Fighting the Traffic in Young Girls Part 37

Mr. Kendall wrote a book, "The Soundings of h.e.l.l," exposing the white slave traffic, particularly in Los Angeles. Mrs. Charlton Edholm made one hundred and twenty speeches in the churches, pleading that Christ's people stamp out the traffic in girls. Ma.s.s meetings were held, pet.i.tions were signed, circulars were sown broadcast exposing the appalling conditions and demanding the destruction of the slave market.

On Sunday, December 15th, three thousand people from the churches gathered at Temperance Temple and marched like an army into the crib district--"Heaven invaded h.e.l.l."

Mr. Phillips believed in all this and helped it all along, but he also believed that the law was made for the unholy and profane. He collected evidence for use in court and signed complaints when no one else was willing to do it. He was warned that if he a.s.sailed the owners of the crib district he took his life in his hands, but he was not the man to be deterred by threats. He found that Ballerino, an Italian millionaire, owned many of the cribs. Mr. Phillips brought fifteen of the girls into court to show that they were paying Ballerino $7.50 a day for each of the sordid rooms called "cribs."

The first girl called to the witness stand perjured herself, and failure seemed inevitable as the witnesses had been tampered with. She herself asked to be recalled to the stand, said she had lied and wished now to tell the truth, as the girls had been talking it over and had decided to tell the truth. The other fourteen then gave truthful testimony.

Ballerino was convicted, an appeal to the higher courts went against him, he was put on the chain gang and compelled to pay a fine and costs, though he was a millionaire.

Agitation, publicity and prosecutions were maintained until the scandalous crib district of Los Angeles was absolutely annihilated. The French traders recognized that the city was no longer a market for girls and turned their cargoes aside to other cities, that love these monstrous beasts so dearly that they give them segregated districts, where they may enslave young girls and debauch young men, with a.s.surance that laws are contemptible, and graft is precious, and the good people have sand in their eyes.

The story of the destruction of the open market for girls in Des Moines is best told in the following articles of the commissioner of public safety, the chief of police and the city physician. The determination to annihilate the dens which had been protected so long was caused in part by the high crime of bringing back a girl who had escaped to another city, to compel her to work out a debt in one of the dives of Des Moines. We are indebted for these articles to The Light, published at La Crosse, Wisconsin, by B. S. Steadwell.

THE NIGHTMARE ENDED IN DES MOINES.

By J. L. Hamery, Superintendent, Department of Public Safety.

Of all the cities of the United States, Des Moines stands today a bright and shining example of the utter fallacy of the "segregation" idea.

Practiced more or less openly for twenty years or more, now, after a few months of freedom, the past seems like a nightmare, which it is impossible to believe will ever be tolerated in this city again.

In a short paper, hurriedly prepared, it will be impossible to give much more than general statements of opinion. We have affidavits, statistics of arrest, opinions of high-cla.s.s citizens, opinions of independent investigators from other states, statements from experience by police officials and city physicians to support the following:

Segregation, as applied to prost.i.tution, is but another term for "incubation."

Segregation is the nucleus and backbone of the White Slave Traffic.

Segregation provides a resort, refuge and hiding place for criminals and thugs of every description.

Segregation is affiliated with gambling, bootlegging, opium and cocaine joints.

Segregation, with its red lights, its music, the painted women in the windows, etc., provides an educational feature for school children and students, the possibilities of which can be better imagined than described.

Segregation could never be made to completely segregate, but rather, provided a center from which prost.i.tution radiated in every direction like a cancer.

Segregation makes its baleful influence felt in business and politics and is a direct factor in all the criminal influence of a large city.

All the open and recognized houses of prost.i.tution in the city of Des Moines were suppressed by a general police order issued September 8, 1908. With the exception of two police captains, one of whom is now chief of police, the order was criticized by the body of police and especially by the then chief; it was opposed by city officials; public sentiment made no especial demand for it, to say the least, and it was freely prophesied that the order would be followed by a saturnalia of crime and rapes. I am free to confess that even the honest doubters could advance many plausible arguments on the utter absurdity of trying to totally suppress this evil. But now, after a few months' trial, one of the most convincing (if somewhat amusing) tributes to the unqualified success we have met with, in spite of the most diabolical opposition, is the manner in which officials of all degrees of importance are now jumping into our band-wagon and actually trying to crowd us out.

