CHAPTER LVI

THE WHITE SLAVE TRAFFIC

BY HON. STANLEY W. FINCH

Special Commissioner for the Suppression of the White Slave Traffic, of the United States Department of Justice.

=The white slave traffic!=--What is it? Whom and what does it involve? Is it possible to suppress it, and if so, how?

These are questions which are being asked by thousands of people in all parts of the country, and it is my purpose to attempt, to some extent, at least, to answer them.

It is a fact that there are now scattered throughout practically every section of the United States a vast number of men and women whose sole occupation consists in enticing, tricking, or coercing young women and girls into immoral lives, and then either living directly off of their illicit earnings or transferring them, for a consideration to others for a similar purpose. In other words, these creatures make merchandise of womanhood and do a big, thriving business. Moreover, they are no respecters of persons. Their

one idea is to procure such persons to earn money for them, in order that they, themselves, may live in idleness and luxury; and while they prefer very young girls, they frequently select, as their victims, young women who are wives and mothers. Moreover, their methods have been so far developed and perfected that they seem to be able to ensnare almost any woman or girl whom they select for the purpose. This is indeed an extraordinary statement, and one almost passing belief, but that it is absolutely true no one can honestly doubt who reviews any considerable portion of the mass of evidence which is already in the possession of the Attorney General’s Bureau of Investigation. The idea which apparently prevails among many persons is that the victims of these fiends are simply girls who are naturally vicious. This is very far from the real truth. It is no doubt true that there are, among those unfortunates, some women, who, like all of their male patrons, are actuated solely by wantonness. However, by far the majority of them consist of young women and girls who have either been led to such lives by deception and trickery, or who have been driven by force and fraud.

=Devices used.=--The devices to which these human fiends resort in procuring and dealing with their victims are many and varied, and are such as are calculated to reach young women and girls in almost all of the different walks of life, but particularly those who, either from choice or by reason of economic conditions, go out into the business world and attempt to earn money for a livelihood, or for the many enticing luxuries of our modern civilization.

=The cleverly worded advertisement for help.=--This is perhaps one of the most insidious and effective instruments which is or can be used. By this means these traffickers are able to reach into every home and business establishment in the country and to ensnare even the most cautious and innocent, and those who are most carefully guarded and protected by their parents, husbands and other relatives and friends. Hence, it is true that no man’s daughter, sister, or wife--if she be young and attractive--is safe from the artifices and devices of these traffickers. Of course, since these human beasts of prey are primarily seeking what they consider “easy money,” their natural tendency is to operate along the lines of least resistance. They are generally shrewd, careful observers of human nature, and they are quick to perceive and to single out girls, who--while as yet honorable and virtuous--are inclined to be somewhat careless, and those who, through lack of, or distaste for, parental restraint, undertake to select their own companions, amusements and occupations. Among such young women and girls the white slaver finds a limitless and fertile field for his awful trade.

=Picture shows and dance halls.=--In this connection the theater, the moving picture show, the café, the skating rink, and the dance hall--while in themselves often useful and beneficial for education, entertainment, and exercise--become instruments which enable these conscienceless fiends to accomplish the downfall and eternal ruin of even the most innocent and virtuous of our young women and girls.

Only a few months ago a young country girl, twenty years of age, while attending a moving picture show in this very city, met a woman whom she thought to be a friend, and who offered to secure domestic employment for her in a distant Southern city. The young girl, herself innocent of any wrong, and unsuspicious, accepted the offer and, using the railroad ticket furnished her by her false friend, went to the address given, and not until she was imprisoned in that house and forcibly overpowered and ravished in the infamous effort to reduce her to that most awful slavery did this pure, brave-hearted girl realize that this woman here in Louisville was but the tool of a set of fiends to whom adequate punishment can never be administered by any of the processes of modern law. Through a fortunate chain of circumstances this young girl escaped the dreadful pit which is devouring thousands of other girls all over our land, but the awful business remains, a crying disgrace to our great country.

