1914-03-23aa

With the inquest over, it would seem that discussion on the Mackay-Gaw matter, and  on morality in 1914 would die away.

However, the Spectator managed to extend things after receiving a letter from a girl who had attended some of the notorious parties at 196 Hughson Street South.

Her letter to the Spectator follow:

“To the Editor :

I trust you will find space in your columns to print the following letter in defense of James Gow, the gentleman who, alone and friendless in his hour of need, took his life yesterday.

To begin with, I am a girl of twenty years of age – a stenographer – visiting at present, friends in your city.

This is my third visit to Hamilton, and on such occasions, I have met and been entertained by Mr. Gow. I was introduced to him by a girl friend, and he asked us if we cared to ‘come up’ that evening. My friend said she thought it could be arranged – and, as I was a stranger, knowing nothing whatever about him, I agreed to accompany her.

When we arrived at his home that evening, we found a number of girls already there, and had scarcely divested ourselves our wraps came in – they were very young – and Mr. Gow, who was talking to us, asked them how they managed to get up so soon again, to which one replied, ‘Oh, I’m supposed to be down at A—‘s place, helping her make a hat, and she is supposed to be at my place.’ He said, in reply, ‘You must leave early, then, or your parents will wonder what has kept you.’ To this the same girl replied, ‘Oh, you know A—lives east of of Sherman avenue, and I can miss the last car, and have to walk all the way home, and she can say the same to her people.’ With that, we joined the others, and general introductions followed. Stranger though I was, most of those men’s names were familiar to me as prominent business men; but the two girls of whom I speak were the only young ones – the others’ ages would range from twenty-two or three to thirty years. Music, singing, dancing and supper were indulged in. Wine was served, but none forced to partake of it. Mr. Gow, who seated himself by me, remarked on my abstinence, and when I said I never drank, he said, ‘You’re wise not to – do not start.’ This was the commencement of a long talk between us, the gist of which was that most of the men present were jaded business men, whose wives were too busy with their social duies, too tired from an afternoon of auction bridge to try to amuse their husbands in the evening, with the result that they sought it elsewhere. ‘And,’ he concluded, ‘these girls whom you see here tonight, know that the majority of these men are married, and that they are playing with fire, but they come of their own free will, just as you did. The consequences must be borne by themselves.’ When the party broke up at a late hour, we were driven home in a car, and that was the last I saw of Mr. Gow, until my next visit, a short time later.

Again we met him and again we went to his home, where practically the same people were again, and on my last visit, but a short time ago, we again visited him.

Now, in all my three visits, everything which took place was perfectly proper, unconventional – yes – but the same form of entertainment takes place every night in the cabarets and cafes in the city in which my home is, and, as Mr. Gow said at one time when I asked why he did this sort of thing. ‘I am only a lonesome old man, seeking forgetfulness.’ That’s what anyone in trouble does, but some have different and far worse methods.

In conventional social circles here, I have met some of your gilded society youths who showed me far less respect than the dead man – even though I met them through their equals – and I would say to Deputy Chief Whatley and his morality squad, that if he and they would patrol the Dundas and Ancaster roads occasionally, many a young girl might be saved from ruin by these same young men, whose fathers, owners of cars, let their sons have use of them at night. Then, with liquor usually stored in the tonneau, they take some innocent little girl along with them for a spin, and is she refuses to listen and accede to their insulting proposals, and is she can fight them off in defense of her honor, she is left to walk back to her home – a sadder and wiser little girl. You can see these fellows every night in the week on your principal streets, picking up girls of sixteen and seventeen years, and the sequel is already told.

In conclusion, I have only to say that I know that Mr. Gow has befriended more than one girl – and I know also that more than one will miss his jovial smile.

For my part, I can only ask that God will have mercy on the soul of one of the most perfect gentlemen I have ever met.

Thanking you, Mr. Editor, I am yours sincerely,

                  MANHATTAN.”¹

¹ Victim’s Girl Friend Tells Inside Story : Lonesome Old Man Opened Heart to Her : Left Everything to His Wife and Daughter”

Hamilton Spectator. March 23, 1914.

Unsurprisingly, Manhattan’s’ letter to the Spectator provoked much reaction :

“Already the Spectator is in receipt of a number of letters which take exception to the girl’s attitude in excusing Gow because he was ‘just a lonely old man, seeking forgetfulness,’ as he described it himself.”¹

¹ “Woman Writes in Defense of Deputy Chief : Commends Him For Activity in Interest of Morals : Takes Exception to Attitude of Gow’s Defender : No Sympathy for Girls Who Entertain Married Men.”

Hamilton Spectator. March 25, 1914.

One of the letter’s was published in full :

“To the Editor, - Would you kindly allow me a space in your valuable paper to answer a letter I noticed in your columns by one Manhattan, who wrote in defense of one who had been a friend to her. Of course, it is right and proper for us to speak of people as we find them, but it seems to my way of thinking, going a little too far, when we speak of man as ‘the most perfect gentleman,’ as of a man who had faults like the rest of us.

“I do not think any perfect gentleman would allow such a thing to happen in his own home as your Manhattan admits to taking part in. And I do not think it is any credit to her to admit being one of such a party on different occasions.

         “One who takes her standard of gentlemen from men who participate in such things is, to my way of thinking, hardly a competent judge of such matters.

          “A man who is a gentleman would protect his fellow men from all harm to the best of his ability. I do not sympathize with girls who help entertain married men when they knew they were married, and fathers perhaps.

“She also speaks of men being neglected by their society-loving wives. I wonder in how many cases that is true. But even so, does a man, a husband and father himself, need to go out and court forgetfulness in that way? Is he so selfish as to profit from some other man’s daughter’s ruin, or allow her to risk her good name?

“She speaks of two very young girls and of the falsehoods they told to their parents to get there. Does she think it right of any man or woman to harbor children in their homes like that? She says the girls were all supposed to know they went on their own responsibility. Does she not think it more fitting for a father to keep temptation out of children’s way?

“I really do think, Manhattan, you show very bad taste for a stranger to visit our city, and then cast slurs on Deputy Chief Whatley and his men. He is just a man trying to clean up a bit, where he sees it it is so badly needed. He sees where his duty lies and is man enough to do it.

“About the Ancaster and Dundas roads, quite true, no doubt, but all in good time. No doubt, when a few of them are caught, they will write to him and tell him ‘he is on the wrong track and that it would pay him better to look after a few houses where married men are allowed to entertain young girls and leave the single fellows alone.’

“I am a young girl myself, about your age, but happily married now. And it seems very pitiful to me to go uptown and see girls I knew at school with good parents, ordinary working people some of them, dressed very fashionable, oh so different to their mothers and to what they themselves used to be, although they never seem to work, and I really think some of them need a shock of some sort to wake them up to the perilous path they seem to be pursuing. A good time seems to sum up everything for them.

“Thanking you for your space, I remain,

A BOOSTER FOR THE DEPUTY.¹