Hester Jane Haskins or Jane the Grabber (

fl. ''Floruit'' (; abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for "they flourished") denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indicatin ...

1860–1875) was an American madam, procuress, and underworld figure in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

during the 1860s and 1870s. The main rival of

Red Light Lizzie Red Light Lizzie (fl. 1860 –1875) was the pseudonym of an American madam, procuress and underworld figure in New York City during the mid-to late 19th century. Asbury, Herbert. ''The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the New Yo ...

, she owned and operated several "houses of ill fame" as well being a chief supplier of prostitutes to

bordello A brothel, bordello, ranch, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in sexual activity with prostitutes. However, for legal or cultural reasons, establishments often describe themselves as massage parlors, bars, strip clubs, body rub par ...

brothels A brothel, bordello, ranch, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in sexual activity with prostitutes. However, for legal or cultural reasons, establishments often describe themselves as massage parlors, bars, strip clubs, body rub par ...

, and similar establishments throughout the city. Asbury, Herbert. ''The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the New York Underworld''. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1928. (pg. 183) She employed a small group of "respectable-looking men and women", numbering a dozen or so, who traveled

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian province ...

luring young women with promises of exciting jobs back in New York. Once these women arrived, they were abducted and forced to work in her or her clients' establishments. Asbury, Herbert. ''All Around the Town: Murder, Scandal, Riot and Mayhem in Old New York''. New York: Alfred A. Knoff, 1929. (pg. 125-126) Sifakis, Carl. ''The Dictionary of Historic Nicknames: A Treasury of More Than 7,500 Famous and Infamous Nicknames from World History''. New York: Facts on File Publications, 1984. (pg. 254) Haskins was one of the first and most successful procuresses in what would become known as

white slavery White slavery (also white slave trade or white slave trafficking) refers to the slavery of Europeans, whether by non-Europeans (such as West Asians and North Africans), or by other Europeans (for example naval galley slaves or the Vikings' thr ...

. Among her criminal associates were John Allen and Little Susie, then among her top agents, but left her service after Haskins began targeting young girls from prominent New England families during the early 1870s; one of her victims was alleged to have been the daughter of a lieutenant governor in New England. In 1875, less than a year after the departure of Allen and Susie, Haskins was implicated during what was known as the "grabber scandal" when she was arrested by Captain

Charles McDonnell Charles McDonnell may refer to: * Charles McDonnell (police officer) (1841–1888), American police captain in the New York City Police Department * Charles Edward McDonnell Charles Edward McDonnell (February 1, 1854 – August 8, 1921) wa ...

Costello, Augustine E. ''Our Police Protectors: History of the New York Police from the Earliest Period to the Present Time''. New York: A.E. Costello, 1885. (pg. 125) and given a long prison sentence.

References

Further reading