New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction; Prostitutes -- Fiction
We find also that these persons ill-treat and abuse the women with
whom they live and beat them at times in order to force them to
greater activity and longer hours of work on the streets. This is
illustrated in the case of another defendant who was indicted and
convicted for brutally slashing with a knife the face of "his girl"
and leaving her disfigured for life, merely because she was no longer
willing to prostitute herself for his benefit.
In this connection mention should be made of the moving picture shows
as furnishing to this class of persons an opportunity for leading
girls into a life of shame. These shows naturally attract large
numbers of children, and while the law provides that no child under
the age of sixteen shall be allowed to attend them unaccompanied by
parent or guardian, it is a fact, as shown by the number of arrests
and convictions that the law is frequently violated. Evidence upon
which indictments have been found and convictions subsequently
secured, has been given which shows that, in spite of the activities
of the authorities in watching these places, many girls owe their
ruin to frequenting them. An instance of the above is the case of a
defendant indicted by this Grand Jury and convicted before Your
Honor, where three girls met as many young men at a Harlem moving
picture show. At the end of the performance, the young men were
taken by an employee of the place through a door in the rear into a
connecting building--used as a fire exit for the moving picture
show--where they met the girls and all passed the night together.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children has furnished
statistics showing that since the 13th day of December, 1906, 33
cases of rape and seduction originated in moving picture shows, in
some instances the perpetrators being the employees of the shows.
It is not the purpose of this reference to bring an indictment
against the moving picture show, which under proper restrictions may
be an important and valuable educational and recreative factor, but
rather to point out possible dangers inherent in performances carried
on in the darkness and the importance of the observance of safeguards
by parents or guardians, and of the strict enforcement of the law for
the protection of children.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account