Among the many other cases shown by our records is one involving a girl seventeen years of age, of good character, who lived in one of the smaller cities on

Lake Michigan. This girl, while employed as a telephone operator, attended a dance, where she met a young man of good appearance and apparently of good character. This young man was, however, a procurer for a house of ill repute in one of our large cities and while accompanying this young girl along the country road to her home, he forcibly ravished and subsequently placed her in a house of ill fame. This young man is now serving a term of five years in the penitentiary and the girl was rescued from the life of shame and returned to her parents.

In another instance, a girl of sixteen, while spending the afternoon at a seaside resort of one of our largest cities, was approached by two white slave procurers, who exhibited bogus police badges and pretended to place her under arrest as a truant. Supposing that they were acting under proper authority she made no outcry, but accompanied them to a street car going in the direction of her home. The facts as to the manner in which this girl was subsequently intimidated by these fiends, and, under threats of death, compelled to go with them to a room, where she was ravished and subsequently placed on board a coastwise vessel and taken to a house of ill fame in another city and State, and there confined and compelled to receive foreigners and turn the earnings over to the master to whom she was sold by her captors, are almost unbelievable. However, these facts were clearly established in court during a trial, as a result of which the defendants are now serving terms in the penitentiary.

Another case which was recently prosecuted by our Bureau of Investigation involves a young girl who answered an advertisement which appeared in a leading paper in one of our largest Southern cities. Under a contract made pursuant to this advertisement this girl proceeded to a city in another Southern State for the purpose of complying with the terms of her contract of employment. She found, however, upon entering her place of employment, that, instead of being a respectable house, it was a house of ill fame. Upon attempting to leave the place she was forcibly detained and every effort was made to induce her to practice prostitution. However, she refused to do so, and, finally, with the aid of one of the patrons of the place, she secured assistance and was thereby enabled to leave. The defendant in this case was promptly convicted and is now confined in the penitentiary.

=Promises of marriage.=--In very many cases procurers endeavor, through promise of marriage or by actually going through the form of marriage, to obtain control of young women and girls, and finally force them into immoral lives. A case of this kind recently arose in one of the larger cities of the Middle West. In that case a girl seventeen years of age, and of good character, became acquainted, in an apparently unobjectionable manner, with a man who, like many of his kind, appeared, on the surface, to be of good character. After a brief courtship they were duly married and left on a wedding trip to a neighboring city, where the husband--claiming that he had lost his money and was unable to secure a position--attempted to persuade the young wife to engage in prostitution. She refused and was cruelly beaten by him. Apparently, however, even then she did not appreciate the nature of the creature to which she was married, and she went with him to one of our largest Eastern cities. There again he attempted to force her to engage in immoral practices, and upon her refusal she was beaten by him, food was withheld for days, and, finally, when she had reached the point of exhaustion and was thoroughly intimidated, she was forced by her husband to receive the foreigners whom he brought to her. By this means the girl was degraded to the point where her master was able to force her to solicit on the streets and finally she was transferred by her procurer, through a white slave agency in New York City, to a house of ill repute in the city of Washington, where she was when the facts as to the matter were developed by our Bureau. As

a result of the prosecution in this case, the defendant was sentenced to five years in the penitentiary at Atlanta, Georgia, where the managers of the agency through which she was sold are also confined. The girl was restored to her parents, and has since been living a respectable life.

=Examples.=--In another notorious case which occurred in one of our Southern cities, the defendant, who is now serving a term of three years in the Atlanta penitentiary, married a very young girl--a mere child--and took her from place to place, where he arranged with cab drivers and keepers of assignation houses for meetings between his wife and other men, he taking the proceeds. The investigation in this case showed that he had previously married other girls and mistreated them in a similar manner.

