We have always found the police ready to help in any practical line. It is now nearly three years since Superintendent Bell of Midnight Mission, Miss Lucy A. Hall, a deaconess of the Methodist Episcopal Church and myself made a thorough canvass of the red-light district and put the Illinois Statute on White Slavery in the hands of nearly every dive keeper, madam and many of the prostitutes themselves. This is the form of that leaflet distributed, which had no small part in starting the crusade against the White Slavers in Chicago.
It is a penitentiary offense to detain any woman in a house of prostitution against her will.
The Criminal Code of Illinois makes the following provision for the punishment of this crime against American liberty:
Sec. 57c. "Whoever shall unlawfully detain or confine any female, by force, false pretense or intimidation, in any room, house, building or premises in this State, against the will of such female, for purposes of prostitution or with intent to cause such female to become a prostitute, and be guilty of fornication or concubinage therein, or shall by force, false pretense, confinement or intimidation attempt to prevent any female so as aforesaid detained, from leaving such room, house, building or premises, and whoever aids, assists or abets by force, false pretense, confinement or intimidation, in keeping, confining or unlawfully detaining any female in any room, house, building or premises in this State, against the will of such female, for the purpose of prostitution, fornication or concubinage, shall on conviction, be imprisoned in the penitentiary not less than one nor more than ten years."
No "white slave" need remain in slavery in this State of Abraham Lincoln who made the black slaves free. "For freedom did Christ set us free. Be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage," which is the yoke of sin and evil habit.
In this canvass we had the most cordial support of the police. Captain Harding of the 22nd Street Station detailed a detective to accompany us and he showed us the most faithful attention.
It was in this canvass that we visited the most infamous and notorious house in the West. The madam of this particular house told us, in the presence of the policeman, that she had paid $160.00 each for two girls that had been sent her from the South. She also explained how safe her house was from violence and how free from disease, and yet, before our conversation ceased she admitted that she had placed 105 girls in a neighboring Christian hospital for treatment. Since then that hospital has stopped doing this sort of business. The President of the institution attested the truth of the woman's statement and afterward put an end to her patronage of his hospital. Only last winter I had the opportunity of holding a Christian service in that same house of shame. Two of our lady workers secured permission to conduct such a meeting for the poor girls and invited me to take charge of the service. On a Sunday night at about 12:30 four of us went to that house and preached Christ to some fourteen of the poor creatures. One of them, a married woman, was rescued the next night. We had assurances that two or three others determined to quit the evil life and go home. The meeting was such a success, from our point of view, that the madam said she did not think another service of the sort could be arranged. There are, however, many places open for just such effort and Pastors that have the support of their Churches and can find a company of faithful, sensible companions in the work, can powerfully assault the strongholds of Satan in the dark places of the cities. This phase of the work is difficult, delicate and perhaps dangerous. The most fruitful and most possible kind of effort on behalf of the outcasts is in the open air meetings, the street gatherings, where the gospel can be sung and preached by the hour. Crowds of men, mostly young men, stand for hours listening to the familiar hymns and the old, old story of the Cross. Where is the Pastor more needed than in just such gatherings? Let it be said for the Pastors of Chicago, that the mightiest of them have counted it a joy and privilege to preach from the curb-pulpit of The Midnight Mission. If the list of the ministers, lawyers, judges, physicians, teachers, deacons and other laymen was given here it would look like an honor roll of the City of Chicago. The presence of the Pastor in this sort of work is of value from more points of view than that of preaching alone. To see the accepted ministers of the city in such meetings is to lift the meetings to a plane with the Church work and worship. It gives protection to the workers when the Pastor can not be with them. It secures the respectful attention of the unchurched portion of the community and assures the police that the efforts are sane, sound and determined. It should be the purpose of every Pastor to promote such open air work for the sinful and hopeless of his city.
The Pastor is the channel through which the people can be stirred on these grave social questions. Let him educate his own flock and mightily agitate his own community. In the city of London the most influential clergymen are not hesitating to take the lead in reaching the submerged portions of the population. Witness this testimony found in "The Churchman" for May 2, 1908.