Open [35.2 MB]

178 THE WHITE SLAVE MARKET
the other sheep for the slaughter, was taken
to Malay Street. She refused point-blank to
follow the horrible life that was set before
her. The usual trouble took place ; the old
hag who kept the house screeched at her
and told her it was a most respectable house,
and the " pimp " who had married her, as
he had " married " dozens of others before,
pretended to be broken-hearted. "When that
game failed he ill-treated her horribly. But
when the girl's jailers found that nothing
would cow her they resorted to the fearful
expedient that is not uncommon in these
dens. In a book that was published some
time ago, the life story of a girl who had
been taken to the Argentine for the purpose of
prostitution was given, and there was a description
of how she was bound hand and foot
and given over to a terrible negro. The name
of the book was, I think, " Lima Loo/* and it
was an exposure of the terrible fate that befalls
white slaves in the Argentine. In all these
houses the same fearful expedients are used.
If the girls are utterly unmanageable, the
most horrible of all things is tried with them.
This unfortunate girl was sold for three days
and three nights to two hideous Chinamen.
She saw no one else, and they occupied her
room with her. Her terrible cries were heard
all over Malay Street, but there was no one
to help or assist her, and she was soon
quieted. The third day a doctor had to be
called, as the girl was thought to be dying.
She had then become quite calm, as she be-