In another recent case, which arose in one of our Eastern cities, one of these white slavers, as a result of carefully laid plans, covering a considerable period, succeeded in separating a very young woman from her husband, and under the pretext of procuring a divorce and of marrying her, led her into an immoral life and finally succeeded in compelling her to practice prostitution and turn over her earnings to him.

There are a multitude of other cases in which young women and girls, from thirteen years of age and upwards, of good moral character, have, in a variety of ways, been led or driven, by deception, fraud and force, into becoming victims of the white slave trade.

=How these girls are retained.=--If there is one thing above another which it seems to be difficult for people to generally understand, with reference to the white slave traffic, it is with regard to the manner in which these girls are led to continue in their immoral lives and to surrender their earnings to the white slavers after the physical restraint, to which they are at first subjected, is removed, and they are placed in assignation houses or other houses of ill fame, or are forced to engage in street soliciting. While the facts as to this matter will probably never be fully understood, there are many circumstances which throw light upon the situation. In the first place it should be remembered that when these girls fall into the hands of procurers an attempt is made to debauch them, as speedily as possible, to such an extent that they, themselves, as well as everyone else, will feel that they are hopelessly lost and can never again be received by their families and friends, and that there is absolutely no chance for them to go back to their old modes of life. Many of these girls disappear in such a manner that their relatives and friends never know what has become of them. Their relatives sometimes fear the truth, but they hope against hope that they are mistaken, and when, after a time, they receive from the girl a communication--written at the dictation of her master--to the effect that she is engaged in some legitimate occupation and is happily situated, they are only too ready to believe that such is the case, and the girl, herself, no doubt takes comfort in the thought that her relatives and friends know nothing of the depths of degradation to which she has been driven. These circumstances serve the procurer well. He makes it his business to obtain full information as to the relatives and friends of the girl, and knowing the real facts as to her life, and knowing that she feels that it would be better to perish in that life than to bring shame upon her mother or father, or her other relatives or friends, he uses this knowledge as a club to force her to do his bidding. If at any time he sees a disposition on her part to leave him and to return home or to engage in some legitimate occupation, he threatens to tell her mother and her friends all about her, and to represent to them that she has voluntarily engaged in the nefarious business into which he himself has driven her.

These creatures also frequently represent to their poor slaves (whether truthfully or not it is not for me to say) that they “stand in” with the police authorities, and are able and ready at all times to protect them from arrest, or to secure their release by furnishing bail, or otherwise, in case of arrest,

provided they do their bidding. They also threaten to cause their arrest and imprisonment if these poor victims fail to do their bidding.

These representations and others, which readily occur to these unscrupulous traffickers, who hesitate at nothing in order to hold their victims, usually serve to induce girls to at least postpone the time when they will change their mode of living, and often enable these men to control them without physical restraint, other than an occasional beating, after they have had possession of them for a few months. One of the principal representations that is made by these men to the girls, in order to continue to hold them under their control, is that they are saving the money for them, in order that both may, within a short time, quit their improper mode of life and take up some legitimate line of business. The date when they are to take this step is, of course, put off from time to time, as necessity arises, in order to hold the services of the girl, and many false representations are made as to the manner in which the money is being saved, the whole purpose of the white slaver being to retain possession of the girl during the period of her greatest earning capacity, and eventually to drop her, or turn her over to some other trafficker when he finds it to his advantage, and opportunity arises, to procure a younger or more attractive girl for his use. Meanwhile the traffickers themselves take practically all of the earnings of their girl, or girls, as the case may be--except that portion which is appropriated by the madam of the house in which the girl is located--and spend it for flashy clothes and in gambling and drinking, they in some cases spending a portion of their time in soliciting trade for their slaves.

