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Goals of a Vicious Vami
T
* 9 9
Careers Crash at Her Bidding--While She Trafficks in Souk—"Maids" who Wait on "Tire
Business Men — "Aristocratic" Abodes where Vice is Veiled — Foolish Flappers of
the "Upper Ten"--Men whose Hearts are Black—"Musical Evenings'' De luxe
She was at one time "a beauty," and
regarded by many as g-ti eneliantress—
a dainty damsel who
devoured
»rlth
devilish delight the hearts o£ men. Tod-ay
her age is in the vicinity of the
half-century, but she looks
25
years
younger.
Her one-time lissom, langorous body
has fallen, to a degree, a victim
to
avoirdupois.
But her dark tresses aro
as silken as ever, and her
eyes but
little less eager and effulgent.
The Vamp
of
Toorai;
has been
known by at least three names. They
a.re: Madame T., Minnie C.. and Mrs.
M.. We will leave it - at that.
AFTER THE BIG FISH.
It is many, many years ago since
.Madame left the "Spec" to make
fortune in Victoria. That she has succeeded-is
undoubted. To-day she possesses
ytnuch personal, wealth and real
estate, and the_ value of her jewels runs
into thousands.
fciadame's brains are not of the
istock variety. She uid not believe in
idling the day angling for small trout
in tne pool cf poverty. It was the
big-fish she sought, and it was from
the sea that the prime piscatorial
-plums were -purloined. Madame got
to business.
Wool-buyers from abroad particularly.
pleased her. These men did not
count "their cash in thirty pieces of silver.
Their wal.ets ' were bulging, and
many an overseas man sat down ana
wrote to his wife whiie Madame fondled
his foreign face. Tnis was Madame
s first big step up the ladder of
lucre, but not her initial immersion, or
inundat.cn. in the slough of sin. But
the dashing, dazziing, dark-eyed "delicacy'
had no vexing visions of the
'tormerit sad to which carnal sinners,
tn wnom reason by lust is swayed, are
condemned."
ItoADAME'S COLLECTION OF
DIAMONDS.
Rut this was not the only way in
which Madame amassed wealth.
The collection of diamonds' she possesses
to-day are^sad souvenirs/of sin.
Some were girls from gi.ded "goats,"
others at one time acknowledged many
a fair owner.
But.fftadame did not rob these lax
ladies of their jewels.- Their former
possessors were mostly, women from
overseas who had joined her circle
of sin., but often fallen upon hard
times and gone to Madame for assistance.
They had to he content
with the fsllen f»-u:t. They could
never put by enoucth to redeem their
trinkets.
It is acknowledged that many oi
licai \vc. e by .women of
some station in England; women who
had perhaps sinned but once before
they left the Old Country. One such
case was where the lover had promised
to foiiow in the next boaJL He nevei
came, ~ The" baby was born, iand -the"
young woman fell into the consoling,
dutches of Mamame T.
The woman d.ed twelve^ months ago,
?
dissolute and Mrlirikih. ~ "
IN LOVE WITH A SHIPPING MAN.
Now Madame's face and form were
her charms,- What is more, she knew
to Uie penny tiae ..vaJue of. that, jfealth.
She had conquered Victoria; could sfie
_ Melbourne has its secret, silent circles of sin.
They are the more
sinister because of their
surface semblance of sincerity. These are to
be found even in "tony" Toorak—at one time Melbourne's Pott's Point.
Oaring displays of degradation, as revealed in recent issues of "Truth,"
do not_ invite the issue of auraphon'es or strong-lensed glasses
to
the pelioe.
They are
obviously obvious,
end
the
"Plebeians" who
pollutediy oarticioate possess such a p!entltudo
of
proclamatory proclivities
that privacy is practically prohibited.
In many such places it is, in a sense, a case of "entrer sans frapper,"
and the greenest 'goat" may gain admittance.
But, essay to precipitately
pass the "Patrician" portals of the 'aristocratic" abodes, and you
will never probe their putried precincts.
To accomplish this, planning of peerless precision is r.ecessary.
It
is even more essential than the cold cash, which is an indispensable adjunct
once within those wanton walls.
To see what '"Truth's" investigator
saw. "one must be introduced."
