The History of Prostitution Part 58

"Of course these questions can be answered to you, by your chief of police and officers, only as to the best of their knowledge; but, as a general thing, shrewd police-officers will be able to give correct answers to them. I do _not_ wish names, only the round numbers in each cla.s.s.

"I shall do myself the honor to forward you a copy of the report when completed, and shall be glad to receive your replies to the above queries by the 30th of this month. You will please direct your answer to

"Yours respectfully, "WILLIAM W. SANGER, "Resident Physician, Blackwell's Island, New York City."

The following are the replies received:

BUFFALO, N. Y.

(Copy.)

"Mayor's Office, Buffalo, October 2, 1856.

"DEAR SIR,--I received your circular of the 1st of September, asking that certain questions concerning houses of prost.i.tution, prost.i.tutes, etc., might be answered.

"I immediately directed our chief to collect the necessary information through the police, and I have just received his report: I here inclose the answers.

"To show how far the report can be relied on for accuracy, I here copy from his report: 'The captains inform me that they experienced much difficulty in their endeavors to make a correct report and answer to the several questions proposed; they, however, believe that the returns, so far at least as the number of houses and public prost.i.tutes is concerned, are very near correct.'

"Any farther information you may desire I will cheerfully give, so far as I am able. I am respectfully yours,

"F. P. STEVENS, Mayor."

(Inclosure.)

"Houses of Prost.i.tution, 87 " of a.s.signation, 37 Public Prost.i.tutes, 272 Private Prost.i.tutes, 81 Kept Mistresses, 31 Population, 75,000."

LOUISVILLE, KY.

(Copy.)

"Police Office, Louisville, Ky., December 26, 1856.

"HON. JOHN BARBER, MAYOR:

"DEAR SIR,--Below I give a statement of such matters as called for by Dr. Wm. W. Sanger, Resident Physician of Blackwell's Island, New York City, which I think you will find correct, or as near as can be arrived at from the facilities afforded. Hoping that it will prove satisfactory to the doctor, and that it will _many tales unfold_, I remain respectfully yours,

"JAS. KIRKPATRICK, Chief of Police.

"Houses of Prost.i.tution 79 " " a.s.signation 39 Public prost.i.tutes 214 Private " 93 Kept mistresses 60 Population of city (supposed to be) 70,000

"I am now preparing to take the census for 1857."

NEWARK, N. J.

(Copy.)

"Newark, N. J., October 4, 1856.

"WM. W. SANGER, M.D.:

"DEAR SIR,--I can not make any excuse for not answering your letter of inquiry that will justify me. (Yours of September 1st was unfortunately mislaid.)

"Our population in 1855 was 55,000 by census.

"We have no houses of ill fame in our city; none of a.s.signation; there are no public prost.i.tutes.

"It may appear strange to you that the above should be the case, but there is good reason for it. From the best information that I can get there are perhaps fifty private prost.i.tutes in this city, composed of girls living at service or as seamstresses, but who conduct themselves so as not to be known. Our city is so near to New York that as soon as a girl turns out she makes her way to it, where a.s.sociations and congenial amus.e.m.e.nts make it more agreeable. It is rather singular, but so soon as it becomes known that a girl is loose, she is marked and followed in the streets by half-grown boys hooting at and really forcing her to leave town. Occasionally it is made known to the police that a couple of girls staid a night or two at some boarding-house, when they are arrested as vagrants, or warned off, and they are gone.

"New York being so much greater field for them, they are the least of our troubles. Truly and respectfully yours,

"H. J. POINIER, Mayor."

NEW HAVEN, CONN.

(Copy.)

"New Haven, September 18, 1856.

"Dr. WM. W. SANGER:

"DEAR SIR,--Herewith I hand you the report of our chief of police in answer to your inquiries relative to prost.i.tution in this city.

"Your obedient servant, "P. S. GALPIN, Mayor."

(Inclosure.)

"TO HIS HONOR THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF NEW HAVEN:

"SIR,--I have had the communication addressed to you by Wm. W. Sanger, Resident Physician, Blackwell's Island, New York, in regard to prost.i.tutes and prost.i.tution in the city of New Haven, under consideration, and beg leave to report:

"That the answers to the questions propounded are given in a general manner, with near approximation to exactness without pretending to be minutely accurate.

"And to the first question, namely, 'How many houses of prost.i.tution are there in the city?' I answer, That the number now known as such to the police is _ten_, and that these are only such (some of them) occasionally; and that none of them would be so called in New York, being inconsiderable, in poor, out-of-the-way houses, and conducted with great secrecy, and are constantly liable to the penalties of a law peculiar to Connecticut, which punishes _reputation_, rendering it impossible for them to gain strength and become permanent.

"And to the second inquiry, 'How many houses of a.s.signation are there in the city?' I answer, There are known to be _six_, and others suspected; but these all are not such proper, but are connected with some business, as eating-houses, hotels, dance-houses, etc.

"And to the third inquiry, 'How many public prost.i.tutes are there in the city?' There are known by name, ninety-three, all well known.

"And to the fourth inquiry, 'How many private prost.i.tutes are there in the city?' I answer, That there are thirty, with many married women; and, indeed, this cla.s.s is mostly composed of married women.

"And to the fifth question, 'How many kept mistresses are there in the city?' the answer is, That the number is not known, but is small, and no one instance is certainly known to us.

"The population of the city is thirty-two thousand.