In most of our cities of any considerable size there are numerous restaurants and other places where these slavers congregate for the purpose of drinking, smoking and discussing their affairs. With them the girls are merely chattels, and are lightly spoken of by them as their “meal tickets” or their “stock,” and deals are made between them for the exchange of girls or for the turning of them over to other traffickers. As for the girl herself--between the madam, who usually receives one-half her earnings, and the man, to whom she is generally required to turn over all of the rest of her earnings, and by whom she is also held to a strict account, and is frequently beaten and otherwise abused if her earnings are not sufficient to satisfy him--the poor girl is indeed in a miserable plight. No other form of slavery which has ever been devised can equal her condition.

=A national disgrace.=--Hours and days might well be consumed in explaining the facts and conditions involved by this white slave traffic in the different sections of the country, but if it has been made clear that there is such a traffic, that it extends throughout our entire country, and that it involves conditions which are a disgrace to our nation, it would seem that little else need be said regarding this phase of the matter, unless it be to add that it is estimated that not less than 25,000 young women and girls are annually procured for this traffic, and that no less than 50,000 men and women are engaged in procuring and living on the earnings of these women and girls, and that the number of women and girls engaged in prostitution in this country at the present time is estimated at not less than 250,000.

=Power of the Federal Government to wipe out this awful traffic.=--These figures will give some idea of the enormity of the evil which is involved. Moreover, it will be apparent that the white slave evil is one of a national character and one which cannot be successfully dealt with by local authorities. That it should be suppressed there can be no question, and this leads us to consider the facts as to the means available for its suppression.

By the Constitution of the United States the Federal Government is given three important powers, which have a direct bearing upon this traffic.

(a) By Section 8 of Article I of the Constitution Congress is given power “to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the several States.”

(b) By the same article and section it is given authority “to establish postoffices and post roads.”

(c) By Section 1 of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution it is provided that “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction,” and by Section 2 of the same amendment it is provided that “Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”

It is believed that by these provisions sufficient authority has been vested in the Federal Government to enable it, by enacting and enforcing appropriate legislation, to absolutely wipe out every vestige of this awful traffic.

About two years ago, having in mind its powers under the interstate commerce clause of the Constitution, Congress enacted, under date of June 25, 1910, what is known as the White Slave Traffic Law, by which the transporting, or the persuading, enticing or coercing of women and girls to travel in interstate or foreign commerce, for the purpose of prostitution, or for any other immoral purpose, is made a crime.

This provision of law seems fairly well to provide such legislation as is necessary and proper under the interstate commerce clause of the Constitution. It is believed, however, that the hands of the government would be greatly strengthened in dealing with this traffic if the law were extended so as to make it a crime for persons to communicate by mail, telegraph, or in any other manner from one State or territory to another, or to any foreign country, for the purpose of inducing or persuading any woman or girl to travel in interstate or foreign commerce for the purpose of prostitution or debauchery, or for any other immoral purpose, and it would also be well if it were also made a crime to send any communication, by means of the telegraph, through the mails, by express, or by any other common carrier in interstate or foreign commerce, for the purpose of soliciting money or other valuable thing--the avails of prostitution--except for a legal and adequate consideration.

A statute of this kind would be very useful in dealing with persons connected with the white slave traffic who cannot be reached under the present White Slave Traffic Act, but who are communicating with and directing the movements of their victims and are receiving their earnings through the various channels of interstate and foreign commerce.

=The use of the postoffice.=--As to the Constitutional provision with reference to postoffices it is of the highest importance that legislation be immediately enacted which will absolutely prohibit the use of the postoffice establishment of the United States as an agency for the white slave traffickers in procuring women and girls and in directing their movements, not only from State to State, but also from one place to another in the same State, and in soliciting and receiving earnings from victims of white slavers. Investigations already made show clearly that the postoffice establishment of the United States is being very extensively and effectively used by white slave traffickers, not only as a means of communicating by letter and of soliciting and demanding and actually receiving the earnings of their victims, but also as a means of sending broadcast throughout the country cleverly-worded advertisements which greatly aid them in the pursuit of their traffic. Carefully prepared statutes have long since been enacted, prohibiting the sending through the United States mails of any obscene letters or communications, and also prohibiting the sending of any letters or other communications for the purpose of defrauding anyone. However, there is no prohibition whatever against the use of the mails for the purposes mentioned in connection with the white slave traffic.