By a subterfuge this was effee'ed, and the "pleasant" . personality
first, encountered was a young-old woman, who is Queen of Melbourne's
most colossal concubine combine;
not vanquish every vampire in the
other States?
"But there was one State which was
forbidden ground, unless her activities
were strictly sub rosa. That was Tasmania
i--' It -was- there her parents lived,
and they never knew their darling
daughter was sailing serenely in the
sea of sin.
. Still, there was the West. That
would do for a change. Across there
Madame went, and on tbe boat was an
overseas wool-buyer. No more ' need
be said.
Madame liked Western Australia Immensely.
She prospered financially,
and her healih improved. Beneath her
olive skin new life glowed.
Into Her life came a man. He was
prominent in the shipping world, and,
strange though it might seem,
Madame became enamored of " him.
It was, .perhaps, the one and only instanse
in her life when her affection
was not bogus. Although a woman
of the demi-monde, she bore him a
chitdl
He became sick, dangerously I1L
Madame nursed him through the crisis,
and he was for ever grateful. If it had
not been for this man Madame would
not now- be occupying the house she
does to-day. It was his sacrifice of
position that enables her to do so.
But that was after they returned to
Victor! from the West. We will now
tell of iu"
MELBOURNE MAYOR TO THE
RESCUE.
They were living as Mr. and Mrs. M.,
but a& the house became known as a
rendezvous of gay parties, there was
an outcry.
Parents feared for their
student sons going to-and from college
in the vicinity.
Influential Melbourne
men got to work.
There was astonishment when it was
discovered that Mr. M. owned and lived
in the house, and .that Madame was
known as Mrs. M.
The shipping man
was asked what he intended
to
do
about it.
"Nothing," he laconically replied.
But his interrogators did not remain
idle. They approached.his employers,
who, in turn, put the "hard
word" on Mr, M» They told him, in
effect, that he-.would either have to
clear "Mrs." M. out of the house or
/ sacrifice his position.
He ! resigned, and gave" oVer the
house to Madame, telling her, to do
what she liked with it. He told his
employers he could never forget that
the woman had nursed 'him back to
life. L«ter he faded out of. the picture
altogether.
Thus foiled, the cltizens v bestirred
themselves In other directions. T-hey
discovered there Was a mortgage on
the house, and pressed the mortgagees
to foreclose. This they .did, and Madame
accomplished some quick thinking.
Finally she approached a gentleman
who had been a Mayor of Melbourne.
He considerately coughed up the cash,
and "the old home was saved."
Madame is to-day a wealthy woman,
and snaps her fingers at the world.
The police know her; yet she is
free. In older civilisation this type
of vamp would have been taken to
the outer gates of the city and stoned
to death. But she lives in Australia,
so is free to pollute society, wreck
homes, and bring the moral laws of
the community into crnte" pt.
MADAME T.'S LITTLE "LOVE
NESTS."
Th modus operandi of Madame today,
in controlling her "homes," is but
little different to what it was in those
times.
Then her sister was her right hand,
but to-day she has four or five assistants.
These, are women of maturity,
who each have control of an "establishment,"
'and see that it is "respectably"
conducted.
In these plaecs they. sin secretly
and silently, but none the less heinously,
and many a fashionable flapper has
felt the whirling of wine In bead and
tiart—and been sorry. .
"MAIDS" ARE FRIENDLY TO
"GUESTS."
Here Is one Toorak "hostel" which Js
visited by an'"exclusive" set. :
It is a fine two-storeyed building, encircled
by a drive for the motors which
carry out "gaybirds," old and young,
mala and female.
It is sumptuously furnished, and
there are places where one may rest
a weary body or head, or a body or
head that are not weary.
There is no shortage of-liquid joy,
and there are solids for those who
possess a natural, as well as depraved
craving.
There is a garden and "sit-outs,"
and "maids" on hand to supply
"light refreshments" to "gentlemen"
who visit the establishment unattended
by women.
Most of these "maids" are young and
attractive, and not all of them are
"not nice" when they first accept such
employment. Some are unsuspecting
and innocent girls who have answered
advertisements in the newspapers.
The "proprietress" aulck. divines if
a girl is "square," and dots not make
the mistake of suggesting a little
"friendliness" towards gentlemen
"guests." She leaves it to the hardened
"maids" to plant the seed of sin.
