the home. The home is managed by a board of women and an advisory +board of men. It is largely supported by Episcopalians and the work is +done by members of that church. + +Lakeview Home, operated under the direction of the Council of Jewish +Women, does a similar work for Hebrew girls. It emphasizes industrial +training and personal work. It cares for 25 women and girls and 24 infants +at a time. The total number cared for in 1912 was 60 girls and 45 infants. + +The Heartsease Work is undenominational, though definitely religious. In +addition to the care of women with babies, it provides a temporary home +for erring women and endeavors to fit women for work. It cared for 204 +cases in the year 1911-12. Forty were mothers with infants, 61 were girls +becoming mothers, 14 girls were convalescing, and 20 girls were seeking +employment. There were 9 infants without mothers. The home provides +classes for instruction, social entertainments, and religious services. + +Definite work to reform this class of women done by three religious +organizations may be mentioned here,--that of the Chinatown Settlement, +the Rescue Mission in Doyers Street, and of the Salvation Army. These +organizations are in a position to touch those more deeply involved in +vice; but the majority of the girls they reach are not prostitutes. + +The Chinatown Settlement offers a home and friendly relations to girls +drawn into Chinatown. It affords entertainments, religious teaching, and +practical training. It brings to the home an average of 75 different +girls per month. Two thousand calls on girls were made in 1912. It has a +small country place for summer use. + +The Rescue Society reaches girls through mission services, clubs, and +classes. Two thousand, seven hundred and forty-eight women were touched by +the services in 1911. + +The Salvation Army maintains rescue and industrial homes in Manhattan and +Brooklyn, as it does in all the chief cities of the land. The home in +Manhattan cares for 50 women and is always full. Some midnight rescue work +is done; but the girls actually taken from the streets are few. This work, +which formerly depended largely upon religious results in meetings, now +accomplishes more by personal influence of workers. The girls are of all +nationalities, their average age, 25. So far as possible, the different +classes are separated in the home. Of 115 inmates in one year 60 were +betrayal cases, 19 were cases of prostitution, and 27 girls were under +serious temptation. Capable girls are trained and sent out to service. The +leaders state that perhaps 80 percent are reformed. The Army also +maintains a home at Tappan on the Hudson for young girls about to become +mothers. This work was formerly the Door of Hope and is still in charge of +Mrs. Whittemore. The Army also does a preventive work for young girls on +its farm in Spring Valley. + +The two homes that probably touch the problem of the prostitute and +commercialized traffic in women more closely than any others are Waverly +House and the Florence Crittenton Home. The leaders in these homes are in +close relation to the magistrate's courts and both take care of witnesses +in white slave cases pending in the Federal Court. + +Waverly House is under the management of the New York Probation +Association. It accommodates 18 girls, who come through the courts, as +above mentioned, and through philanthropic and religious organizations. +Two hundred and nine were cared for in the house in 1912. They remained +from one day to three months, for Waverly House is a temporary home and +not a reformatory. Most of the girls are young, the largest group between +sixteen and eighteen. With the exception of the court witnesses, girls are +placed in such permanent institutions or positions as will meet their +needs. Personal attention and careful study are most prominent in this +house. Classes in the useful arts, English, and music are provided. One +night each week is "play night," and entertainments of all kinds are +provided. The higher spiritual truths are brought to the girls through a +Sunshine Circle. Through the Employment Bureau the girls of the house, as +well as many who have been arrested, those in moral danger, and many +difficult and incorrigible girls, find situations. + +The Florence Crittenton Mission in this city is one of many homes of the +same name situated in the larger cities of this country. It formerly +engaged in a rescue mission work for both men and women. Its work is now +limited to the care of erring women. The home contains 16 rooms, each +occupied by two or more persons. The girls are probationers, girls +released on suspended sentences, witnesses in white slave cases, and women +discharged by the courts; a few come from cafes and from the streets. +During an entire year, 501 girls passed through the home, some staying but +a few hours, others remaining for the year. They range in age from +fourteen to twenty-five years. A night school is maintained, as well as +classes in physical culture and the useful arts. A Helping Hand Class +makes scrap books and small articles for sick children. The pleasure side +of life is met by entertainments, and religious services are regularly +held. The disposition of the 501 girls above mentioned was as follows: + + Situations 183 + Sent home 185 + Deported 17 + In care of organizations 58 + Committed to institutions 19 + Left against wishes 17 + In Home 22 + --- + 501 + +The work is financed and managed by the National Florence Crittenton +Mission. + +Though not placed strictly under the reformative heading, certain +fundamental phases of the work of the Probation Association and the Church +Mission of Help may here be presented. As stated above, the sphere of +these societies is largely that of clearing houses. They study carefully +the girls who come to them and make of them the disposition best suited to +their needs. The time of study allows opportunities for personal +helpfulness and it is well improved. + +The Church Mission of Help began its work by a prolonged study of 229 +cases of wayward girls who were more or less connected with the Episcopal +Church. Parental and good home conditions were sadly lacking in most +cases. On the basis of this study the society began its work of +information to the church and of helpfulness to the girls. During the year +1912 it was in touch with 352 girls, of whom 148 were under its direct +care, 58 were cared for on leaving institutions, and 103 were in +institutions. Two hundred and six of these girls were connected with the +Episcopal Church. Twelve other religious bodies were represented, while a +small number of the girls had no religious affiliations. All cases are +referred, where possible, to the churches with which they are or were +connected. The work of this society is largely personal. Besides locating +girls in homes and institutions, employment is found for those fitted for +it. Some court work is done. In addition to paid workers, an increasing +number of trained volunteers are being used. Besides the care of the +church girl and the work of education and prevention done by this society, +its service of visitation in institutions is most valuable. The visits of +sympathetic women to girls in institutions pave the way for a useful +service in their social reinstatement later. + +The wider work of the New York Probation Association, which deserves +mention here, is in the form of a careful study of all the cases with +which it has to do. A thorough physical examination is given each girl by +a physician. A mental examination follows and cases are placed under the +direct supervision of a skilled neurologist and psychologist. Careful +records of all facts are kept. The discovery of physical and mental +weakness, often after prolonged study, leads to a definite course of +action. Such scientific results are not only valuable in the practical +treatment of the individual girl, but furnish a basis on which the courts +act, and are of wide usefulness to the student of the conditions which +lead to moral delinquency. + + +(c) CORRECTIONAL WORK + +There are three main correctional agencies in New York City: the New York +State Training School for Girls at Hudson, the State Reformatory for Women +at Bedford and the Workhouse. A real work of correction is also +accomplished in the case of those committed to the House of the Good +Shepherd, the House of Mercy, and the Magdalen Benevolent Society Home. +The State Farm for Women, to be situated at Valatie, is not yet +established, and the House of Detention, in connection with the Night +Court for women, which would serve as an intermediary to correctional +agencies, is not yet available. + +The New York State Reformatory for Women at Bedford Hills, New York, was +opened for commitment in May, 1901. It is supported entirely by state +appropriations. It receives women between the ages of sixteen and thirty +years from the First, Second, Third and Ninth Judicial District, _i. e._, +Greater New York, Long Island and the tier of counties on each side of the +Hudson River as far north as Albany. Over 80 percent of its inmates come +from Greater New York. A woman of suitable age may be committed by any +judge or magistrate for any offense over which he has jurisdiction, except +murder in the first and second degrees, provided, however, that the woman +has not previously been convicted of a felony. + +The institution is situated in the heart of Westchester County--39 miles +north of New York City. Here the State owns 192 acres of land and leases +an additional 57 acres. It has at the present time a capacity for 340 +inmates, with a population of 505; the expenditure for maintenance last +year was $4.06 per week per capita. It is built on the cottage plan. This +permits of classification, whereby the younger girls are separated from +the older women and the less innocent from the more hardened offenders. + +The idea of the institution is that of a good industrial school. There are +book schools in which the inmates receive instruction in reading, writing, +arithmetic, nature study, etc. Physiology and sex hygiene are taught by +the resident physician. All the work of the farm, including the care of +the cattle, pigs and other live stock, is performed by the inmates, with +the exception of the plowing. Much out-door work of a constructive +character is carried on, both for its physical effects and for mental and +moral results. In this constructive work is included a milk house, silo, +stairways and sidewalks made of concrete. Industrial training in laundry +work, various branches of needle work, cooking and other branches of +domestic science is given. The inmates have musical and dramatic clubs. +Their religious needs are met by services conducted by clergymen of their +respective denominations. + +The Board of Managers constitute a Board of Parole and while the inmates +are all committed for a maximum of three years, they may be paroled at any +time, if in the judgment of the Board of Managers, such action is +considered to be for their best interest. Parole officers find suitable +homes and suitable work for the paroled women and follow them up +carefully until the expiration of the parole period. + +The New York State Training School receives girls under sixteen years of +age from the entire state. Those from New York City come through the +Children's Court. The equipment of the school is very good, the chief need +being for more room. The cottage system used accommodates 385 girls, in +separate sleeping rooms. It is, however, necessary to use other buildings +and parts of buildings for housing purposes. The households are +practically independent of each other, thereby offering, as far as is +possible, the conditions and spirit of a real home. + +The methods of work and the life in the school are most commendable. A +personal and individual interest in each girl is manifest from the time of +commitment through the school life and for years after the school is left. +By careful study each one is placed in the cottage and environment where +she will receive the most help and the best training. Changes to insure +development are made, as necessary. A girl's grading depends on her +conduct and proficiency. Discipline is varied, with the principle always +in mind that the individual and not the offense is to be treated. +Humiliation and loss of self-respect are avoided, if possible. The living +conditions and training seem excellent. The girls do the cottage work, +changes being so arranged as to give all a thorough experience in +housework. School sessions of fifteen hours weekly in the morning and +eight weekly in the afternoon prevail. The morning session is the book +school, the afternoon the industrial school. Cooking, plain sewing, +dressmaking, physical culture, gardening, and vocal music are carefully +taught. Religious instruction is given by representatives of various +churches under direction of the state. Amusements are afforded at proper +times, are well arranged and heartily indulged in. That there is a spirit +of pride and enthusiasm in work and a feeling of happiness in the life is +quite believable when one realizes that so many old girls wish to visit +the school that they cannot be accommodated. The records show that the +delinquent girl of normal mind can be and is cured. Girls of sub-normal +mind are still to some extent cared for in this school; but they should be +in a special institution. + +The Workhouse receives about 75 percent of all women prisoners convicted +of offenses related to prostitution in the magistrates' courts in this +city. In the year 1912, three thousand, five hundred and thirteen women +charged with soliciting and loitering were committed to the Workhouse for +periods up to six months. About 50 percent of these, as shown by the +fingerprint process, are repeaters, each of whom had been arrested from +two to eight times. The life in the Workhouse is generally conceded to be +not only useless but actually harmful. The Chief Magistrate of the city +has stated in print the following: "The present Workhouse, through no +fault of the Commissioner or its officers, is a poor place for these +women. The building does not meet the requirements for these cases. A new +institution should be provided; not a lounging, unsanitary place, but a +real workhouse, looking to reformation as well as punishment." + +The reformatories in 1912 received through the courts 286 women. To +Bedford were committed, 108; to the House of Mercy, 4; to the House of the +Good Shepherd, 100; to the Magdalen Home, 74. Most, though not all these +cases, were strictly related to prostitution. Through the Children's Court +of the city, of the 120 cases charged with tendency to moral depravity and +convicted in the year 1912, sixty-two were committed to institutions and +58 were placed on probation. Girls under sixteen committed to the House of +the Good Shepherd numbered 64, to the House of Mercy, 57, and to the +Training School at Hudson, 32; but not all of these cases involved +immorality. + +The following table summarizes the institutions for friendless and wayward +girls, in so far as they are described in the text; though numerous, their +capacity and resources are obviously quite inadequate to the need: + + ---------------+--------------+-----+--------+-----------------+-------- + NAME |OBJECT |CAPA-| TOTAL |SOURCES OF |EXPENSES + | |CITY | CARED | SUPPORT | + | | | FOR 1 | | + | | | YEAR | | + ---------------+--------------+-----+--------+-----------------+-------- + Heartsease |Prevention and| 25 | 204 |Contributions |$ 3,300 + Work |reformation | | | | + | | | | | + House of the |Prevention and| 75 | 177 |City grant, | 13,850 + Holy Family |reformation | | |contributions, | + | | | |sewing-room, etc.