The fact that we have an army post and a full regiment of cavalrymen was repeatedly advanced with arguments and statements as to what might be expected from this source alone if the red light districts were abolished. It is true that soldiers were giving the city much trouble at that time. Murders and rapes were becoming common occurrences. Loud and indignant protests were being made by citizens and the press of the city was filled with debates of what to do with soldiers and the army post.

With the suppression of the segregated districts all trouble with soldiers ceased as if by magic. It was very clearly proved that with temptations removed soldiers are quite as good as average citizens, and there is no further talk of removing the fort from this city. All through the troublous times of "red-light," however, the officers, non-commissioned officers and the very many respectable soldiers, were always eager and ready to co-operate with the police for the maintenance of law and order.

No one questions the success of the suppression of public houses of prost.i.tution in this city, and no disinterested person questions the beneficent effect. What the future holds is open to serious conjecture.

Some of the advocates of segregation have loudly expressed the hope that a brothel would be set up by the side of each "preacher's" door, so that the city would be glad to return to segregation. A city election will be held next spring, complicated with a fierce struggle for the congressional nomination. There is no doubt the so-called "liberal element" will be a unit for an open town, while the better elements, as usual, will be confused and divided. In the event of the election of a reactionary who could secure control of the Department of Public Safety, the cause of clean and moral city government would receive a decided setback. Nothing less than everlasting vigilance by the heads of the police department will keep the city out of the old rut. Great things are expected from the "Cosson" law, pa.s.sed at the last session of the Iowa State Legislature. It has even been intimated that this law is responsible for the abolishment of the red-light districts, though it does not become effective until July 4, 1909. There has always been abundance of laws against prost.i.tution and its attendant evils. The trouble has always been that they were not enforced.

In addition to the statements of the chief of police and the city physician, I am sending you a copy of a voluntary statement received from an independent investigator, representing a civic a.s.sociation in one of the largest cities of the Middle West. As the a.s.sociation desires to continue these investigations in other cities for some time to come we are only allowed to use this statement on the express stipulation that the name of the investigator and the city he represents is suppressed for the time being. His statement is as follows:

Mr. J. L. Hamery.

Dear Sir: After a careful and critical examination of conditions in Des Moines, it is with the greatest pleasure that I extend to the citizens of your city my hearty congratulations upon the successful progress of the campaign for civic betterment. Having been particularly interested in the effort made here to stamp out the recognized houses of prost.i.tution, and having been qualified by considerable experience in the investigation of all phases of the social evil in large cities, I feel that I speak with some degree of authority on this subject. And it gives me great pleasure to say to you and Des Moines that there is not now in this city a recognized and admitted house of prost.i.tution.

There are not any considerable number of loose women to be seen upon the streets, and the deportment of the women who do walk the streets of Des Moines speaks volumes in praise of the efficiency of your police regulation.

I have made special search for indications of prost.i.tutes having taken up residence in the city at large, and am absolutely convinced that your experience has proven this bugaboo to be wholly chimerical. This conclusion has been amply verified by interviews I have had with representative business and professional men, whose homes are in the residential districts of your city.

The evidences of activity in Des Moines real estate are to my mind conclusive proof that this city is rising to a proper realization and appreciation of its opportunities to become recognized as one of the most desirable places in America for homes, educational centers and legitimate business enterprises. (Signed)

The following is the statement of Chief Miller. The appointment of Mr.

Miller as chief was unanimously endorsed by the press and public. He is the first chief in Des Moines selected from the ranks and appointed entirely on his merits.

STATEMENT OF CHIEF OF POLICE MILLER.

I have been a member of the Des Moines police force for over seventeen years, filling every position from patrolman up. I was appointed Chief of Police on October 14, 1908. I have pleasure in submitting the following conclusions, based on my experience as a police officer:

Segregation never segregated in Des Moines. The most prosperous houses with the high-cla.s.s patronage absolutely refused to enter the segregated districts, and were always able to command sufficient influence to enable them to defy the police.