=Laws inadequate.=--With reference to the slavery clause of the Constitution, it will perhaps be somewhat surprising to learn that there is no Federal law which makes it a crime for one person to hold another in slavery or involuntary servitude, unless such person has been, in the first instance, kidnapped or carried away, or bought or sold, and although our investigations have, in numerous cases, developed the fact that young women and girls have been actually deprived of their liberty and held in involuntary servitude of the vilest kind (in many cases they having had their street clothes taken away from them, having been confined by barred windows and locked doors, and also having been deprived of their liberty by drugs, threats of violence, and by actual personal violence), there seems to be no statute under which persons so holding them in slavery can be punished by the Federal Government. It is believed that under the circumstances a most rigid law should be enacted under this clause of the Constitution.

There are a number of other matters which it might also be well to cover in order to fully provide for the suppression of the white slave traffic.

=New laws needed.=--First. There should be an act of Congress authorizing a woman to testify in such cases against her husband. This is particularly essential for the reason that, as has already been stated, it is a common practice for procurers to marry their intended victims, and it is frequently impossible to secure a conviction without the use of the testimony of the woman or girl involved.

Second. Provision should be made by law for the issuance of search warrants by any United States marshals and deputy marshals, and agents of the Department of Justice, specially designated by the Attorney General for the purpose, to search any place where there is probable cause to believe that any person is detained or held in violation of law.

Third. The law should also authorize the arrest, without warrant, by the persons heretofore mentioned, of anyone detected in the act of violating any such statute.

Fourth. In order to assure prompt trials and substantial, swift and certain punishment in such cases, the law should also provide for the advancement of such cases, and their trial without delay, upon request of the Attorney General. It should also fix, with exactness, the minimum penalty in such cases and require judges to promptly impose and cause the execution of sentences and prohibit the suspension of sentences by the courts.

While, if the present White Slave Traffic Act were rigidly enforced, there would undoubtedly be a very great decrease in the operations of white slave traffickers throughout the country, it is impossible to prevent, under that law, the use of the United States mails in the manner which has been stated, and the thousands of instances where young women and girls are procured and held in this vile form of slavery within the confines of a State; and consequently the horrible fact of the existence of this slavery will continue a disgrace to our nation, notwithstanding the utmost that can be done by the agents of the Federal Government in enforcing the present White Slave Traffic Act.

=Convictions and prosecutions.=--In this connection, the question may well be raised as to why the present white slave law is not being more rigidly and effectively enforced throughout the country. With reference to this I desire to state that when this law was enacted no appropriation was made by Congress for its enforcement, and in view of this fact, the question of its enforcement was a very serious one. The department’s general appropriation for the detection and prosecution of crimes (which necessarily covers the expense of all investigations made by the Department of Justice for the purpose of collecting evidence as to crimes under the anti-trust laws, the bankruptcy statute, the national bank act, and many other laws, for the enforcement of which no other appropriation is provided), was already taxed to its utmost limit. Realizing, however, the great importance of determining promptly the nature and extent of the white slave traffic, and doing everything possible to prosecute violators of this law, the Attorney General promptly after the enactment of the law, directed that every possible effort be made, within the limits of our appropriation, for its enforcement. This work was immediately commenced and was pushed with the utmost possible vigor with the funds available for the purpose, and during the first year after the enactment of the white slave law about one hundred and thirty prosecutions were instituted against persons engaged in the white slave traffic, a very large percentage of these prosecutions resulting in convictions and heavy jail and penitentiary sentences. During the first nine months of this, the second, year since the enactment of this statute still greater efforts have been made for the punishment of the multitude of persons who have been found to be engaged in the white slave traffic, and the department’s appropriation has been taxed for this purpose to such an extent that in October, 1911, the point was reached where it was necessary for the Attorney General, in order to avoid violating the provision of the federal law prohibiting the incurring of deficiencies in appropriations under his control, to suspend operations temporarily, to a considerable extent, and to call upon Congress for an additional appropriation for the enforcement of the white slave law.