| + | | | | | + Washington |Prevention and| 27 | 85 |Investments, | 6,160 + Square Home |reformation | | |city grant, | + for Friendless | | | |contributions | + Girls | | | | | + | | | | | + Margaret |Reformation of| 24 | 80 |Investments, | 3,238 + Strachan |first cases. | | |contributions | + Home |Training | | | | + | | | | | + House of the |Protection and| 500 | 880 |County grants, |100,690 + Good Shepherd |reformation | | |industrial dept. | + | | | | | + House of Mercy |Protection and| 110 | 183 |Investments, city| 22,247 + |reformation | | |grant, laundry, | + | | | |etc., | + | | | |contributions | + | | | | | + New York |Reformation | 106 | 237 |City grants, | 27,690 + Magdalen | | | |laundry, etc., | + Benevolent | | | |contributions | + Society | | | | | + | | | | | + St. Michael's |Reformation | 60 | 88 |Investments, | 8,000 + Home |and training | | |contributions | + | | | | | + Waverley House |Temporary care| 26 | 209 |Contributions, | 22,371 + | | | |investments, fees| + | | | | | + Salvation Army |Reformation | 50 | 115 |Sewing room, | 7,652 + Rescue Home |and training | | |etc., | + | | | |contributions | + | | | | | + Door of Hope |Shelter and | 25 | 56 |Contributions, | 3,451 + |reformation | | |sewing | + | | | | | + Chinatown and |Care and | 6 | 84 |Contributions | 3,059 + Bowery |reformation | | | | + Settlement | | | | | + | | | | | + Florence |Reformation | 36 | 967 |Contributions | 9,319 + Crittenton | | | | | + Mission | | | | | + | | | | | + New Shelter |Reformation | 20 | 140 |Private patron | + | | | | | + St. Faith's |Shelter and | 17 | 31 |Contributions | 7,404 + Home |reformation | | | | + | | | | | + Lakeview Home |Care for first| 25 | 60 |Subscriptions, | 8,476 + |offenders | |(plus 45|contributions | + | | |infants)| | + | | | | | + St. Katherine's|Shelter and | 13 | 13 |Subscriptions and| 3,531 + Homes |reformation | |(plus 13|contributions | + | | |infants)| | + | | | | | + Ozanam Home for|Care and | 100 | 865 |City grants, | + Friendless |reformation | | |industrial dept.,| 8,957 + Women | | | |contributions | + | | | | | + Wayside Home |Reformation | 21 | 67 |City grants, | + |and training | | |contributions | + | | | | | + Free Home for |Care and | 30 | 53 |Invests funds, | 5,402 + Young Girls |prevention | | |contribt's | + | | | | | + Brooklyn School|Care and | 30 | 94 |City grants, | 8,000 + and Home for |prevention | | |contributions | + Young Girls | | | | | + | | | | | + New York State |Correction and| 335 | 440 |State grants | 99,278 + Training School|reformation | | | | + for Girls | | | | | + | | | | | + State |Correction and| 340 | 763 |State grants | 89,721 + Reformatory for|reformation | | | | + Women | | | | | + | |Daily | | + | |average, 422. | | + ---------------+--------------+-----+--------+-----------------+-------- + + + + +Appendices + + + + +APPENDIX I + +SUMMARY OF PLACES IN MANHATTAN WHERE PROSTITUTION WAS FOUND TO EXIST +DURING PERIOD OF INVESTIGATION (JANUARY 24TH TO NOVEMBER 15TH, 1912) + + --------------------------------------------------------------------- + _Places_ | _Number of_|_Different Vice_ |_Number of_ + | _Buildings_|_Resorts in Them_|_Investigations Made_ + ----------------|------------|-----------------|--------------------- + Parlor Houses | 142 | 142 | 441 + Massage Parlors | 70 | 75 | 78 + Tenements | 578 | 1172 | 1245 + Furnished Rooms | 112 | 112 | 148 + Hotels | 105 | 105 | 560 + | ---- | ---- | ---- + TOTALS | 1007 | 1606 | 2472 + --------------------------------------------------------------------- + + + + +APPENDIX II + +SUMMARY OF PLACES IN MANHATTAN CATERING TO PROSTITUTION--INVESTIGATED +JANUARY 24TH TO NOVEMBER 15TH, 1912 + + + ----------------------------------------------------------------------- + | _Number of Different_ | + _Places_ |-------------------------------|_Number of + |_Addresses of_|_Investigations_|Prostitutes + | _Buildings_ | _Made_ |Counted_ + ---------------------------|--------------|----------------|----------- + Saloons, cafes and concert | 308 | 1304 | 2689 + halls | | | + Miscellaneous places allied| | | + with prostitution | 71 | 145 | 385 + Semi-public places used by | | | + prostitutes | 20 | 35 | 150 + | ---- | ---- | ---- + Totals | 399 | 1484 | 3224 + ----------------------------------------------------------------------- + + + + +APPENDIX III + +SUMMARY OF INMATES COUNTED AND ESTIMATED AT PLACES IN MANHATTAN WHERE +PROSTITUTION WAS REPORTED DURING PERIOD OF INVESTIGATION FROM JANUARY 24TH +TO NOVEMBER 15TH, 1912 + + + --------------------------------------------------------------- + _Places_ |_Number of_| _Inmates_ | _Total Including_ + | _Inmates_ |_Estimated but_|_those Counted and_ + | _Counted_ | _not seen_ | _Estimated_ + --------------------------------------------------------------- + Parlor Houses | 1686 | 2609 | 2609 + Massage Parlors| 153 | .. | 153 + Tenements | 2294 | 2976 | 2976 + Furnished Rooms| 227 | .. | 227 + Hotels | 583 | .. | 583 + | ---- | ---- | ---- + | 4943 | 5585 | 6548 + --------------------------------------------------------------- + + + + +APPENDIX IV + +MONTHLY EXPENSES OF THIRTY ONE-DOLLAR PARLOR HOUSES + + + ---------------+---------------------------------------------------------- + |_Mmes. or Housekeepers_ + | +--------------------------------------------------- + | |_Maids_ + | | +--------------------------------------------- + | | |_Cooks_ + | | | +--------------------------------------- + | | | | _Butcher & Grocer_ + | | | |-----+--------------------------------- + | | | | |_Lighthouse_ + | | | | | +--------------------------- + | | | | | |_Gas & Electricity_ + | | | | | | +---------------------- + | | | | | | |_Telephone_ + | | | | | | | +----------------- + | | | | | | | |_Rent_ + | | | | | | | | +----------- + | | | | | | | | |_Entertain- + | | | | | | | | | ment + | | | | | | | | |Tickets_ + | | | | | | | | | +------ + _Address_ | | | | | | | | | | Total + ---------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+----+-----+----+------ + No. -- W. 18th | $140| $104| $40| $160| $120| $35| $15| $150| $50| $814 + No. -- W. 24th | 132| 80| 40| 160| 100| 20| 8| 175| 20| 735 + No. -- W. 25th | 48| 78| 34| 140| 60| 18| 8| 200| 20| 606 + No. -- W. 25th | 148| 148| 40| 200| 40| 25| 10| 208| 20| 839 + No. -- W. 25th | 65| 88| 47| 148| 82| 32| .| 208| 35| 705 + No. -- W. 25th | 160| 76| 32| 120| .| 25| 8| 125| 25| 571 + No. -- W. 28th | 136| 116| 32| 140| 100| 30| 15| 110| 50| 729 + No. -- W. 28th | 248| 88| 40| 140| 120| 25| .| 110| 50| 821 + No. -- W. 31st | .| 80| 40| 120| .| 35| 8| 208| 25| 516 + No. -- W. 35th | 192| 78| 34| 200| 84| 30| 10| 150| 20| 798 + No. -- W. 40th | .| 52| 32| 48| .| 12| 6| 125| .| 275 + No. -- W. 40th | .| 56| 40| 60| .| 12| .| 125| .| 293 + No. -- W. 40th | 128| 80| 36| 120| 72| 35| 12| 125| 20| 628 + No. -- W. 56th | 172| 112| 48| 180| 60| 35| 15| 175| .| 797 + No. -- 6th Ave.| 72| 60| 44| 140| 100| 25| .| 200| 50| 691 + No. -- 6th Ave.| 108| 100| 48| 120| 60| 15| 10| 208| 20| 680 + No. -- 6th Ave.| 128| 80| 40| 120| 120| 30| .| 175| 40| 733 + No. -- 6th Ave.| 60| 64| 48| 200| .| 20| 10| 166| 25| 593 + No. -- 6th Ave.| 120| 60| 32| 140| .| 25| 8| 150| 20| 555 + No. -- 6th Ave.| 64| 48| 32| 48| 80| 15| .| 150| .| 437 + No. -- 6th Ave.| 128| 54| 40| 140| 60| 25| 10| 175| 35| 667 + No. -- 6th Ave.| 128| 120| 44| 180| 100| 35| 15| 175| 50| 847 + No. -- 6th Ave.| 60| 44| .| 180| 72| 20| 6| 225| 20| 627 + No. -- W. 24th | 72| 96| 36| 80| 160| 20| 10| 175| 25| 674 + No. -- W. 26th | 168| 120| 36| 180| 60| 40| 15| 150| 50| 819 + No. -- W. 27th | 60| 52 | 40| 100| 80| 25| 8| 175| 30| 570 + No. -- W. 28th | 60| 76 | 40| 160| 120| 25| 10| 200| 50| 741 + No. -- W. 28th | 60| 56 | 48| 140| .| 12| .| 125| .| 441 + No. -- W. 36th | 160| 88 | 40| 140| 80| 30| 10| 150| 50| 748 + No. -- W. 36th | 180| 80 | 36| 120| 80| 25| 10| 150| 25| 706 + +------+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+----+-----+----+------ + Monthly Totals | $3197| 2434| 1139| 4124| 2010| 746| 237| 4943| 825| 19665 + Year's Total |$41561|31642|14807|53612|26130|8952|2844|59316|9900|248764 + ---------------+------+-----+-----+-----+-----+----+----+-----+----+------ + + + + +APPENDIX V + +MONTHLY EXPENSES OF TEN DISORDERLY APARTMENTS IN TENEMENT BUILDINGS + + + ------------------+--------------------------------------------- + |_Maids_ + | +-------------------------------------- + | |_Lighthouse, bell boys, etc._ + | | +-------------------------------- + | | |_Butcher & Grocer_ + | | | +-------------------------- + | | | | _Gas & Electricity_ + | | | | +-------------------- + | | | | |_Telephone_ + | | | | | +--------------- + | | | | | |_Rent_ + | | | | | | +--------- + _Address_ | | | | | | | _Total_ + ------------------+------+-----+-----+-----+----+-----+--------- + No. -- W. 43rd St.| $36| $ .| $60| $10| $8| $75| $189 + No. -- W. 45th St.| 32| .| 60| 10| 8| 125| 235 + No. -- W. 49th St.| 64| .| 75| 12| 8| 100| 259 + No. -- W. 50th St.| 64| 10| 80| 10| .| 100| 264 + No. -- W. 55th St.| 64| .| 60| 12| 15| 110| 261 + No. -- W. 58th St.| 44| .| 55| 8| .| 36| 143 + No. -- W. 58th St.| 52| .| 60| 8| 5| 50| 175 + No. -- W. 58th St.| 44| 230| 100| 10| 6| 50| 440 + No. -- W. 60th St.| 60| .| 60| 8| 5| 75| 208 + No. -- W. 65th St.| 32| .| 40| 7| 5| 60| 144 + +------+-----+-----+-----+----+-----+--------- + Monthly Totals | $492| 240| 650| 95| 60| 781| 2318 + Year's Totals | $6396| 3120| 8450| 1140| 720| 9372| 29198 + ------------------+------+-----+-----+-----+----+-----+--------- + + + + +APPENDIX VI + +MONTHLY EXPENSES OF EIGHT FIVE-DOLLAR PARLOR HOUSES + + + ---------------+-------------------------------------------------------- + |_Housekeepers_ + | +------------------------------------------------- + | |_Maids_ + | | +------------------------------------------- + | | |_Cooks_ + | | | +-------------------------------------- + | | | | _Butcher & Grocer_ + | | | |-----+-------------------------------- + | | | | |_Piano Player_ + | | | | | +--------------------------- + | | | | | |_Cab Boy_ + | | | | | | +---------------------- + | | | | | | |_Gas & Electricity_ + | | | | | | | +----------------- + | | | | | | | |_Telephone_ + | | | | | | | | +------------ + | | | | | | | | |_Rent_ + | | | | | | | | | +------ + _Address_ | | | | | | | | | | Total + ---------------+------+-----+----+-----+----+----+----+----+-----+------ + No. -- W. 38th | $152| $112| $40| $200| $88| $56| $45| $12| $166| $871 + No. -- W. 41st | 152| 104| 48| 250| 100| .| 45| 15| 210| 924 + No. -- W. 46th | 140| 96| 44| 240| 80| 48| 45| 15| 230| 938 + No. -- W. 46th | 136| 144| 44| 200| 80| 48| 60| 15| 225| 952 + No. -- W. 46th | 80| 128| 40| 200| 80| .| 45| 12| 175| 760 + No. -- W. 47th | 144| 88| 44| 240| .| 40| 45| 20| 250| 871 + No. -- W. 49th | 200| 88| 40| 240| .| .