A weak girl falls: the strong packs her
box and gets away unharmed—if she
is luckv.
Unfortunately too many are weak.
"THE KID FROM THE COUNTRY."
Many employment agencies, some
unsuspectingly, some knowingly, send
young girls to their ruin. It is White
Slavery in a form hard to frustrate.
Here Is a case that has filtered
through to "Truth":—
The girl was engaged as a maid at
a Toorak establishment. It is a place
where "tired" business men go to get
"tight," and spend n few weeks away
from the prying eyes of the world.
While there tlic-y indulge In still baser
passions.
Unblemished, this pretty daughter of
an unfortunate dairy farmer started
her duties. The first morning she was
given a tray of toast and tea to take
to Mr. Blank's room. She took it.
Mr, Blank was evidently feeling"
the heat, for he was only semiattired
in his pyjamas.' . This the
startled girl did not notice until she
was half-way across the room.
. Apologising, he hurriedly correctac'
his sartorial error, and.told the girl
to wait while he drank his tea. She
waited.
_The_n he asked her to hand him
his cigarettes.' As she did so he
crudely embraced her.
Poor girl, she could not read the evil
in the man's eyes, and merely blushed
like a young school girl. She did not
know that it was a pre-arrangment
between the "proprietress" and Mr.
Blank that the "fresh little kid from
the country" should bring up his toast
that morning.
But the child—she was little more—
was saved; That morning her father
wired:"Mother ill; come home." Home
she went
One of tlrtl hardened "maids" at thl=
establishment told "Truth's" investigator
that story. She said Mr. Blank
was "like a raving lunatic" when he
heard that "the fresh little kid from
the cOuntry" had gone home.
FLAPPER OF THE UPPEf?
CLASSES.
It Is in these, and other such apparency
harmless houses, that young
and innocent girls of the "upper"
classes are ruined, as instance this
story, vouched for by a friend of the
"man" who boasted to the former of
hjs "conquest."
Business reasons alone prevented
"Tru/h's"* Informer from thrashing the
sinister seducer who had violated
every principle of honOr.
. He who committed the odious outrage
is a young commercial man,
; successful arid popular. His pleasing
personality, and apparently irre-
; proachable character, gained him the
friendship of matiy older business
men. He was a>frequent visitor to
the house of one of these. That man
had a delightful flower of a daughter
of just 1S summers.
Fully trusting the younger man, he
consented, to the couple -going
to
a
dance together.
Courteous to his finger
tips, this young- son ..of Satan as iced
tenderly during "the- :. motor
drive
home If she would mind vtdtips in the
car while heit-an^up the;garden to a
house to
feicjair^wn^ffflng
a friend of
his who was undergoing a ".rest"- cure.
The girl said she really did not mind
a bit.
- -
'••'.•.'
The mongrel soon
returned."
"It's
early yet." he said.
"Would you Care
to come in for a while? They Want us
to have supper.
Mr. Blank is. in bed,
but while they are preparing, supper
I will run upstairs and see him."
They had left the dance unusually
early at his suggestion,
so • the
girl
agreed. Had she known the den of Infamy
she was about to enter, or What
fate was awaiting'her;" her"'screams
would doubtless
have awakened
the
neighbourhood.
THE SIN WAS NOT HERS.
They were greeted at the .door by a
matronly woman, who smiled pleasantly
at the young girl, and ushered them
into a room where an electric radiator
and a delicately shaded' bulb revealed
furnishings which, to the inexperienced
girl, appeared cosy and . comfortable.
In reality they, were villainously voluptuous!
Her escort left the room to see his
"friend." and for a while the matronly
person chatted pleasantly with the girl.
Then she left also, saying she would
see if the maids were preparing the
supper.
This "maid" and the young commercial
man returned together, with a
tray heavily lad~n. But the contents
of -that tray consisted mainly of two
big bottles of wine." As the servant
left the room the door clicked to. Man
and maid were alone.
The young girl had occasionally
drank a glass of good wine home,
and perhaps thought it would be an
insult to refuse to drink with so
trusted a friend of her father's. She
drank. But there seemed something
different about this wine to that
which she had occasionally sipped at
home.
