CHAPTER VIII_Commercialized Prostitution in New York City

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_

-----------------------------------------------------------

Both parents| the same |-----------| | |

|-----------|-----------|-------|------|

| different |-----------| | |

| countries |Colored 1| 38 | 330 | 51. %

------------|-----------|-----------|-------|------|-------

|U. S. |-----------| | |

| |Colored 2| 36 | |

One parent |-----------|-----------|-------|------|--------

|U. S. |-----------| | |

| |Colored 2| 30 | |

|-----------|-----------|-------| |

|-----------|-----------|-------| |

|unknown |White | 7 | 80 | 12.37%

------------------------|-----------|-------|------|-------

Both parents born |White 120| 18.54%| |

in the U. S. |-----------| | |

|Colored 68| 10.52 | 188 | 29.06%

------------------------|-----------|-------|------|-------

born in the |U. S. |-----------| | |

other |-----------|-----------|-------|------|

|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

------------------------------------------------------------------------

City[311] in | | Pop. | 647 | | Cases

1912 | | | | |

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Native white | 921,130 | 19.3% |Native white| 120 | 18.5

Native white | 1,820,374 | 38.2 |Native white| 327 | 50.5

Negro-- | 91,702 | 1.92 |Negro-- | 89 | 13.64

------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

+----+----+----+----+---------+---------+---------+---------

| | | | | | | |

| 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|

----+-------+-------+--+--+--+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+

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

+----+----+----+----+----+---------+-------

| 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|

-----------+--------+-----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+

occupations|34 cases| . | . | . | . | . | 1 | 1 | . | 2 | . |

Domestic | Low | | | | | | | | | | |

Service |34 cases| . | . | . | 3 | . | 5 | 2 | . | 6 | 2 |

| | | | | | | | | | | |

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|

| | | | | | | | | |

------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+

| | 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

----+-------+-------+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---

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|

-------+-------+-------+----+-----+------+------+------+------+------+

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

-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+------+----------+-------

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