| 40| 20| 200| 828 + No. -- W. 52nd | 140| 112| 48| 240| 80| 60| 40| 15| 150| 885 + +------+-----+----+-----+----+----+----+----+-----+------ + Monthly Totals | $1144| 872| 348| 1810| 508| 252| 365| 124| 1606| 7029 + Year's Total |$14872|11336|4524|23530|6604|3276|4380|1488|19272|89282 + ---------------+------+-----+----+-----+----+----+----+----+-----+------ + + + + +APPENDIX VII + +CONDITIONS ON THE STREETS OF MANHATTAN IN MONTHLY PERIODS FROM JANUARY +24TH TO NOVEMBER 15TH, 1912, SHOWING STREET WALKERS COUNTED, AND NUMBER +WHO SOLICITED MEN INVESTIGATORS + + + ----------------------+--------------------------------------+ + | _All Streets in Manhattan_ | + _Period_ |--------------------------------------+ + |_Street_ | _Street_ | | + |_Walkers_| _Walkers who_ | _Number_ | + |_Counted_| _Solicited_ |_of Reports_| + | |_Investigators_| | + ----------------------+---------+---------------+------------+ + Jan. 24th to Feb. 24th| 482 | 104 | 157 | + Feb. 24th to Mar. 24th| 492 | 133 | 149 | + Mar. 24th to Apr. 24th| 490 | 104 | 129 | + Apr. 24th to May 24th | 883 | 117 | 214 | + May 24th to June 24th | 1203 | 118 | 259 | + June 24th to July 24th| 696 | 72 | 245 | + July 24th to Sept. 1st| 1048 | 52 | 201 | + Sept. 1st to Oct. 1st | 451 | 45 | 69 | + Oct. 1st to Nov. 1st | 738 | 34 | 134 | + Nov. 1st to Nov. 15th | 276 | 14 | 39 | + ----------------------+---------+---------------+------------+ + TOTALS | 6759 | 793 | 1596 | + ----------------------+---------+---------------+------------+ + + ----------------------+-------------------------------------- + | _Broadway_ + _Period_ |-------------------------------------- + |_Street_ | _Street_ | + |_Walkers_| _Walkers who_ | _Number_ + |_Counted_| _Solicited_ |_of Reports_ + | |_Investigators_| + ----------------------+---------+---------------+------------ + Jan. 24th to Feb. 24th| 38 | 8 | 9 + Feb. 24th to Mar. 24th| 105 | 25 | 22 + Mar. 24th to Apr. 24th| 195 | 25 | 28 + Apr. 24th to May 24th | 435 | 46 | 74 + May 24th to June 24th | 562 | 40 | 69 + June 24th to July 24th| 479 | 25 | 114 + July 24th to Sept. 1st| 593 | 20 | 87 + Sept. 1st to Oct. 1st | 209 | 18 | 22 + Oct. 1st to Nov. 1st | 352 | 16 | 55 + Nov. 1st to Nov. 15th | 207 | 12 | 12 + ----------------------+---------+---------------+------------ + TOTALS | 3175 | 235 | 492 + ----------------------+---------+---------------+------------ + +Of the total number of street walkers counted, over 47% were on Broadway. + +Of the total number of street walkers who solicited investigators, nearly +30% were on Broadway. + +Of the total number of reports on streets, about 31% related to Broadway. + + + + +APPENDIX VIII + +NUMBER OF REPORTS ON STREET WALKING IN MANHATTAN, DURING PERIOD OF +INVESTIGATION FROM JANUARY 24th TO NOVEMBER 15th, 1912, ACCORDING TO +POLICE PRECINCTS + + + ---------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+------+------ + |Jan |Feb |Mar |Apr |May |Jun |Jul |Sept|Oct |Nov | | + | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 1 |Total | + Precincts| to | to | to | to | to | to | to | to | to | to | Six |_Pct_ + |Feb |Mar |Apr |May |Jun |Jul |Sept|Oct |Nov |Nov |Months| + | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 15 | | + ---------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+------+------ + 1 | | | | | | 7 | 3 | | 2 | | 12 | .75 + 2 | | | | | | 7 | 2 | | 3 | | 12 | .75 + 5 | | | | | | | | | 1 | | 1 | .07 + 6 | | | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | | | | 7 | .45 + 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | + 8 | | | | | | | | | | | | + 10 | | | | | | 2 | | | | | 2 | .13 + 12 | | | 1 | 4 | | 3 | | | | | 8 | .50 + 13 | | | 2 | 4 | | 1 | | 1 | | | 8 | .50 + 14 | 1 | | | | | 1 | 4 | | | | 6 | .38 + 15 | 22 | 7 | 18 | 14 | 26 | 14 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 117 | 7.33 + 16 | 3 | | 1 | | | 1 | 4 | | 1 | 1 | 11 | .70 + 17 | | | 2 | | | | 1 | | | | 3 | .20 + 18 | 18 | 10 | 8 | 16 | 4 | 16 | 15 | 4 | 13 | 8 | 112 | 7.02 + 21 | 24 | 13 | 8 | 21 | 32 | 11 | 12 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 132 | 8.25 + 22 | 17 | 22 | 8 | 13 | 28 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 10 | | 140 | 8.75 + 23 | 35 | 21 | 28 | 73 | 64 | 69 | 51 | 28 | 40 | 13 | 422 | 26.40 + 25 | 1 | 2 | | | 21 | 2 | 3 | | 2 | | 31 | 1.95 + 26 | 4 | 13 | 13 | 29 | 38 | 59 | 37 | 7 | 18 | 7 | 225 | 14.08 + 28 | 1 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 11 | | 6 | | 81 | 5.08 + 29 | 1 | 3 | 1 | | 5 | 4 | 4 | | 2 | 3 | 23 | 1.45 + 31 | | | | | | | | | | | | + 32 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 15 | 10 | 11 | 20 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 94 | 5.90 + 33 | 1 | | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | | | | | 8 | .50 + 35 | | | | | | | 1 | | | | 1 | .07 + 36 | 9 | 18 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 75 | 4.70 + 39 | 3 | 5 | 5 | | 3 | | | | | | 16 | 1.02 + 40 | | | | | 1 | 3 | | | | | 4 | .25 + 43 | 14 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | | 2 | 3 | | 45 | 2.82 + ---------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+------+------ + |157 |149 |129 |214 |259 |244 |201 | 69 |134 | 39 | 1596 |100.00 + ---------+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+------+------ + + + + +APPENDIX VIII + +POLICE RULES REGARDING DISORDERLY PLACES + + +_Captains of Police Precincts._ It is the duty of a police captain to +report to the police commissioners on the fifth of each month: + +1. Steps taken to enforce provisions of the Penal Law with reference to +disorderly houses within his precinct. + +2. Steps taken to enforce the Penal Law and Greater New York Charter +regarding concert saloons, dives and other places where disorderly, +degraded or lawless people congregate. + +3. Steps taken to enforce the Liquor Tax Laws and ordinances relating to +various crimes above mentioned. + +No. 55 Under Rule 42.--When any room or building in any part or portion +within the precinct is known to the captain to be kept, used, or occupied +for purposes of prostitution, assignation, or other immoral purpose, he +must give notice in writing to the owner, lessee or occupant, that such +room or building is so used, and that it is a misdemeanor.[316] + +No. 56 Under Rule 42.--If the occupation and use of such premises shall +continue the captain will obtain warrants for and cause the arrest of such +owner, lessee or occupant for a misdemeanor and cause them to be +prosecuted as required by law.[317] + +No. 100 Under Rule 42.--Captains will make charges of neglect of duty +against any patrolman under their command who fails to discover a serious +breach of the peace occurring on his post, during his tour of duty; or who +shall fail to arrest any party guilty of such offense.[318] + +No. 13 Under Rule 45.--If a policeman is on duty on a post where houses of +ill-fame are suspected to exist, he should be careful to restrain acts of +disorder, prevent soliciting from windows, doors or on streets, and arrest +all persons found so doing, also carefully observe all other places of a +suspicious nature, obtain evidence as to the character and ownership of +such houses, by whom frequented and report results of his observation to +his commanding officer.[319] + + + + +APPENDIX IX + +PARLOR HOUSES: ADDITIONAL DATA + + +_X_ 25. _Sixth Avenue--a one-dollar house._ + +March 5, 12.40 A. M. The investigator visited this place at the +solicitation of X 26, a lighthouse stationed at the corner of Sixth Avenue +and 29th Street. He counted 14 inmates and bought a pint bottle of beer +for 25 cents from the madame. The names of some of the inmates are Mignon, +Helen, Violet and Georgette. + +March 6, 1912, 11 P. M. This house is reported as running about a year. +Names of some of inmates: Alice, Louise and Mabel. + +May 25, 1912. Rosie, X 27, was an inmate here on this date. + +July 21, 1912. Flora, X 28, and Violet, X 29, were inmates here on this +date. + +August 25, 1912. The proprietors are X 30, and X 31. The madame is X 32. + + * * * * * + +_X_ 7. _James Slip._ + +At 2 P. M. on April 10, 1912, there were seven inmates in the receiving +parlor. One of these girls said there were three more, making ten in all. +All were dressed in the regular parlor house costume and all claimed to +possess medical certificates. Tony, X 8, is said to be connected with this +house, and reaps the profits from the business. The girls receive one-half +of what they make, _i. e._, twenty-five cents from every visitor. The +sanitary conditions are very bad. + + * * * * * + +_X_ 33. _Sixth Avenue--a one-dollar house._ + +February 5, 1912. X 34, the proprietor of this place, is a power in the +Tenderloin. One of his women, whose name is Rosie, is madame at this +address. + +February 6, 1912. The investigator counted 8 inmates. Some of the inmates' +names are Daisy, Rose and Bertha. The house is open night and day. + +February 19, 1912. 1.30 A. M. The investigator counted 14 inmates. The +madame was stationed in the hall with her ticket puncher. + +February 24, 1912. An inmate in this house told the investigator that Dr. +X 35 is the physician employed by the house. + +April 4, 1912. X 36 was an inmate on this date. + +July 9, 1912. X 37 was an inmate on this date. + +July 15, 1912. X 38 and X 39 were inmates on this date. + + * * * * * + +_X_ 41. _West 24th Street--a one-dollar house._ + +February 2, 1912. 9.30 P. M. to 10.45 P. M. The investigator counted nine +men entering. + +February 19, 1912. 9.30 P. M. The investigator counted 14 inmates. The +Madame is X 42. The names of some of the inmates on this date are Pearl, +Marie, Clara and Sadie. + +March 24, 1912. The physician for this place is X 43. + +May 24, 1912. The proprietor of the resort is X 44. + +May 25, 1912. X 45, an inmate here on this date claims that this is a good +"money house." + + * * * * * + +_X_ 46. _West 25th Street--a one-dollar house._ + +February 1, 1912. 9 to 9.30 P. M. The investigator counted 9 inmates. + +February 24, 1912. 2 A. M. The investigator counted 12 inmates and +estimated 16. The proprietors are X 47 and X 48. + +March 1, 1912. 9.30 P. M. The investigator counted 14 inmates. X 49 is +said to be a proprietor. + +March 19, 1912. 8.45 P. M. The investigator counted 14 inmates. + +March 29, 1912. The investigator was present when a young thief, X 50, +sold the madame, X 51, a dress he claimed to have stolen from a department +store. X 35 is the house doctor here. The house is conducted by X 52. + +X 51, the madame of this place, is the wife of X 47, the proprietor. X 43 +is the physician. The investigator estimated the number of inmates as 19. +Gussie often acts as madame. + +April 16, 1912. X 53, the girl of X 54 is the assistant madame and +housekeeper here. + + * * * * * + +_X_ 59. _West 25th Street--a one-dollar house._ + +February 1, 1912. 10.30-11.30 P. M. The investigator counted 11 inmates. +The house is kept by X 17 in partnership with X 34. The names of some of +the inmates on this date are Ruth, Elsie, and Margarita. + +February 6, 1912. X 17, keeper of this place, has two other houses. + +February 25, 1912. 9.15 P. M. The investigators counted 20 inmates. Eight +pimps were present. The names of two of the girls on this date were Edith +and May. + +March 19, 1912. The investigator counted 14 inmates. + +March 23, 1912. 1 A. M. The investigator counted 21 inmates and estimated +24. X 17 is the madame, also proprietor together with X 34. The house +physician on this date is X 43. X 60 is a man said to be connected with +this place. The names of some of the inmates on this date are Cora, Ruth, +Violet, Lottie, Sophie, Blanche, and Mamie. + +April 24, 1912. The names of some of the inmates on this date are X 61, X +62, and X 63. + +May 24, 1912. X 2, who is an inmate of this house and has a country-wide +reputation, does an exceedingly large business. + +June 18, 1912. X 17, the madame, is in partnership with X 34. + +July 12, 1912. The names of two inmates on this date are X 64 and X 65. + +July 16, 1912. The investigator counted 12 inmates and estimated 16. + + * * * * * + +_X_ 67. _West 25th Street--a one-dollar house._ + +February 1, 1912. 9.30-10.30 P. M. The investigator counted 6 inmates and +estimated 8. Annie acts as madame. + +February 8, 1912. The proprietors of this place are X 68 and X 69. + +February 19, 1912. 12.05 A. M. The investigator counted 12 inmates. Liquor +is sold in this house on the quiet. The names of some of the inmates on +this date are Marie, Laura, Mary, and Nellie. + +February 23, 1912. 12.20 A. M. The investigator counted 10 inmates. X 49 +is said to own a part interest in this place. Liquor not sold on this +date. + +March 2, 1912. 12.15 A. M. The investigator counted 10 inmates and +estimated 17. Cigarettes sold but no liquors. The names of some of the +inmates on this date are X 70, Rosie, Grace and Mabel. + +March 19, 1912. 8.15 P. M. The investigator counted 19 inmates. Bessie +acted as madame. X 69 and X 72 are reported as the proprietors of this +place. + +June 10, 1912. 11.20 P. M. The investigator counted 12 inmates and +estimated 15. The proprietors are X 72 and X 73. Names of inmates on this +date are Anna, Grace and Rose. + +June 13, 1912. The investigators counted 13 inmates and estimated 15. The +names of some of the inmates on this date are Marcelle, Grace, Dollie and +Fannie. The place was formerly owned by X 72, X 69 and another. X 72 +forced X 69 out and is now the chief owner. The share of X 69 was sold to +X 73. + +June 19, 1912. Inmate Nellie says she turns her earnings over to her pimp, +X 74. + +July 11, 1912. The names of three inmates on this date are X 75, X 76 and +X 77. + + * * * * * + +_X_ 78. _West 27th Street--a one-dollar house._ + +February 8, 1912. The proprietors of this place are X 68, X 69 and X 72. + +February 25, 1912. 8.30 P. M. The investigator counted 12 inmates. + +March 4, 1912. 12.15 A. M. The investigator counted 16 inmates. The +investigator was solicited to go here by a lighthouse, X 79. The +proprietors are X 68 and X 69. The names of some of the inmates on this +date are Ray, Matilda, Jennie, Belle and Georgie. + +March 6, 1912. The investigator witnessed X 69 in conversation with a +patrolman. X 68 is the chief owner. + +March 24, 1912. The investigator counted 16 inmates. The physician of this +place is X 80. The inmates pay him $1 per visit. + +June 19, 1912. 11.30. The investigator was given a card to this place. X +69 forced X 72 out and bought his interest. + +June 28, 1912. The investigator was handed a card to this place by a woman +on Seventh Avenue near 28th Street. He saw another card on the sidewalk +near West 27th Street on Seventh Avenue. + +July 12, 1912. The names of three inmates of this house on this date are X +81, X 82 and X 83. The name of the owner of the property as given in the +tax book for 1912 is X 84. + + * * * * * + +_X_ 16. _West 31st Street--a one-dollar house._ + +February 8, 1912. 4.15 P. M. The investigator was approached on the street +by a woman "runner" and given cards to above address. She said she had 5 +or 6 girls there and she invited him to follow her. The investigator said +he might call in the evening, and she told him to ring the bell on the +stoop. + +February 14, 1912. 12 P. M. The investigator counted 8 inmates, and was +told there were 12 working here. The investigator had been solicited to +come here by a cab driver, X 85. + +February 16, 1912. The madame's name is Rose. + +February 20, 1912. 9.20 P. M. The investigator was solicited on Sixth +Avenue by a woman "runner" to enter this house. She had been stopping +other men. The investigator counted 6 inmates. Mamie acted as madame. The +names of some of the inmates on this date are Goldie, Ella, and Richmond. + +March 7, 1912. 