, 1862-09-29
THE POLICE on 4 DES, Eyf.
AGRAND STRATEGIC MOVEMENT.

and other dens Of infamy upon South Clark
street have enjoyed comparative immunity
from the yisitations Of the police, which have
teen SO frequent under previous admiuiEtra-
tions. Emboldened by this immunity, the
couttezana have piled their shameless ca1lin.
with boldness aud effrontery
which had at last become IN
tolerable- Almost every tenement upon
South Clark, between Van Buren and
Harrison street, had been transformed into q
house OF prostitution, thereby driving out the
respectable class Ct community residing there
After uightta1l the street WAS thronged with
cyprians. They stood In the doorways, be-
dizened in tawdry fireries, and dressed to
degree Of indecepcy which disgusted every
respectable person. ALI night long they kept
up their orgies. Fights and rows we're fre-
quent aud the most disgusting and shameless
practices prevailed before the very eyes of the
city guardians and to the intense disgust ofall
respectable citizens.
Matters finally reached pitch where pa
tience would have. been ayice, and the author-
tiles determined to change their base OF ope-
rations and by q concerted strategic move
ment swoop down upon the whole batch and
close up the business. The plan Of opera-
tions WAS placed In the hands of Captain
Jack Nelson and Saturday evening witnessed
tie Accomplishment of this desirable consum-
nation.
At half past seven the cnti&a police force
we're summoned to the Armory. They we're
there divided into squads Of three, each squad
regularly captained and each man armed with
his locust and provided with pair Of hand
cuffs. The whole force Was then Instructed to
form In procession, march up franklin to
Harrison street, and cast Oh Harrison to Clark
street. They were there to march north on
Clark street rapidly, and each squad as It
passed the house previously assigned to it,
drop out Of the ranks, Immediately enter the
house, one man locking the front door, sec-
ond the back door, while the third got the in-
mates In readiness for the Armory.
The procession started at o'clock aud was
On Clark street In q twinkting. Rapidly and
quietly they moved down Clark street, almost
without attracting attention. The squads
dropped out according to programme, and in
an instant were in the houses, the doors Of
whfsh were streaming wide open. The doors
rere quickly closed and 1oc1=na The
sounds Of reyelry died away, in
| some instances giving place to female
screaming, in Others to loud and emphatic
swearing. There were many narrow escapes.
Some unfortunate individuals were caught
| upon the very thresholds. Others came just
minute too 1ate to get in, but not minute
too late fer their own safety. Large numbers
| Of Cyprians, who were paradiDg the streets,
became alarmed, and fled like deer through
the cross streets, amid the jcers and laughter
Of the crowds, who had now got wind Of the
affair, and were gathering BY hundreds. Tie
descent was so sudden and unexpected that
no resistance could be offered. In just ten
minutes from the time the procession left the
Armory, fourteen houses Of prostitution in a
single block, with all their inmates, were in
the haIds of the police.
Scant timc was given for toilet making, in
fact none was needed, for the wretched crea-
lures were arrayed IN their best. In less than
ten minutes more, the houses were vacated,
the lights were extfnguished aud the doors
locked. The procession once more moved,
and by O'Clock the prisoners were hud-
died into the armory. They we're then sorted
out By houses. their names, occupations,
ages, ETC., entered upon the docket and their
cells assigned them, where they will remain,
TO be tried this Monday morning.
The following are the names Of the keepers,
with the numbers Of their places, all being on
Clark street: Mary Williams, ala. Dutch
Mary, 80; Margaret Gordonnier, Evening
Star Saloon; Tom Gray, alias English Tom,
Extenuate Saloon; Mary Caldwell; Clara