Page:Remarkable life and death of Agnes Webster.pdf/10

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10

Causes of Prostitution.

Females are principally led astray from the following causes:—One fourth from being servants in taverns and public houses, where they have been been seduced by men frequenting these places of dissipation and intemperance. One fourth from the intermixing of the sexes in factories and those employed in warehouses and shops. One fourth by procuresses or females who visit country towns and markets for the purpose of decoying good looking girls. The remaining fourth may be divided into three classes:—First, such as being indolent or possessing bad tempers, and leave their situations. Second, those who are driven to that awful course by young men making false promises: Third, children who have been urged by their mothers to become prostitutes for a livelihood.

The following is a summary—it refers to the third-class houses in Lecds, with a population of 160,000:—

Number of houses of ill-Fame, 175
Average number of Prostitutes, 4 to each house, - 700
Number of Bullies or Fancy-Men, - 350
Number of Mistresses in said houses, - 175

Total living on Prostitution, - 1400