1.30 A. M. The investigator saw a prostitute who solicits +on Sixth Avenue take four different men to this address within an hour, +the first floor of which is a house of prostitution run by Madame Rose. + +April 24, 1912. The name of the madame is X 86. The proprietors are X 34 +and X 17. + +May 14, 1912. X 86, the real madame, conducts this house on a 20 percent +basis for X 34. + +May 24, 1912. X 88 drunkard, lighthouse and procurer, works for X 34 at +this address. He usually stands in front of X 89. + +June 12, 1912. 3.00 A. M. The investigator talked with two men who had +just come from this house. An inmate had shown one of the men her card +punched with holes indicating that she had entertained 60 men that night. + +July 10, 1912. The place is reported as closed, probably on the +instructions of X 34. X 90 and X 17 are interested here. + +July 15, 1912. The name of an inmate at this house on this date is X 91. +The name of the owner of this property as given in the tax book for 1912 +is X 92. + + * * * * * + +_X_ 93. _West 40th Street--a one-dollar house._ + +March 8, 1912. 10.40 P. M. The investigator counted 5 inmates. The name of +the madame is Rosie; proprietor, X 94. The names of some of the inmates on +this date are Ethel, Della, Josie and Maria. + +March 14, 1912. 12.30 A. M. The investigator was taken to this place by X +95. This place is running very quietly. + +May 14, 1912. X 96 and his brother, X 94, are partners in the house. + +June 12, 1912. The name of an inmate on this date is X 97. The name of the +owner of this property as given in the tax book for 1912 is X 98. + + * * * * * + +_X_ 99. _West 40th Street--a one-dollar house._ + +February 1, 1912. 11.30 P. M. The investigator saw men go in and out of +this place. He was unable to gain admittance. + +February 13, 1912. 10.00 P. M. The investigator saw five men enter in half +an hour. + +February 16, 1912. 10.00 P. M. The investigator counted 2 inmates and +estimated 8. The madame's name is Rosie. The proprietor of the place is X +100. The name of the owner of the property as given in the tax book for +1912 is X 101. + + * * * * * + +_X_ 102. _West 40th Street._ + +February 1, 1912. X 103, partner of X 44, has practised prostitution and +run houses for ten years. + +February 6, 1912. The investigator counted 12 inmates. The proprietors are +X 44 and X 103, who also acts as housekeeper. X 44 hangs out at X 104. + +April 27, 1912. 9.00 P. M. The investigator counted 5 inmates and +estimated 6. The price of the house is $2 and $5. Drinks are sold--$2 for +an ordinary round, and $5 for a quart of champagne. The name of the madame +is X 105. The names of some of the inmates on this date are Mignon, Lucy, +Emma and Fifi. The name of a man connected with the house is X 106. The +owner of the property is X 108. + + + + +APPENDIX X + +TENEMENTS: ADDITIONAL DATA + + +(a) SOLICITING + +February 24, 1912, investigator visited a cider stube in a tenement +building at X 128, St. Mark's Place. A waitress solicited him to enter a +rear room for immoral purposes. The woman who conducts this stube is X +127, this being the name of the woman mentioned in the letter quoted in +Chapter II. The investigator says in his report that X 127 was formerly +with X 126 at X 125, East 5th Street. + +There are 13 families living at X 128, St. Mark's Place. In these families +are 7 boys under 16 and 14 girls under 16. Five single young men and 3 +single young women over 16 also live in this tenement house. + +On February 21, 1812, between 7 and 8 P. M., investigator was solicited by +a waitress in a cider stube in a tenement at X 129, East 6th Street. The +stube is in the basement and the proprietress said she would send out for +a young girl, but as she had previously been in trouble because of a 15 +year old girl, she did not want to take another chance. + +There are 38 families living at this address, with 20 boys and 20 girls +all under 16 years of age. Seven single men and 9 single women over 16 +also live in this tenement. + +X 130 lives at X 131, West 102nd Street, with a friend who has a furnished +apartment. The janitress is named X 132, and X 130 says she does not pay +any attention to what goes on in the tenement so long as the girls do not +become too bold. Some of the prostitutes have been in his tenement as long +as 10 years. + +X 130 is a chorus girl during the regular season. She has been with +several well known companies. + +X 133 is the janitor at X 134, West 28th Street. Four street walkers bring +men to their rooms in this building for immoral purposes. One of these +women said that they each paid $5 per week to the janitor for the +privilege of using their rooms in this way. The janitor has a family +consisting of his wife and three children. One boy is 10 and the eldest +girl 17 years of age. + +On February 13, 1912, between 3.30 and 4.30 P. M., two colored girls who +appeared to be 17 and 18 years of age respectively were soliciting men on +the street to enter a tenement house at X 136, West 40th Street. The +children from Public School No. X 137, a short distance away, were playing +along the street on their way home. The colored girls were particularly +insistent and talked in loud tones intermingled with vile remarks and +oaths. Some of the children who did not appear to be more than 10 or 11 +years old noticed the two colored girls and laughed at them, pointing +their fingers. + +Seven colored families live in this tenement. The prostitutes who +solicited offered to reduce the price to 50 cents if the hallway were +used. On March 4, 1912, a colored girl entered the hallway with a white +man. The conditions in this building are extremely unsanitary. The +hallways are dark and full of odors, the stairs in a state of +dilapidation. + +X 138 and a younger girl rented two rooms in a tenement at X 139, East +122nd Street. On January 30, 1912, about 9.15 P. M., X 138 solicited the +investigator on the street to accompany her to this tenement for immoral +purposes. The girls paid $4 per week for the rooms and the landlord had +told X 138 that they could bring men into the house if they desired. A man +by the name of Louis has tried several times to induce X 138 to enter a +house of prostitution. "This man," said the girl, "is a swell dresser and +wears diamonds." He even went so far one night as to impersonate a +detective and threatened to arrest her for soliciting on the street, +thinking in this way to frighten her into complying with his request. X +138 said that he receives $50 for every girl he secures for houses. + +The investigator called at this address again on February 1 for the +purpose of talking further with X 138 and tried to obtain a description of +the procurer of whom she spoke. The hour was 5 P. M. As he entered the +hallway a boy about 11 or 12 years of age asked him whom he wanted to see. +"Mrs. X 140 has been out and so has Mrs. X 141," said the boy, "and now +there are only two w---- on the top floor." Four families live at this +address, in which there are 2 boys and 1 girl under 16. + +Mrs. X 118 lives on the third floor of a tenement at X 117, West 58th +Street. Mrs. X 118 has two daughters; one, a girl of 18, is divorced from +her husband whom she met when her mother conducted a similar business on +West 49th Street, and lives here with her mother. The other daughter, X +142, is 15 years of age. On February 24, 1912, about 1 A. M., investigator +saw a young man talking to X 142 in the rear of the flat. X 118 said X 142 +is attending a business school, but different young men who are customers +declare that she works in a candy factory. One day a business man who had +been a customer received a letter from X 118 urging him to call. He showed +the letter to the investigator, and declared that X 142 had written it at +the dictation of her mother who he knew could not write English. In fact, +the writing was in an immature hand, and the letter poorly composed. + +One of the inmates here, X 143, lives at X 144, East 94th Street and uses +X 118 flat in which to meet two steady customers at stated intervals. She +has been a clandestine prostitute for several months. + +X 118 has a list of addresses of girls in a book which she keeps in her +bureau. There are 10 families in this tenement. One of the tenants, a Mrs. +X 145, told an investigator that on several occasions the police have been +called into the house to stop the noise. She further said that the +landlord, X 146, knows the character of some of the tenants and charges +them high rentals. + + +(b) DIFFERENT INVESTIGATIONS OF SAME ADDRESS + +As was the case with parlor houses, many tenements were investigated at +different times in order to show that the business was systematically +conducted: + + +_X_ 147. _Broadway._ + +July 27, 1912. X 155, prostitute, told the investigator she "answers calls +for this place. $5. Wine sold." + +July 30, 1912. X 154, prostitute, told the investigator she "receives men +here, $5, $10, $20." + +August 1, 1912. X 150, prostitute, told the investigator that "this place +is owned by a colored woman; X 149-a, white woman has charge." Prices +charged are $3, $5 and $10. + +August 1, 1912. There are two apartments in X 147 Broadway owned by +colored women. One, X 148, and her sister, X 149-a. These women have white +girls conducting the resorts while they, the owners, keep in the +background. One apartment, 3rd floor, inside, is operated under the name +of X 149. The other is one or two flights above on the same side. Both +send for girls supposed to be $3, $5, and $10. + +August 8, 1912. 10 P. M. Business and residential district. Six story red +brick building. Madame X 148. The investigator counted 2 inmates. Price +$5. Girls get half. Drinks $5. Inmates wear gowns and claim to have health +certificates. Names of inmates, Stella and Ellen. Girls claim to pay +weekly board of $15. Rent paid is $105. + +August 15, 1912. X 152, prostitute, told the investigator she "takes +friends here." + +August 29, 1912. X 156, prostitute, told the investigator she "meets many +a good man through this house. Two other apartments here where I see men." + +August 29, 1912. X 156, prostitute, told the investigator she "makes many +a dollar right in the house. Four good places here." + + * * * * * + +_X_ 157. _West 27th Street._ + +February 6, 1912. 8.30-9 P. M. Investigator reports this former house of +prostitution now occupied by families. + +March 18, 1912. 2:30 P. M. Investigator solicited by inmate Blanche on +27th Street and Seventh Avenue and went to her apartment one flight up, +east. Counted two inmates. Price of place $1. Names of inmates, Blanche +(madame) and Bella. Name of owner of property as given in the tax book for +1912 is X 158. + + * * * * * + +_X_ 159. _West 28th Street._ + +March 5, 1912. 9.50 P. M. Investigator counted 6 street walkers accosting +men in the vicinity and using the premises for purposes of prostitution. +Investigator was solicited by one, Jennie, to enter premises. Price of +woman and room $1. Owner of this property as given by the tax book for +1912 is X 161. The previous owner was X 162. + +Reports from other sources: + +Tenement house, double family tenement, janitor giving women privileges +after 10 P. M. for a weekly consideration. A procurer by the name of X 163 +living on the premises has shipped his girl Rosie to Pittsburg, Pa., into +a disorderly house there. + +February 1, 1912. Flat house for street walkers. + +Tenement House Department report, June 18, 1909. Disorderly house, +prostitution alleged, no basis. July 2, 1909: Disorderly house, +prostitution alleged, no basis. + + * * * * * + +_X_ 164. _West 28th Street._ + +February 8, 1912. Investigator reports prostitution discontinued here. + +March 17, 1912. Tenement house inhabited by about 10 families. 12.15 A. M. +Investigator solicited by two French women on street near the stoop of +premises to enter this house. Price of women $1. Soliciting from street +and windows. Owner of property as given in the tax book for 1912 is X 165. + +Reports from other sources: + +February 1, 1912. Ground floor, French flats. Almost on every floor +"business" is carried on. + +Tenement House Department report, January 8, 1910. Disorderly house, +second floor. Cause of complaint removed. + +Police report June 18, 1909. Disorderly house, prostitution alleged. No +basis. + +August 19, 1912. Prostitution is practised in this house. Rosie, +prostitute, resides in a flat one flight up, and a woman named X 166, also +a prostitute, lives on the floor above Rosie. The investigator was +solicited from the window of this house. + + * * * * * + +_X_ 167. _West 29th Street._ + +March 24, 1912. 8.30 P. M. Investigator was solicited by several colored +women in front of this address to come to their rooms. Counted five women +soliciting. Price of women 50 cents. Owner of the property as given in the +tax book for 1912 is X 168. + +Reports from other sources: + +Tenement. Some apartments occupied by prostitutes. + + * * * * * + +_X_ 169. _West 29th Street._ + +March 9, 1912. Investigator reported about eight families and eight +children in this building, mostly colored. House appeared all right at +this visit. + +Reports from other sources: + +February 1, 1912. Some apartments occupied by prostitutes. + +Tenement House Department report, March 9, 1910: Disorderly house. Fourth +floor, front, west, X 170. No action necessary. Police report. + + * * * * * + +_X_ 171. _West 29th Street._ + +February 2, 1912. A colored woman named X 172 lives in this house and +keeps girls. She lately moved from X 173 when X 174 (well known to +investigator) was her pimp. + +March 4, 1912. Investigator visited this building. Estimated seven +families, mostly colored, living here. Saw two suspicious women on first +floor. Owner of this property as given in the tax book for 1912 is X 175. + +Reports from other sources: + +Tenement House Department. February 8, 1910. Disorderly house, basement. +Cause of complaint removed. + +Police report. February 24, 1910. Disorderly house, basement, east side, +front. X 176, cause of complaint removed. + +Police report. November 9, 1911. Disorderly house. Prostitution alleged. +Cause of complaint removed. + + * * * * * + +_X_ 177. _West 29th Street._ + +April 19, 1912. A prostitute, X 178, lives at this address and uses her +apartments for immoral purposes. + +June 19, 1912. 