At first she laughing complained of
a dizzy feeling, and the
man.
with
comforting concern,
placed
his
arm
about her.
"I must lay down," she told
h!m.
My head is reeling."
He placed her
on the divan, and she sank
helpless
among the cushions.
When she felt his hot. foul breath
on her rosebud cheeks the doped wine
had robbed her of all power of resistance.
THE NIGHTMARE OF PUBLICITY.
But even in these "well-conducted"
establishments things do not always
work to schedule, notwithstanding the
vigilance of the 'matron." Sometimes
disturbances occur, and "snobby" sinners
even descend to the common level
of exchanging blows, donehernow.
A few weeks ago a young student,
whose people are wealthy, had "a night
out." He made an ass of himself, and
each time he decided to "shout" would
produce a roll of notes that attracted
the eye and bred covetous feelings in
many a heart.
He was warned to be more discreet,
but laughingly stuffed the notes back
into his trousers pocket after each
round of "spots" he bought.
Then he found the money was
missing, and he blamed a man who
was standing nearby at the time he
made his discovery. They clashed,
blows were struck, women shrieked,
glasses were broken, and it looked j
as if a general melee would follow.
As it was. others took a hand, and
there were more than one blackened
eye and swollen jaw the next morning.
Tho student did not recover his
money, but there was nothing more
said about it. How could there be?
What a revelation it would be. How
delighted these people would be to
read the full, florid details in "Truth."
Jt is because of tbe fear of publicity
that these people suffer in silence.
But there are times when "hushhush"
tactics fail. When a prominent
Melbourne business man died of heart
failure in an establishment run by old •
"Mother" , who herself succumbed
later to eardiacal weakness, there was
a feeble outcry. But, generally, there
is sufficient influence to prevent the
outside world from learning the facts.
Married men who frequent these
places simply hate publicity.
"REST HOMES" FOR "TIRED" MEN.
But the "daddy" of these "joints" is
the "rest home." This is the refuge of
a certain type of business man, who
i-'eels he can no longer stand the strain
of the worries of his establishment
without a spell.
A friend wno knows "puts him wise"'
if he Is not already "in the joke." . He
tells his right-hand man, and incident-
Ally his wife, that the doctor has order
ed'him a break-away from business for
three weeks or a month. He does not
know exactly where he will go. He
will take the car and run down
through - Glppsland,. or some district
where the scenery is soothing.
"Don't expect any letters, dear," he
tells ihe little -wifey. "I just want to
forget work and Melbourne, and give
myself up to full enjoyment." :
He does. He goes to a "Rest
Home." There, to out it vulgarly,
he has a "beautiful booze," and
"maids" bring his meals to his room.
There "maids" know -their work,
Tneir instructions are to see that Mr.
Blank is. "comfortable," -and- Jf he is
"lonely to talk to him.'' They do-
Mr. Blank is delighted wtih 'their
company,, and new frocks and other
gifts foiiow.
By the time Mr. Blank; has enjoyed
a coup.e of weeks' "rest" at this es
tablishment he Is really in need of a
sped, and he spends the remainder of
nis holiday "picking up" at some quiet
seaside resort.
It is then he starts writing to his
wife, and occasionally communicating
with his office. But while he was in
the "Rest Home" ip would refuire the
entire police • force to. find him if urgently
required. He did tiot desire
company from the outside. It was
plentiful and palatable in the house.
PERPETUAL MOTION.
The difficulty the police-experience in
dealing with this type of evil establishment
is because of the quiet manner
in which It .is conducted., and on
account of the. system of perpetual motion
that is worked upon.
The moment there are . rumblings
that neighbors, are beginning to sit up
and take noticed or thai"the police, or
men who possibly have been seen
hoveling in the vicinity, the decision
to remove. Is arrived "at.
A system of espionage practised
enables the "management" to detect
the approach of trouble, and again
there is a move. Every effort is made
to secure houses in the most fashion
able of suburb's, where mfetor-cars,
- and any number of them; are by'"no
means unusual sights.
This Is Why Toorak was chosen
for four or five of these, plaecs^—and
there might-be many rtipre, and even
those of the ,\vildc^,;ma£t dissolute
type. And this is what retards the
progress of' fine suburbs. "'
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