rs and saved until
she had enough money to buy the child back, but the cruel woman
who had got possession of it refused to give it up unless paid
three times as much as was originally borrowed. The mother could
not do this, and finally, hearing of the Mission, reported the
case there. The baby was traced to a horrible den in Church alley,
where it was in the possession of a notorious brothel-keeper. The
mother secretly visited the Matron at the Mission, who had secured
the child, urging her to keep possession of the baby, saying she
would not dare testify against the woman on the witness stand, as
it would cost her her life. The case was a long time in court, but
after six months the Judge committed the child to the Home, and
the mother was made very happy.
No. 6. She ran into the Mission leading her little son. She was
chased to the very door of the Mission, but kept her pursuers
at bay, by means of a policeman's whistle which she held in her
mouth, walking backward and threatening to blow it if they dared
touch her child. She was a widow with this only child, and her
relatives were bound to sell her into an immoral life and take the
boy away. After being in the Mission a few months she became a
Christian. Her little boy was placed in an orphanage. Later the
widow married respectably.
No. 7. This girl was aged 14 when rescued, and had been placed in
a vile life four weeks before. Two days later she was taken to
court on a writ of habeas corpus. Her case was put off three
times, and finally came to trial. The Judge remanded the girl to
the custody of the M.E. Mission Home. He said, on dismissing the
case, that never in all his experience had he listened to such
perjury, and that the alleged mother should be punished to the
fullest extent of the law for her lying. The girl seemed very
happy and contented in the Home, but nine days after she was
committed to it she was again taken out on a writ of habeas
corpus and appeared before another Judge, who returned her to the
brothel-keeper. (This was before the new guardianship law came
into operation).
No. 8 proves that the buying and selling of children takes place in
America up to the present day. It is but one instance of this sort out
of scores of others given by the missionary:
"She was sold when she was but four weeks and fi
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