1.10 A. M. Investigator solicited on street by colored +women to go to apartment in this building. Price of women 50 cents. + +Reports from other sources: + +Tenement House Department. November 9, 1911. Disorderly house, +prostitution alleged. Cause of complaint removed. + +Police report. January 27, 1909. Disorderly house, second floor, front, +west. X 179. Cause of complaint removed. + +Police report. April 13, 1909. Disorderly house, rear, second floor, east. +X 180 and X 181. Cause of complaint removed. + + * * * * * + +_X_ 182. _West 29th Street._ + +February 6, 1912. Investigator reports this a tenement occupied by colored +families and prostitutes. On third floor, east, X 172, who is a maid in +the house of prostitution at X 183, is a prostitute and has had a white +man living with her for several months. Investigator visited her apartment +with this man and was solicited by X 172 to stay with her. Two other women +were in the rear room at the time. + +March 4, 1912. Investigator reports about six families (Italian and +colored) in this tenement. Suspicious women on third floor, among them X +184, a widow. + +March 9, 1912. Investigator reports building mostly occupied by colored +people. Two suspicious women on fifth floor. + +Reports from other sources: + +Tenement House Department. July 25, 1910. Disorderly house, third floor, X +200. Cause of complaint removed. + +Police report and police officer. November 9, 1911. Disorderly house, +prostitution alleged. No action necessary. + +December 26, 1911. Disorderly house, prostitution alleged, second floor, +west, cause of complaint removed. + + * * * * * + +_X_ 185. _West 30th Street._ + +February 2, 1912. 6.30 P. M. Investigator saw men entering this place. + +March 4, 1912. Investigator reported three families living here. House +appeared quiet. + +August 21, 1912. Investigator reports some of the rooms evidently used by +street walkers. Outside door locked. + +Reports from other sources: + +February 1, 1912. Bed house. + + * * * * * + +_X_ 186. _West 37th Street._ + +March 18, 1912. 4.40 P. M. Investigator counted 6 inmates, all colored. He +was solicited on 37th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues to enter +premises. Price 50 cents. Names of inmates, Hannah and Eliza. + +May 1, 1912. 5 A. M. Investigator was solicited to go to second floor of +this building by two colored prostitutes standing on the steps of this +building. Price 50 cents. + +August 24, 1912. Colored prostitutes solicit here day and night from +windows of this house and on street in front. Thieves and pimps hang out +on corner. Name of owner of this property as given in the tax book for +1912 is X 187. + +Reports from other sources: + +Tenement House. Colored women carry on business at all hours of the day +and night with the purpose of robbery chiefly in view. + +August 17, 1912. Place occupied by colored prostitutes. Saw them +soliciting from windows on all floors of this building. + + + + +APPENDIX XI + +HOTELS: ADDITIONAL DATA + + +_X_ 214. _Sixth Avenue._ + +February 8, 1912. 10.30 P. M. Investigator solicited to go here by +prostitute; price $1. + +Investigator solicited by prostitute in front of this hotel to enter +premises, March 11, 1912. 9.20 P. M. Investigator counted 6 street walkers +in vicinity of this hotel. He was solicited by prostitutes in front of +place; price of woman $2, price of room $1 to $2. + +March 18, 1912. 12 M. Investigator counted 4 street walkers loitering in +the vicinity of this hotel. He was solicited by one of them to enter this +place. Price $2, price of room $1.50. + +March 23, 1912. 7.30 P. M. Investigator counted 8 street walkers loitering +on Sixth Avenue, in the vicinity of this hotel. He was solicited by one on +the corner of Sixth Avenue and ---- Street to enter this hotel. A police +officer stood across the street at the time. Price $2, price of room $1.50 +to $2. + +May 4, 1912. 3 P. M. Investigator counted 6 street walkers loitering in +vicinity of this hotel, on Sixth Avenue. All approached men. He was +solicited on the corner of Sixth Avenue and ---- Street by a prostitute to +enter this hotel. Price $2, price of room $2. A police officer stood +across the street at the time investigator was solicited. + +The investigator stood near the entrance of this hotel for 30 minutes and +saw 6 women whom he believed to be prostitutes enter the hotel with men. +It is said on good authority that the receipts in this hotel on Saturday +nights were as high as $400. + +May 6, 1912. 5 P. M. Investigator counted 5 street walkers loitering in +vicinity of this hotel on Sixth Avenue. All approached men. He was +solicited by one of these in front of the hotel to enter the premises. +Price $2, room $2. + +May 9, 1912. 7 P. M. Investigator counted 4 street walkers on Sixth Avenue +in the vicinity of this hotel. All approached men. He was solicited by one +to enter the premises. Price $2, price of room $2. + +May 13, 1912. 6.30 P. M. Investigator counted 4 street walkers on Sixth +Avenue in the vicinity of this hotel. All of these women approached men. +He was solicited by one in front of the hotel to enter premises. Price $2, +price of room $2. + +May 22, 1912. 7.15 P. M. Investigator counted 6 street walkers on Sixth +Avenue, in the vicinity of this hotel. All approached men. One of the +women solicited him on the corner of Sixth Avenue and ---- Street to enter +the premises. + +May 28, 1912. 12 P. M. Investigator counted 7 street walkers on Sixth +Avenue in the vicinity of this hotel. All approached men. He was solicited +to enter the premises. Police officer was in sight at the time of +solicitation. + +May 30, 1912. 6.30 P. M. Investigator counted 5 street walkers on Sixth +Avenue in the vicinity of this hotel. All approached men. He was solicited +by one at the corner of Sixth Avenue and ---- Street to enter the +premises. + +June 3, 1912. 2 P. M. Investigator counted 4 street walkers on Sixth +Avenue in the vicinity of this hotel. All of these women approached men. +He was solicited by one within 100 feet of an officer at the corner of +Sixth Avenue and ---- Street to enter the premises. Price $2, room $2. + +June 7, 1912. 2 P. M. Investigator counted 5 street walkers on Sixth +Avenue in the vicinity of this hotel. All approached men. He was solicited +by one at the corner of Sixth Avenue and ---- Street to enter premises. + +June 10, 1912. 2 P. M. Investigator counted 7 street walkers on Sixth +Avenue in the vicinity of this hotel. All approached men. He was solicited +by one of these women at the corner of Sixth Avenue and ---- Street to +enter the premises. Price of woman $2, price of room $2. Officer was in +sight at the time of solicitation. + +The following prostitutes are among those who use this hotel for immoral +purposes: + + May 22, 1912, Lena X 219. + May 28, 1912, Christie X 218. + May 31, 1912, Rosie X 217. + June 26, 1912, Becky X 220. + July 15, 1912, Annie X 222. + August 2, 1912, Rosie X 221. + August 15, 1912, Anna X 212. + August 15, 1912, Betty X 216. + August 16, 1912, Gussie X 223. + +Reports from other sources: + +Reported owners are X 224, X 225 and X 226. C X 227, manager. + +Proprietors are X 28, X 225 and X 229. Dive of worst kind. + +The premises also appear under the address ---- W. ---- Street. Bed house. + +February 1, 1912. Bed house. + +August 19, 1912. This place is a noted assignation hotel. + + * * * * * + +_X_ 230. _West 35th Street._ + +February 13, 1912. 11.15 P. M. Investigator counted 3 street walkers in +vicinity of this hotel. He was solicited to enter premises by a prostitute +at the corner of Broadway and ---- Street. Price of room $1. He also saw +four couples enter here in half an hour, the women being street walkers. +Saw prostitute pick up a man on Seventh Avenue and take him to premises. + +February 15, 1912. 9.00 P. M. Investigator was solicited by a street +walker on Broadway between 35th and 40th Streets to enter premises. + +February 20, 1912. 2.00 P. M. Clerk of this hotel sentenced to two months' +imprisonment. It is said the proprietor is a fugitive from justice. + +April 10, 1912. Investigator met men who appeared to be cadets near +premises. Hotel said to be run by X 231. The proprietor is said to be X +225. + +April 26, 1912. 1.00 A. M. Investigator counted 5 street walkers on +Seventh Avenue between ---- and ---- Streets. All approached men. He was +solicited by one at the corner of Seventh Avenue and ---- Street to enter +premises. Price of woman $3. Price of room $2. This woman lives at X 238, +West 34th Street. X 232 is the rebate clerk at this hotel, and this duty +takes up his whole time. + +May 3, 1912. Investigator counted three street walkers on south side of +---- Street towards Broadway. Two stopped men. Investigator was solicited +by one to enter premises. Price of woman $2, room $2. + +May 6, 1912. 11.00-12.00 P. M. Investigator counted 10 street walkers in +the entrance to this hotel and in the doorways near-by. Four approached +men. Investigator was solicited by one on the street near the hotel to +enter premises. Price of woman $2, room $2. Investigator saw 5 suspicious +couples enter this hotel in half an hour and 3 girls unescorted. Men +lookouts in doorways across the street. + +May 9, 1912. 7.45 P. M. Investigator counted 5 street walkers on Seventh +Avenue between ---- and ---- Streets. All accosted men. He was solicited +by one, in sight of an officer across the street, to enter the premises. +Price of woman $2, room $2. + +May 11, 1912. 2.00 A. M. Investigator counted fifteen street walkers on +Broadway between ---- and ---- Streets. All approached men. He was +solicited by three of these prostitutes to enter premises. Price of women +$2, $3; price of room $1, $1.50. + +May 15, 1912. 6.50 P. M. Investigator counted 5 street walkers on Seventh +Avenue between ---- and ---- Streets. All approached men. He was solicited +by one at the corner of Seventh Avenue and ---- Street to enter premises. +Price of woman $2, price of room $2. + +May 18, 1912. 1.30 A. M. Investigator counted 6 street walkers on ---- +Street near Broadway. Three accosted men. Investigator was solicited by +one on the southwest corner of ---- Street and Broadway to enter premises. +Price of woman $2, price of room $2. The name of the woman who solicited +the investigator is Blanche X 233; she lives with her pimp at X 239, West +38th Street, third floor. + +May 20, 1912. 7.10 P. M. Investigator counted 6 street walkers on Seventh +Avenue between ---- and ---- Streets. All approached men. He was solicited +at the corner of Seventh Avenue and ---- Street to enter premises. An +officer passed by them during this solicitation. Price of woman $2, price +of room $2. + +May 23, 1912. 7.15 P. M. Investigator counted 4 street walkers on Seventh +Avenue between ---- and ---- Streets. All approached men. He was solicited +by one at the corner of Seventh Avenue and ---- Street to enter premises. +Price of woman $2, price of room $2. + +May 29, 1912. 7.45 P. M. Investigator counted 6 street walkers on Seventh +Avenue between ---- and ---- Streets. All approached men. He was solicited +by one at the corner of Seventh Avenue and ---- Street within 100 feet of +an officer to enter premises. + +May 31, 1912. 8.00 P. M. Investigator counted 8 street walkers on Seventh +Avenue between ---- and ---- Streets. All approached men. He was solicited +by one at the corner of Seventh Avenue and ---- Street within sight of an +officer to enter premises. + +June 1, 1912. 8.00 P. M. Investigator counted 5 street walkers on Seventh +Avenue between ---- and ---- Streets. All approached men. He was solicited +by one at the corner of Seventh Avenue and ---- Street to enter premises. +Price of woman $3, price of room $2. Investigator talked with X 231, part +owner in this hotel. He complained about business, saying it was "too +hot." + +June 4, 1912. 7.35 P. M. Investigator counted 6 street walkers on Seventh +Avenue between ---- and ---- Streets. All approached men. He was solicited +by one at the corner of Seventh Avenue and ---- Street to enter premises. +Price of woman $2, price of room $2. + +June 7, 1912. 7.30 P. M. Investigator counted six street walkers on +Seventh Avenue between ---- and ---- Streets. All approached men. He was +solicited at the corner of Seventh Avenue and ---- Street, within sight of +an officer, to enter premises. Price of woman $2, price of room $2. + +June 8, 1912. 8.15 P. M. Investigator counted 13 street walkers on Seventh +Avenue between 34th and 40th Streets. All approached men. The investigator +was solicited twice, once within sight of an officer, to enter the +premises of this hotel. Price of woman $2, price of room $2. + +June 11, 1912. 8.15 P. M. Investigator counted 6 street walkers on Seventh +Avenue between ---- and ---- Streets. All approached men. He was solicited +at the corner of Seventh Avenue and ---- Street, within 200 feet of an +officer, to enter premises. Price of woman $3, price of room $2. + +June 15, 1912. 8.00 P. M. Investigator counted 6 street walkers on Seventh +Avenue between ---- and ---- Streets. All approached men. He was solicited +by one at the corner of Seventh Avenue and ---- Street, within sight of an +officer, to enter premises. Price of woman $2, price of room $2. + +June 17, 1912. 8.30 P. M. Investigator was solicited by a street walker on +Sixth Avenue near ---- Street to enter premises. Price of woman $2, price +of room $2. The following prostitutes are among those who frequent and use +this hotel for immoral purposes: + + May 25, 1912, Anna X 234. + May 28, 1912, Sarah X 235. + May 31, 1912, Louise X 236. + June 6, 1912, May X 237. + +Reports from other sources: + +August 19, 1912. Notorious assignation hotel. + + * * * * * + +_X_ 215. _West 28th Street._ + +February 7, 1912. 