However, notwithstanding the very limited funds available for the purpose, during this period of nine months ending on March 31st, last, two hundred and nineteen persons were indicted by the Federal Government for violations of the white slave law, and in these cases there were one hundred and thirty-five convictions, and but nine acquittals, and about one-third of the cases are still pending. Moreover, the penitentiary and jail sentences which have been meted out to the persons who have been convicted under the white slave law within this period of one year and nine months aggregate three hundred and ninety-seven years, two months and twenty-four days.

While it was believed that steps should be taken for the absolute suppression of the white slave traffic, in so far as it was possible to do so under existing law, and while it was felt that the circumstances justified the appropriation of a very substantial sum for the purpose, in order to avoid the appearance of extravagance, and since it was thought that a comparatively small sum might be quickly secured, whereas there might be considerable delay if a large appropriation were requested, the Attorney General called upon Congress for an appropriation of $25,000, for the

purpose of defraying such expenses for the remainder of the present fiscal year, ending June 30, 1912, and also requested that his general appropriation for detection and prosecution of crimes for the fiscal year, ending June 30, 1913, be increased in the sum of $50,000 over the appropriation for the present fiscal year, in order to provide funds for work in white slave cases during the coming year. The urgency of this matter has been called to the attention of the proper government officials and committees of Congress, both by the Attorney General and by individuals and philanthropic societies in almost every part of the country, all of whom have urged the immediate appropriation of adequate funds for this purpose. While--perhaps through some misunderstanding as to the real situation--there has been an unfortunate delay in securing additional funds, and consequently the work of the department in attempting to suppress the white slave traffic has been temporarily crippled, I am glad to be able to say that we now have reason to believe that Congress will in due season appropriate the full amount which the department has requested for this purpose for the coming fiscal year, and that there is also a disposition on the part of members of Congress, with but few, if any exceptions, to provide whatever additional funds may be necessary to expunge this disgraceful blot of white slavery from the map of our beloved country, and to enable our country to take a stand before the nations of the world which will, at no very distant day, result in sweeping this monstrous evil from the face of the earth.

It is believed that when the people of this country begin to appreciate the enormous extent and the terrible nature of this great evil there will be no disposition on their part to temporize with it, but that they will demand not only that funds be appropriated sufficient to adequately enforce the present law, but also that the law be so extended and strengthened that it will enable the Federal Government to wipe out this evil for all time.

That it is within the power of the Federal Government to destroy this traffic, there can be no doubt, and if this is not done it will be for the sole reason that the law is incomplete, and that sufficient funds for the purpose are not within the control of our Department of Justice. Our department is thoroughly advised as to the situation and has formulated plans under which, if properly supported by Congress, it can wipe out the disgraceful condition which now exists. It is for the people of this country, and their representatives in Congress, to say whether or not this shall be done.

=Note.=--The foregoing address, the first ever given under sanction of our Federal Department of Justice, is the most authoritative utterance ever published on the White Slave Traffic in the United States. The address was read and approved by Attorney General Wickersham, and his assistant, Mr. Harr. Coming from this source and not from one who is seeking a career or other personal advantage from exploiting white slavery, every statement of fact can be accepted and the recommendations endorsed. Mr. Finch has been connected with the Department of Justice for nineteen years. We are assured by the press associations that fully 5,000 publications in North America noticed the address, most of them publishing a synopsis of 500 words, while a number published the address in full. In the opinion of some of our leading workers it introduces a new and aggressive activity on the part of our Department which sounds the death knell of this nefarious traffic in our country.--_Reproduced by permission of “The Light.”_