Landladies in segregated districts, by reason of severe compet.i.tion, were compelled to resort to all means of advertising, which included red lights over the doors, the serving of liquors and other refreshments, orchestral music, persistent displaying of charms by women in the windows and other means of making their business as conspicuous as possible, and thereby attracting even innocent spectators to the vicinity who were often robbed by attaches and hangers-on from the resorts. The segregated districts always became notorious and the evil was greatly augmented thereby.

Property in the segregated districts was manipulated by money sharks for the purpose of securing complete financial control over the women, who in their slavery and despair were often driven to commit desperate crimes in their futile endeavors to free themselves from the hands of their masters. The cleaning up of the resorts freed between two and three hundred of these women, who immediately left the city and have not been replaced. As they were well known it was impossible for them to locate in residence districts and citizens have taken pleasure in keeping us posted with reference to suspicious persons in the suburbs.

In conclusion will say that the remarkable freedom of the city from crime, immediately following the closing of resorts, the boom in residence and city real estate and business in general, also the higher moral tone of the city, is so p.r.o.nounced and apparent to all in Des Moines, that I have no hesitation in placing myself on record with the deliberate statement that any future administration will hesitate before attempting to again place the city of Des Moines in the "segregated" cla.s.s.

Respectfully submitted, A. G. MILLER, Chief of Police.

STATEMENT OF THE CITY PHYSICIAN.

One of the most difficult questions before munic.i.p.al governments for the past half a century has been the controlling and the successful handling of prost.i.tution, and during the last ten years this problem has become more and more perplexing.

Men of knowledge and familiar with this subject have given this problem much thought and consideration trying to devise some logical plan that would lead to a satisfactory solution. Segregation has been argued pro and con; licensing and physical examination have been suggested and put into practice, but not until recently has it been actually demonstrated that this great question can be solved.

All great cities have been wrestling with this question and have tried various methods, and have yet to find a satisfactory method by which these cla.s.ses can be controlled. Prost.i.tutes and their followers are no small factor that go to make up a city's population, and they will follow their vocation to some extent under any circ.u.mstances or conditions.

This being true, it has on the other hand been proven beyond a reasonable doubt that this cla.s.s of traffic can be almost entirely abolished. Prior to September 15th, 1908, this city had what is commonly known as a "red-light district" covering an area of about three square blocks. In this district the rowdy and tough element naturally congregated, and it was an every day occurrence to see drunken brawls, cutting and shooting sc.r.a.ps, and suicides; everything, in fact, that would be disgusting and annoying to the sober-minded citizen. It was an every night occurrence for ambulance calls to come from this district, where some unfortunate had been stabbed or shot down, or an inmate of one of the disorderly houses had committed or made the attempt at suicide.

On the fifteenth day of September, 1908, the superintendent of the Department of Public Safety issued an order to the effect that the "red-light district" would no longer be tolerated, and that the common prost.i.tute and street-walker would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. From that date on a gradual decline was noticeable in the emergency work, and the calls for shooting and cutting affrays were few.

At this time I can safely say that emergency work coming from this source has decreased ninety per cent.

Whenever you have a consolidation of elements which appeals to the rough cla.s.s, viz., houses of ill-fame, saloons of the low type, and gambling dens, you are sure to have more crime committed and vice protected. Do away entirely, or scatter these factors in crime and you will notice a decided slump in your police service calls relative to this line of work.

In my judgment the abolishment of the "red-light district," coupled with the prosecution of prost.i.tute and street-walker, has proven the most satisfactory solution of the perplexing problem, and offers more protection to the home, and a greater inducement to the prospective citizen, and keeps the criminal cla.s.s away from the city's gates. In conclusion, will state that I was originally opposed to the suppression of the red-light districts and believed it would result in making matters worse. I base all the foregoing statements on my four years'

experience.

Respectfully, CLIFFORD W. LOSH, City Physician.

E. A. B.