11.00 P. M. Investigator solicited to enter premises. + +February 7, 1912. 9.15-9.30 P. M. Investigator solicited at the corner of +Sixth Avenue and ---- Street to enter premises. Price of woman $1. Price +of room $1.50. + +February 7, 1912. 1.15 P. M. Investigator was solicited by street walker +on Sixth Avenue near ---- Street to enter premises. Price of woman $1. +Price of room $1.50. + +February 7, 1912. 1.15 P. M. Investigator solicited by a prostitute on +28th Street to enter the premises. Price of woman $1, price of room $1. + +February 7, 1912. Evening. Investigator asked clerk price of room for +himself and was told $2.50, a prohibitive rate. + +February 10, 1912. 8.30 P. M. Investigator solicited by prostitute to +enter premises. + +February 19, 1912. 2.00 A. M. Investigator solicited by street walker on +Broadway between 31st and 32nd Streets to enter premises. Price of woman +$3 for the rest of the night. Price of room $1. + +March 11, 1912. 9.20 P. M. Investigator counted 9 street walkers within 50 +feet of this hotel. All approached men. He was solicited by one of the +prostitutes at the entrance of the hotel to enter the premises. Price of +woman $2. Price of room $1.50. + +March 11, 1912. 11.25 P. M. Investigator counted 2 street walkers at the +corner of Sixth Avenue and ---- Street in the vicinity of this hotel. He +was solicited by one to enter premises. Price of woman $3, price of room +$1.50. + +March 11, 1912. 9.00 P. M. Investigator counted 9 street walkers in the +vicinity of this hotel. He was solicited by one on the west side of Sixth +Avenue between ---- and ---- Streets to enter premises. Price of woman $2, +price of room $1.50. + +May 1, 1912. 3.30 P. M. Investigator counted 11 street walkers on Sixth +Avenue in the vicinity of this hotel. Three approached men. Investigator +was solicited by one on Sixth Avenue within sight of an officer to enter +premises. Price of woman $1. Price of room $1. + +May 1, 1912. 2.00 P. M. Investigator counted 6 street walkers on Sixth +Avenue between ---- and ---- Streets in the vicinity of this hotel. All +approached men. He was solicited by one at the corner of Sixth Avenue and +---- Street to enter the premises. Price of woman $2, price of room $2. + +May 8, 1912. 5.00 P. M. Investigator counted 6 street walkers on Sixth +Avenue between ---- and ---- Streets. All approached men. He was solicited +by one at the corner of Sixth Avenue and ---- Street to enter premises. +Price of woman $2, price of room $2. + +May 13, 1912. 6.45 P. M. Investigator counted 5 street walkers on Sixth +Avenue between ---- and ---- Streets. All approached men. He was solicited +by one at the corner of Sixth Avenue and ---- Street to enter premises. +Price of woman $2, price of room $2. + +May 15, 1912. A man sold obscene photographs in the toilet room of this +hotel. He had a bundle of such pictures. + +May 15, 1912. 5.30 P. M. Investigator counted 4 street walkers on Sixth +Avenue between ---- and ---- Streets, in the vicinity of this hotel. All +approached men. He was solicited by one at the corner of Sixth Avenue and +---- to enter premises. Price of woman $2, price of room $2. + +May 23, 1912. 11.00 A. M. Investigator counted 5 street walkers on Sixth +Avenue between ---- and ---- Streets in the vicinity of this hotel. All +approached men. He was solicited by one at the corner of Sixth Avenue and +---- Street to enter premises. Price of room $2, price of woman $2. + +May 24, 1912. 11.00 A. M. Investigator counted 6 street walkers on Sixth +Avenue between ---- and ---- Streets in the vicinity of this hotel. All +approached men. He was solicited by one within sight of an officer at the +corner of Sixth Avenue and ---- Street to enter premises. Price of woman +$2, price of room $2. + +May 31, 1912. 1.30 P. M. Investigator counted 5 street walkers on Sixth +Avenue between ---- and ---- Streets. All approached men. He was solicited +by one at the corner of Sixth Avenue and ---- Street. Price of woman $2, +price of room $2. + +June 1, 1912. 1.30 A. M. Investigator counted 7 street walkers on Sixth +Avenue between ---- and ---- Streets. Six of these women approached men. +Investigator was solicited by one of them at the corner of Sixth Avenue +and ---- Street within sight of an officer, to enter premises. Price of +woman $2, price of room $2. + +June 4, 1912. 10.45 A. M. Investigator counted 5 street walkers on Sixth +Avenue between ---- and ---- Streets in the vicinity of this hotel. All +approached men. He was solicited by one within sight of an officer at the +corner of Sixth Avenue and ---- Street to enter premises. Price of woman +$2, price of room $2. + +June 6, 1912. 1.30 P. M. Investigator counted 6 street walkers on Sixth +Avenue between ---- and ---- Streets. All approached men. He was solicited +by one at the corner of Sixth Avenue and ---- Street within sight of an +officer, to enter premises. Price of woman $2, price of room $2. + +June 8, 1912. 11.30 A. M. Investigator counted 6 street walkers on Sixth +Avenue between ---- and ---- Streets. All approached men. He was solicited +by one at the corner of Sixth Avenue and ---- Street to enter premises. +Price of woman $2, price of room $1.50. + +June 13, 1912. 11.30 A. M. Investigator counted 5 street walkers on Sixth +Avenue between ---- and ---- Streets. All approached men. He was solicited +at the corner of Sixth Avenue and ---- Street, within sight of an officer, +to enter premises. Price $3 for woman, price of room $2. + +June 15, 1912. 11.30 A. M. Investigator counted 6 street walkers on Sixth +Avenue between ---- and ---- Streets. All approached men. He was solicited +by one at the corner of Sixth Avenue and ---- Street, within sight of an +officer, to enter premises. Price of woman $2, price of room $2. + +The following prostitutes are among those who frequent this hotel for +immoral purposes: + + April 24, 1912, Laura X 240. + July 29, 1912, Mamie X 241. + August 2, 1912, Marion X 244. + August 12, 1912, Kate X 243. + August 15, 1912, Anna X 212. + August 15, 1912, Betty X 216. + August 15, 1912, Mrs. K. X 242. + August 16, 1912, Gussie X 223. + +Reports from other sources: + +Bed House. Hotel and disorderly house. Proprietor X 245. License issued in +the name of X 245-a. One of the worst places in the city. X 245 is +manager. + +February 1, 1912. Bed house, hotel and disorderly house; proprietor X 245, +license issued in the name of X 245-a. X 245 is manager. + +August 19, 1912. A notorious assignation place. + + + + +APPENDIX XII + +SALOONS: ADDITIONAL DATA + + +February 2, 1912. A man entered the rear room of saloon X 275. With him +was a porter from a house of prostitution at X 173, West 27th Street. +Prostitutes here were especially vulgar and obscene. A waiter in this +place, named X 277, knew the prostitutes by name and encouraged the men to +sit at the tables with these women and treat them to drinks. The +proprietor, named X 278, also attempted to "drum up" trade between the +prostitutes and the men. + +February 4, 1912. Between the hours of 7.15 and 10 P. M. the same +conditions prevailed with variations. One prostitute who was intoxicated +exposed herself. The waiter did not offer any objections to this +exhibition. + +May 1, 1912. At 12 P. M. a stranger entered the rear room of saloon at X +279, West 42nd Street. The waiters appeared to be familiar with certain +girls who were unescorted. + +May 23, 1912. 2 P. M. A special officer attached to a notorious saloon and +dance hall accompanied a man to this place. He told him it was a resort +for pimps, pickpockets, cheap crooks and prostitutes. The dancing on this +evening was vulgar and obscene. There were several young girls present +between 17 and 20 years of age who gave vile exhibitions. At 3 A. M., six +pimps invited the man to go to a saloon at X 280, Seventh Avenue. When +they reached this place the pimps talked to several prostitutes. One of +these girls was called May. While the young man sat at the table with one +of these women, she attempted to steal a $2 bill from one of his pockets. +When he remonstrated one of the pimps called to his five companions and +said, "Come on, fellows, let's go through him." When they found the man +did not have any more money they threw him out of the door and jostled him +on the sidewalk. The man threatened to call a policeman who was standing +on the opposite side of the street and they laughed, saying, "Go ahead, +call the cop and see if he will come over." The man yelled "police" three +or four times and the pimps said, "Holler louder, he won't bother us, we +stand in." + +June 6, 1912. 2.30 A. M. Thirteen girls were sitting at the tables in the +rear room. Jack X 281, a waiter in this resort, who lives at X 282, Second +Avenue, stated that the boss, Joe X 283, has a small room in the rear +where a few of his friends play cards and "roll" dice. + + * * * * * + +February 20, 1912. 2 A. M. Concert hall at X 288, West 39th Street. +Manager is X 289. The door at this house is guarded by George X 290. A +chain on the door. The dances were vulgar and obscene. Carrie X 291 +solicited a man to go to a furnished room at X 292 West 39th Street, A +pickpocket stole a watch, a stickpin, and $9 in money from one of the men +in the place. + +February 24, 1912. 3.50 A. M. During the night there were over 100 men and +16 white and colored prostitutes at the tables. A negro named Albert X 293 +pointed out the proprietor, whose name is X 294. + +April 11, 1912. 4 A. M. Same conditions prevail. + +April 19, 1912. 4.30 A. M. Same conditions prevail. + + * * * * * + +March 29, 1912. Saloon at X 848, Sixth Avenue. It is said that X 849, the +manager of this place, bails out the girls who solicit in his saloon. X +850, living at ---- West 96th Street said that madames send to this rear +room for girls. Following are some of the girls who solicit in this +saloon: Hope X 852, May X 853, Bessie X 854, Elizabeth X 855, X 856, +Nellie X 857, Mattie X 858, Marie X 859, and X 877. + +May 16, 1912. Twenty unescorted women counted in the rear room. Several +girls solicited investigator to go to the X 860 hotel at ---- Sixth +Avenue, to the X 861 Hotel at ---- Sixth Avenue, and to different flats. + +June 3, 1912. 9.15 P. M. Fifteen unescorted women in this rear room. Two +women from this saloon solicited men to go to the X 862 Hotel, ---- Sixth +Avenue. + +July 25, 1912. Nine unescorted women, among them being Ellen X 863 and +Mildred X 864. + +July 27, 1912. Seven unescorted women. One of these is Catherine X 865. + +August 14, 1912. May X 866 soliciting in the rear room. + +August 15, 1912. 9. P. M. Nine unescorted women. Dancing was vulgar. + +August 28, 1912. Eleven unescorted women. One of these was Lottie X 850, +who said she had been soliciting in this rear room for years. + +August 30, 1912. Seventeen unescorted women. One of these is Beatrice X +867. + +September 24, 1912. Lottie X 850 was again in this rear room with others, +among whom was Cora X 868. + +September 26, 1912. Fifteen unescorted women. One of these was Sue X 869. + +October 5, 1912. Four unescorted women. One of these by the name of May X +870 said that she had been coming to this place for 15 years or more. + +October 9, 1912. Among the seventeen unescorted women was Lottie X 850, +previously mentioned. + +October 11, 1912. Nine unescorted women. One of these was Rose X 871. + +October 30, 1912. Several unescorted women. Four left the saloon with men. +One of the women was Anna X 872. + +November 1, 1912. Lottie X 850 was again in this saloon with other +unescorted women. + +November 4, 1912. Eleven unescorted women. One named Mamie X 873 said, "I +have my steady friends come here--they know where to find me." Another +girl was Celia X 874. + +November 19, 1912. Eleven unescorted women. One of these was Lena X 875, +another Clara X 876. + +Previous records: + +Proprietors of this place have given cash bond. + +Concert place and saloon. Women gather here to solicit trade, without +interference from the management. + +January 26, 1912. Between 6.30 and 8.30 P. M. X 878, East 14th Street. +Number of unescorted women in the rear room. Waiters assist girls in +finding customers. One of the women named X 877 solicited investigator to +go to X 893 Hotel at ---- Third Avenue. + +February 2, 1912. 11.05 P. M. Twenty unescorted women in rear room. Many +solicited investigator to go to hotel. + +April 8, 1912. During the evening eleven unescorted women sat at separate +tables. One prostitute said she would go to a hotel for $2. + +May 14, 1912. May X 879, living at ---- East 13th Street, was soliciting +in this rear room. + +May 20, 1912. Nine unescorted women. One of these was Annie X 880, known +as X 880-a, living at ---- East 15th Street. + +May 25, 1912. The following prostitutes were seen in this place: Ida X +881, Annie X 882. + +May 29, 1912. Lettie X 888 was soliciting in this rear room. + +June 5, 1912. Seven unescorted women. One of these, Emma X 884, said that +she meets some good men in this place. Another girl was Minnie X 885. + +June 8, 1912. Pauline X 886 was engaged in soliciting in this rear room. + +August 7, 1912. Three unescorted women. One of these was Emma X 887. + +September 26, 1912. Five unescorted women. One of these was Rose X 888. + +October 2, 1912. Five unescorted women. One of these was Mary X 889. + +October 3, 1912. Mary X 889 was again in this saloon. + +Previous records: + +February 1, 1912. Cafe and rear room. Women enter without escorts and +solicit men in this place. + +January 13, 1912. The proprietor of this place has given cash bond. + + * * * * * + +February 13, 1912. 9 to 12 P. M. X 890, W. 40th Street. Ten unescorted +women at the tables. Six of these women beckoned to investigator to come +to their tables. A number of these girls have been seen soliciting on +Broadway. During the evening 7 couples left this place and went to the +Hotel X 891. At 12 P. M. on this date, X 892, a prostitute, solicited +investigator to go to a hotel. + +June 8, 1912. Number of unescorted women in this saloon. + +Previous records: + +This place is on the police list, alleged disorderly. Proprietor has given +a cash bond. + + + + +APPENDIX XIII + +MISCELLANEOUS PLACES: ADDITIONAL DATA + + +February 6, 1912. 3 A. M. Pool room and barber shop at X 300, West 28th +Street. Conducted by two or three men who sell liquor without a license at +5 cents per glass. One of the customers in the place solicited a man to go +to a house of prostitution at X 25, Sixth Avenue. The man's name is X 301. + +A man by the name of X 302 conducts a pool parlor and cigar store at X +303, Second Avenue. A pimp named X 304, frequents this place. X 305, +another pimp, was at this place on February 5, 1912. + +About nine years ago a woman named Rosie X 306 opened a hair dressing +parlor on Second Avenue. She now has the same kind of a parlor at X 307, +Second Avenue. It is a rendezvous for prostitutes, and Rosie's husband is +a bail bondsman for these women when they are arrested. Rosie sells these +women dresses, hats, kimonos, feathers, and hair goods, either for cash or +on the instalment plan. One of the methods used by X 306 to draw trade is +to allow messages and mail for prostitutes and their pimps to be delivered +at her parlor. One of the prostitutes is the wife of X 308. She is a +street walker and also a shoplifter. Becky X 309 and her sister Sarah, +who solicit on the Bowery, both go to Rosie's to have their hair dressed. + +February 9, 1912. Twenty-five pimps, gamblers and crooks were in the +restaurant at X 311, Second Avenue. The chief amusement of these men is +gambling, playing such games as stuss, poker, and "klobiosh." These pimps +receive at this place telephone messages from their women on the streets +or in vice resorts, and make arrangements in connection with arrests and +other deals. Among the pimps who were seen here at different times were +Louis X 312, Harry X 313, Joe X 314, Sam X 315, Joe X 316, and Sam X 317. + + + + +APPENDIX XIV + +SHIPPING WOMEN: ADDITIONAL DATA + + +X 47, alias X 47-a, who is part owner in X 46 West 25th Street, has had +his woman in England, Russia, South Africa, Dallas, Texas, and Seattle, +Washington. He travels back and forth between South Africa and New York. + +X 431 took his woman, X 432, to Africa and China, and now has her in a +house of prostitution in Texas, the city being either Dallas or Fort +Worth. + +X 316, alias X 316-a, alias X 316-b, sends his women out to western cities +of this country. + +X 433, a pimp, had a German girl for his woman and sent her to Denver, +Colorado. She "threw him down" and now he has another girl named Ida, whom +he broke into the business of prostitution. When she was in Philadelphia +she is said to have made as much as $200 for him every week. He then sent +her west. She returned, and he sent her west again. + +X 434, the wife of X 435, a pimp, has been sent out west. One week she +sent X 435 $150. Formerly she was with him in Portland, Oregon, Salt Lake +City, Utah, and Billings, Montana. + +X 402, alias X 402-a, has sent his woman to South Africa and to Brazil. + +X 47-a took his wife, Ida, to South Africa seven years ago. + +Ray, the wife of X 407, alias X 407-a, is now in Providence, Rhode Island, +in a house of prostitution. + +X 406, alias X 406-a, has just returned from Denver. X 436 once took her +to Philadelphia; when the houses there were broken up and they were +arrested, they "skipped" their bail. + +X 410, owner of a house of prostitution, has sent his woman to South +Africa, Philadelphia and St Louis. He has a house in Philadelphia, which +is now conducted by one of his women, Rosie. + +X 437, alias X 437-a, alias X 437-b, has sent his women to the western +cities of this country. One of his women at the present time is X 438, +alias X 438-a, alias X 438-b. + +X 439, who is part owner of the house of prostitution at X 426, Sixth +Avenue, has sent his woman Minnie to Alaska three times, and it is said +that each time she came back with between $4,000 and $5,000, all of which +she gave to him. + +X 73, who is a part owner of the house of prostitution at X 67, West 25th +Street, sent his girls to all the cities of the west--Seattle, Tacoma, +Denver, San Francisco--and also to Philadelphia. + +X 440, alias X 440-a, pimp, has traveled with several of his women all +over the country. He is now located in Boston. + +X 441 conducts a house of prostitution on Percy Street, Philadelphia. + +X 442 conducts a house of prostitution in Paterson, New Jersey. X 443 and +X 444 have sent girls to him there. + +X 445, who is part owner in a house of prostitution at X 441, Montrose +Avenue, Brooklyn, has sent his women to Omaha, Philadelphia and St. Louis. +Lena, one of his girls, is now in Philadelphia; she has been in Omaha and +St. Louis. + +X 110 has conducted a house of prostitution in South Africa, and at +present is interested in X 109, West 40th Street--a house of prostitution. + +X 145-a, alias X 415, who is a part owner in X 416, West 36th Street, has +been in South Africa, with his woman, from which place he went to Chicago. + +X 34, partner in at least 11 houses of prostitution, has sent his woman, X +87, to Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, and other cities of the west. He also +sent another woman, X 86, west over practically the same route. + +X 69, who is partner with his brother, X 68, in the house of prostitution +at X 78, West 27th Street, had a woman named Becky, whom he sent to the +western cities of this country. + +X 446 recently sent his woman to Stockton, California. She sent him $150 +and he followed her to that city. Since then they have been in Seattle, +San Francisco, and other western cities. In going from one city to another +with his woman, X 446 was apprehended by the authorities and sentenced to +one year in prison. + +X 429, who hangs out at X 400, Second Avenue, sent his woman to El Paso, +Texas. The immigration authorities arrested her and are at this writing +still holding her. X 429 also has a girl in Buenos Ayres at the present +time. + +X 447 has had his girl in San Diego, Denver, Wilkesbarre, Pennsylvania. +At the present time she is in California. + +X 448, who owns X 499, East 13th Street, has been in houses of +prostitution in San Francisco and Seattle. + +X 450, who is now in New Orleans, had his girl there. She is now in New +York City with a return ticket to New Orleans. + +X 451, who now has X 452 as his woman, has sent women to houses of +prostitution in New Orleans, Fort Worth, and Houston. X 452 lately +returned from Texas. + +X 424, alias X 424-a, has left with his woman for South Africa. + +X 387, alias X 387-a, part owner of X 425, West 28th Street with his +brother, X 424, alias X 424-a, had his wife in a house in South Africa, +where he ran houses of prostitution. + +X 453, alias X 453-a, has sent his woman Jennie to houses of prostitution +in Denver, Spokane, Seattle, Tacoma and other western cities. She was in +Denver four months ago. When in Spokane it is said she made $2,700 in two +or three months. + +X 443, alias X 443-a, has taken his woman Becky to Philadelphia. It is now +supposed that she is either in Globe, Arizona or Havana, Cuba. + +X 454 has a girl in New Orleans; she left him when he took a married woman +to that city. X 454 has another girl named Rosie in a city in the west. + +X 455 sent his girl Ida to Brazil, from whence she has returned. He is +thinking of sending her back to Brazil. + +X 328-a has a girl Sophia in New Orleans. She is about 24 or 25 years of +age, 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighs about 135 pounds, dark hair, was born in +Russia and has been in the United States about 7 or 8 years. + +X 428 has had two women. One woman left him. The other woman is in Panama +and he expects her back soon. He has had her in houses of prostitution in +Chicago, New Orleans, Brazil and Panama. + +X 385 had a woman whom he sent to Brazil. She returned, but with another +pimp. + +X 456 has been unfortunate. He sent three women west and lost all of them. + +X 390 has sent his women to western cities to work in houses of +prostitution four or five times. + +He has also taken his girls to houses of prostitution in Chicago, and has +one girl there at the present time. + +X 453-a has had his woman Jennie in cities of the west three or four +times. X 453-a is part owner in X 459, West 24th Street. + +X 427, a pimp, sent his woman Fanny to Butte, Montana, about five weeks +ago, from which place she sent him $150, the first week. + +X 444 sent his woman to Panama five years ago and she left him. + +X 314 has had his women in houses of prostitution in Seattle and +Philadelphia. + +X 460 has had his women in houses in Boston, Philadelphia and New Orleans. + +X 461 has had his women in houses in Philadelphia and Boston. + +X 439, partner in X 426, Sixth Avenue, a house of prostitution, sent his +woman Ida to Tacoma, Washington. For a protracted period she is said to +have sent him $100 every week. + + + + +INDEX + + + Amusement Parks, 75. + + + Business of Prostitution, 112; + Receipts, 126-133. + + + Cadet, 87. + + Call Houses in Tenements, 29. + + Census, Tenements, 26. + + Chicago Vice Commission, 111. + + Cider Stubes in Tenements, 30. + + Conditions in 1907, 10. + + Concert Halls in Amusement Parks, 75. + + Committee of Fourteen, 34. + + Correctional Work, 267. + + Customers, 13, 108, 111. + + + Dance Halls, 67, 76. + + Davis, Katharine Bement, 163. + + District Attorney, 123. + + + Excursion Boats, 73. + + Exploiters, The, 77, etc. + + + Fifty-cent Houses, 16, etc. + + Five and Ten Dollar Houses, 42, etc. + + + Hotels, Disorderly, 33 etc.; Appendix XI. + + + Independent Benevolent Association, 41. + + Inmates, Numbers of; Appendix III. + + Investigators' Reports, 140-142. + + Investigation, Period of, 4. + + + Key, Explanation of, 7. + + + Law, Tenement House, 24. + + Leasing Property, 113. + + Lighthouse, 7. + + Liquor Licenses, Revocation of, 161; + Sale of in Vice Resorts, 15. + + Lookouts, 12. + + + Madames, 92, etc. + + Massage Parlors, 45, etc. + + Medical Certificates, 9. + + Miscellaneous Places, 59; Appendix XIII. + + Morals Survey Committee, 111. + + + One Dollar Houses, 17, etc. + + Owners of Houses, etc., 77; + of Property, 114. + + + Parks, 73. + + Parlor Houses, 4, etc.; Appendix IX. + + Pimps, 64, 87. + + Places which Cater to Vice, 52; Appendix II. + + Police Precincts, Reports of Police on, 138-139. + + Police Rules and Regulations, 137; Appendix VIII. + + Police Commissioner, 123. + + Prevention Agencies, 253, etc. + + Procurers, 85. + + Prostitutes, Professional in Manhattan, 100; + personal histories, 101; + birthplaces, 101, 102, 198, 199, 243; + nationality of parents, 200-203; + previous occupations, 102, 103, 112, 231, 247; + reasons for entering life, 103, 225, 241, 249; + salaries in occupations, 105, 106, 210, 234; + age of first sexual offense, 106, 216, 224, 232; + age when entering life, 107, 245; + length of time in business, 108; + earnings from prostitution, 222, 239, 246; + committed to Bedford Reformatory, 163. + + Prostitution, the Police and the Law, 137. + + Public Parks, 76. + + + Reformation Work, 258. + + Renting Property, 113, 114. + + Runners, 12. + + + Saloons, Disorderly, 53; Appendix XII. + + Shares, Trading in, 118. + + Shipping Women, 85; Appendix XIV. + + Social Evil in Chicago, Report on, 111. + + Special Sessions, 160, 161. + + Stars in Parlor Houses, 7. + + State Reformatory at Bedford Hill, 163, etc., 267. + + Stolen Goods, Buyers of, 97. + + Streets, Soliciting, 65; Appendix VII. + + Street Walkers, Receipts of, 121. + + + Tenements, Vice Resorts in, 24; Appendix V, Appendix X; + department records, 144. + + Trading in Shares, 118. + + + Venereal Diseases in New York City Hospitals, 134-136; + at Bedford Reformatory, 188, etc.; + other institutions, 240. + + Vice Resorts in Parlor Houses, 3; + in Tenements, 24; + Massage Parlors, 45. + + + Watchboys, 12. + + White Slaves, 85. + + + + +Footnotes: + +[1] Attention is called to the fact that the vice resorts described in the +following pages are all situated in Manhattan, this being the only section +of Greater New York considered in the present investigation. + +[2] All statements made on the basis of our investigation are to be +understood as of this period. There is no implication as to conditions +before or after those dates. Where a statement under any other date is +intended, that fact is noted. This caution applies to the entire book and +will not be repeated. + +[3] See Chapter II. + +[4] See Chapter IV. + +[5] X 2. The foregoing sign is the key by which the woman referred to can +be identified in our records. At this point, I shall explain once for all +a system which will be continued throughout this book. The persons, +places, and exhibits mentioned or referred to in the text are invariably +definite and concrete. A complete register of them has been made, each +item being lettered and numbered. The sign X 2 in the present instance +enables the writer promptly to put his finger on the name, address, etc., +of the person designated. This is equally true of all future references +similarly indicated. + +[6] For additional samples, see Chapter VI. + +[7] Among our exhibits are several business cards belonging to the +physicians here alluded to. + +[8] X 461. + +[9] X 1. + +[10] X 473. + +[11] X 415-a. + +[12] Discharging his present doctor, X 474. + +[13] For details and results, see Chapter VII. + +[14] Among them X 189, X 470, X 472. + +[15] Among the cabmen who are active in promoting this business are X 85, +Joe X 22, Louis X 24, X 483, X 484, X 485, X 486, X 487, X 488, and X 489. +As a rule the men do not own their cabs, but hire them by the day or night +from proprietors of livery stables. In any case, they are supposed to have +a license, which costs fifty cents per year. + +[16] X 490. + +[17] At 10.40 P. M., on March 25, 1912, the bartender in a saloon on +Manhattan Avenue suggested to a man that he visit an apartment in a +tenement house at (X 475) West 111th Street. A waiter in a disorderly +saloon at (X 476) Seventh Avenue endeavored to persuade a man in the rear +room to go to a house on the second floor of a building at (X 147) +Broadway. The waiter said there were three women in this resort and the +price was only $5. Liquor was sold there at $2 per round. + +[18] X 3. + +[19] X 4. + +[20] X 9 + +[21] X 11. + +[22] X 12. + +[23] X 13 + +[24] X 19. + +[25] X 20. + +[26] X 894. + +[27] X 21 + +[28] X 22 + +[29] The event alluded to is the murder of a notorious gambler, which +shortly resulted in a change of attitude on the subject under discussion. +See Chapter VII. + +[30] X 25 + +[31] X 41 + +[32] X 59 + +[33] X 16 + +[34] Additional data, Parlor Houses, Appendix IX; also Appendix III, +"Inmates of Vice Resorts." + +[35] Including apartment houses. + +[36] X 112, X 113, X 114. + +[37] X 115. + +[38] X 117, X 118. + +[39] The original copy of this letter is on file. The woman's name and +address are X 119, X 120. + +[40] X 121. + +[41] X 122. + +[42] Bryant, X 124. + +[43] X 123. + +[44] X 125. + +[45] X 126. + +For further examples, the reader is referred to Appendix X, "Additional +Data--Tenements." + +[46] X 147. + +[47] X 164. + +[48] X 182. + +[49] New York, A. H. Kellogg Co. (1910), p. 38. + +[50] This $800 fee was imposed in Manhattan and the Bronx and was the rate +established by the Raines Law at the time of its passage. The rate of $200 +was the tax for saloons prior to the passage of the Raines Law. + +[51] Report of The Committee of Fourteen, 1912. + +[52] X 207. + +[53] X 208. + +[54] As to this and other hotels, repeated observation at different +periods established the notorious character of the places. Corroborative +evidence is collected in Appendix XI, "Additional Data, Hotels." + +[55] X 253. + +[56] X 261. + +[57] X 262. + +[58] X 246. + +[59] X 248. + +[60] X 247. + +[61] X 250-a. + +[62] X 250. + +[63] X 251. + +[64] X 251-a + +[65] Wanted--Female. + +[66] X 251-b. + +[67] For a statistical summary of vice resorts, see Appendix I. + +[68] "Christianizing the Social Order," p. 268. + +[69] Mr. Arthur H. Gleason brought out this point in two articles under +the title of "The Saloon in New York," published in _Collier's Weekly_, in +the issues of April 25 and May 2, 1908. + +[70] X 263. + +[71] X 264, X 265. + +[72] X 265. + +[73] X 264. + +[74] X 269. + +[75] X 274. + +[76] X 275. + +[77] X 276. + +[78] For additional illustrations see Appendix XII--"Additional +Data--Saloons." + +[79] X 108. + +[80] X 295. + +[81] X 296. + +[82] X 297. + +[83] A "line up" is the ruin of a girl who flirts with men and accepts +their advances and immoral suggestions. Finally she yields to an +invitation to visit a furnished room and the word quickly passes among the +"gang." One by one the boys and men, perhaps only two or three, perhaps +more, visit this room. + +[84] By X 298 at X 299. + +[85] X 298, X 299. + +[86] For further illustrations, see Appendix XIII--"Additional +Data--Miscellaneous Places." + +[87] For detailed statistical statements respecting street-conditions, see +Appendix VII, p. 281. + +[88] X 318. + +[89] X 319. + +[90] X 320. + +[91] X 321. + +[92] X 322. + +[93] X 328. + +[94] X 330. + +[95] X 320, X 320-a. + +[96] Given by Club X 341. + +[97] X 342. + +[98] X 343. + +[99] X 352. + +[100] X 353. + +[101] X 357. + +[102] X 358. + +[103] By the X 362 Club. + +[104] X 368. + +[105] X 369. + +[106] X 370. + +[107] X 374. + +[108] X 373. + +[109] X 376. + +[110] For statistical details as to parks catering to prostitution, see +Appendix II, "Summary of Resorts Catering to Vice." + +[111] A "creep house" is a place where women take men to rob them. + +[112] X 382. + +[113] X 108-a. + +[114] X 46. + +[115] X 34. + +[116] X 86, X 87. + +[117] X 383. + +[118] X 384. + +[119] X 402. + +[120] X 403. + +[121] X 407. + +[122] X 467. + +[123] X 408. + +[124] X 258, 409. + +[125] X 73. + +[126] X 414. + +[127] X 416. + +[128] X 421. + +[129] X 311. + +[130] X 68. + +[131] X 426. + +[132] For further details, see Appendix XIV, "Additional Data--Shipping +Women." + +[133] X 385. + +[134] X 386. + +[135] X 385-a. + +[136] X 68, X 386-a, X 386, X 387, X 388, X 389. + +[137] X 386, X 387. + +[138] X 88, X 163, X 393, X 74. + +[139] X 386. + +[140] X 385. + +[141] X 340. + +[142] X 396. + +[143] X 393. + +[144] X 399. + +[145] X 400. + +[146] X 427. + +[147] X 382-a. + +[148] X 87. + +[149] X 34. + +[150] X 501. + +[151] X 260. + +[152] X 183. + +[153] X 463. + +[154] X 44. + +[155] X 502. + +[156] X 518. + +[157] Kept by Madame X 519. + +[158] X 116. + +[159] X 520. + +[160] X 50. + +[161] X 108. + +[162] X 540. + +[163] X 51. + +[164] X 46. + +[165] X 17. + +[166] X 59. + +[167] Named X 522. + +[168] X 507. + +[169] X 493. + +[170] By X 508. + +[171] X 418, X 509. + +[172] X 419. + +[173] This expression means that the girls should be broken into the +business in some private place, until they were fitted for the public +houses. + +[174] For statistical details, see Appendix III, "Inmates of Vice +Resorts." + +[175] See Chapter VIII. + +[176] See Report on "Relation between Occupation and Criminality of +Women," page 29, being Vol. XV of Report on Conditions of Women and Child +Wage-Earners in the United States. + +It is further to be remembered, in accounting for the disproportionate +number of servants among those arrested, that, as Miss Jane Addams has +pointed out, many of these girls have had such brief periods of domestic +employment that they cannot fairly be reckoned in the servant class. They +describe themselves as such merely in default of any other convenient +term; they may have served for a few days here or there, but, strictly +speaking, they have no calling at all. + +[177] This statement is substantiated by the findings of a private +investigation made in New York City during 1912. + +[178] X 33 and X 9. + +[179] X 541. + +[180] X 545. + +[181] See "The Social Evil in Chicago, Report of the Chicago Vice +Commission," page 101. + +[182] See "The Social Evil in Syracuse, N. Y., Report of the Morals Survey +Committee," page 95. + +[183] X 428. + +[184] X 428-a. + +[185] X 423. + +[186] X 548. + +[187] X 111, X 549, X 550. + +[188] To X 110. + +[189] X 47-a, X 408. + +[190] X 12. + +[191] X 554. + +[192] X 552. + +[193] X 462. + +[194] X 387. + +[195] X 463. + +[196] X 465, 466. + +[197] X 467, 468. + +[198] X 469. + +[199] X 109. + +[200] X 562. + +[201] X 563. + +[202] X 564. + +[203] X 565. + +[204] The other two houses, making the 30 resorts later referred to under +"Receipts," are operated by women. + +[205] X 34. + +[206] X 419. + +[207] X 16. + +[208] X 583. + +[209] X 585. + +[210] X 568. + +[211] X 575. + +[212] X 423. + +[213] X 110. + +[214] X 109. + +[215] X 403. + +[216] The houses and individuals involved in all the above transactions +are identified in our records. + +[217] The parties involved were X 72, X 586, X 69, X 415. + +[218] The persons and places are X 407, X 67, X 59, X 72-a. + +[219] X 73. + +[220] X 72. + +[221] Persons and places: X 417, X 403, X 69. + +[222] X 751. + +[223] The girl gets one-half, the house one-half. + +[224] The effort is made to meet these expenses by the charge made for +board--a charge paid by the inmates out of their "half." + +[225] From this point to the end of the table, shops occupy the first +floors of the buildings named. + +[226] For itemized account of certain expenses, see Appendix VI, p. 280. + +[227] For itemized account of certain expenses, see Appendix V, p. 279. + +[228] For itemized statement of certain expenses, similarly obtained, see +Appendix IV, p. 278. + +[229] For Rules and Regulations made pursuant to charter provisions, see +Appendix VIII, p. 283. + +[230] This table was compiled for the Aldermanic Committee appointed to +investigate the police department, which fact explains why the period does +not coincide with that of our own investigations. The table is a matter of +public record. + +[231] In 40 of these cases, the complaint was dismissed as having "No +basis." In 194 cases, the cause of complaint was removed, and in 8 cases +no action was necessary. In 6 cases, a violation was held. Police made +arrests in 153 of these cases. + +[232] X 387, X 387-a, X 424-a, X 596. + +[233] X 462. + +[234] Among them X 598, X 599, X 600, X 601, X 602. + +[235] X 603-604. + +[236] The persons and places involved are: X 34, X 108, X 608, X 609, X +610, X 611, X 600, X 598, X 613. + +[237] Persons and places involved: X 108, X 44, X 502, X 659, X 415, X +416, X 414, X 542, X 11, X 663, X 664, X 407, X 73, X 67. + +[238] X 662. + +[239] X 108. + +[240] X 34. + +[241] X 500. + +[242] X 572. + +[243] X 665, 666. + +[244] X 670. + +[245] X 671. + +[246] X 672, X 673, X 674. + +[247] X 26. + +[248] X 9. + +[249] X 685. + +[250] X 691. + +[251] X 116. + +[252] X 519. + +[253] The commander of the inspection district, X 653. + +[254] X 691. + +[255] X 108. + +[256] Our investigators made frequent reports showing that street walkers +and others repeatedly prosecuted their business under the eyes of police +officers without interference. + +[257] X 109. + +[258] X 610. + +[259] X 68. + +[260] X 9. + +[261] X 706. + +[262] X 707. + +[263] X 230. + +[264] X 708. + +[265] X 729. + +[266] X 556, X 557. + +[267] X 626. + +[268] X 426. + +[269] X 741. + +[270] Owner X 34. + +[271] X 311. + +[272] X 658. + +[273] X 34, 47, 413-a, 44, 705, 418, 387-a and 746. + +[274] X 502, X 570, X 459. + +[275] X 33, X 11, X 403. + +[276] X 16. + +[277] X 419. + +[278] X 34. + +[279] At X 108. + +[280] X 587. + +[281] X 778. + +[282] X 33. + +[283] X 419. + +[284] X 93. + +[285] X 781. + +[286] X 34. + +[287] X 610. + +[288] X 598. + +[289] These are indexed in our records as follows: + + X 791 W. 26th Street, owners X 17 and X 34. + X 78 W. 27th Street, owners X 68 and X 69. + X 419 W. 28th Street, owners X 418, X 509, and X 34. + X 792 W. 29th Street, owners X 15. + X 16 W. 31st Street, owners X 34, and a woman. + X 254 W. 34th Street, owners X 793. + X 33 Sixth Avenue, owners X 34. + X 11 Sixth Avenue, owners X 542, X 705, and X 34's nephew and + brother. + X 659 W. 40th Street, owners X 103 and X 44. + X 93 W. 40th Street, owners X 34. + X 582 W. 40th Street, owners X 408. + +[290] X 17. + +[291] X 59. + +[292] X 16. + +[293] X 415-a. + +[294] X 804. + +[295] X 12. + +[296] X 67. + +[297] X 415-a, X 34, X 633 were concerned in this alleged deal. + +[298] X 608. + +[299] X 587. + +[300] X 108. + +[301] X 832. + +[302] X 833. + +[303] The above data are derived from the report made by the Committee of +Fourteen for 1912. + +[304] For purposes of comparison studies were also made of 610 girls in 7 +other New York city and state institutions and of 1106 street walkers. See +pp. 197 etc. + +[305] See Page 229. + +[306] See Page No. 243. + +[307] These tests were made by Dr. Archibald McNeil, of the Research +Laboratory, Department of Health, New York City. + +[308] All smears were prepared and examined in duplicate and were stained +by Grams method, pure cultures of staphylococci and colon bacilli being +used as controls. In one case the smear was positive and the complement +fixation test for gonorrhoea was negative, but as a rule antibodies +against the gonococcus do not appear in the blood during the acute stage +of the disease, so it may frequently happen that we may have positive +smears and negative complement fixation tests in recent cases. At a later +period, however, the complement fixation test is almost invariably +positive. + +The complement fixation tests were all performed in duplicate as a check +on any possible errors in technique. The anti-sheep haemolytic system with +inactive sera was used with the alcoholic extract guinea pig heart for an +antigen in the syphilis tests and an antigen prepared from ten varieties +of gonococci was used in the tests for gonorrhoea. + +All of the tests were made in sets of twelve, each set being fully +controlled. + +The blood specimens were unaccompanied by histories and the laboratory +results were not in any way influenced by clinical findings. + +[309] These percentages were taken from the combined results of the tests +made at both incubator and ice box temperature. + +[310] That is to say, the only girls who figure in the present study were +girls who were before commitment engaged in prostitution in New York City. + +[311] New York Tribune Almanac, 1912. + +[312] New York City, 290 = 59.20%. + +[313] Note: 7 cards, no information. + +[314] Preliminary Bulletin issued by U. S. Census Bureau (Census of 1910) +Dec. 29, 1911. + +[315] See page 271. + +[316] See Rules and Regulations of the Police Department, 1908, page 115. + +[317] Ibid., page 115. + +[318] Ibid., page 120. + +[319] Ibid., page 130. + + + + +Transcriber's Notes: + +Passages in italics are indicated by _italics_. + +Punctuation has been corrected without note. + +The following misprints have been corrected: + "Ninty" corrected to "Ninety" (page 67) + "dispossssed" corrected to "dispossessed" (page 94) + missing "XLIX" added (page 165) + "syphhilis" corrected to "syphilis" (page 188) + "20.33%%" corrected to "20.33-1/3%" (page 216) + "Colorada" corrected to "Colorado" (page 229) + "home making" corrected to "home-making" (page 259) + "Physicial" corrected to "Physical" (page 260) + "p. --" changed to "p. 281" (footnote 87) + "Statisticals" corrected to "statistical" (footnote 110) + +Other than the corrections listed above, inconsistencies in spelling and +hyphenation have been retained from the original. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Commercialized Prostitution in New +York City, by George Jackson Kneeland + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK COMMERCIALIZED PROSTITUTION IN NEW YORK *** + +***** This file should be named 36506.txt or 36506.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/6/5/0/36506/ + +Produced by Bryan Ness and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was +produced from images generously made available by The +Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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