Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-07-10
sTARTLING DEVELOPMENTS.
The Den of a Modern PrOeuress.
Low Women and Girls are Corrupted

I've. e city has lts agencies rum
Of vain CT thoushtless women i'm the shape
assjgnatien houses, and for some time the police
have had a suspected establishment of this kind
under espionage situated in a most respectable
part OF the city. Is is kept by colOred woman,
who nominaliy carries ON the business Of
washervoman, but who according to appear
ances has used her vocation as a guise to enable
her to get access to families of responsibility and
carry on her intrigues as procuress. An at
tempt was made about year ago by the police
TO investigate the true character of the house,
and strict watch was kept on the movements
Of the inmates and persons of opposite sexes who
tIequeDted there, but nothing sufficient to JUS
THY any interference on the part Of the authors
ties Was discovered.
Some days age the Major and Superintendent
OF Police detailed an officer for the special pur-
rose OF getting down" TO the exact status of
this house. Men and women had been fire.
quently seen going in and out at odd hours and
under unusual circumstances which not only
attracted the attention of the officer, but became
the subject Of remark in the neighborhood. 1t
Is said that
MARRIED WOMEN
who stand high in society, membersof churches,
and gentlemen bearing an unspotted character
amOBg their acquaintance have been noticed 20
call here both day and night in a very Guiet way
and remaining together for hours at tine.
This special officer after informing himself of
all these facts, set TO work in business-like
manner Being a stranger TO the inmates, he
oOlule q The citisens dress and very soon intro
Cuctu himsetr, by pretending TO have been in
formed OF her occupation by one of her custo-
neTS- whose names are familiar TO the officer,
list OF them being in his possession. Succeed
ing this way he very soon made arrangements
to cal the next day at a certain hour, when he
was to he introduced 10 COMPANY Being of
an inqniring turn OF mind, before he started
away ut succeeded in drawing from her the
manner of conducting her operations; which was
TO the effect that by means OF her business as a
wasbeTToman it was her custom to solicit work
= at houses and by this means inform herself
where material for her purposes was to be found
IN tse shape OF weak or giddy women BY this
MT ans the officer states she had been the medium
OF Introducing parties to each other and arrang-
1ng for assigEationS- The officer OBTAINED from
her the names Of several women who were her
regular customers seMeof them coming TO visit
her house from distant parts of The city, the
Navy Yard and T irst Ward. Others lived nearer.
The officer called the following day at the hour
agreed upon, but was told by the hOuse-keeper
that the lady he was 10 be introduced to was i'll
that day and could not meet him, but would do
so ON the day following.
In accordance with his engagement the Off
Ger called the next day at the hour appointed,
when he was introduced to a married lady, a
gushing affinity, whose husband gains an honest
livelihood by sitting on high stool, with pen i'll
hand, nom a. m. TO p. IN. every day, SUM-
days exec pied, on which DAYS he goes to church
like good husband, as he is, with his wife, (?)
she primly carrying the prayer book. They
were left together by the '.medium," and after
eoEyersing short time on various matters, the
cfiicer gaining much useful information from
her, She informed him that she could come only
on certain hours; that her husband came home
az 3 O'Clock, and il was necessary Tor her TO be
home az that time. He excused himself from q
further interview at that time, promising to
meet her again, and slipping greenback in her
hand and paying the medium her fee (S2), he
took his depsrture.
IA1D ON THE HOUSE.
On Thursday night last Lieut.. Skippon, with
Sergeant Fainter and the special" made a
raid ON this house, situated on 10th street north
west, between u and III streets, and took into
custody its keeper, Letha Pitts alias Matthews:
Nathan Pitts, alleged husband OF Letha: a col
ored girl named Emma Brown alias Cross, and
another cO!Ored woman who rents a room in the
upper part of the house. They were all taken to
headquarters with the exception of Letha who
was permitted to remain in her house in charge
OF an eireer until the next day, when it was ex-
peeted the case would be heard at the Police
Court. The case was not reached, however,
until Saturday, when Letha was arraigned on
the charge OF keeping bawdy house.
The special officer testified that he had visited
The house on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
preceding the raid, and had met a married
woman there, and was introduced to her by
Lctla, and they were afterwards left by them
selves; that he aScertained from the woman her
name and residence; that il was perfectly I'M
derStoOd by this woman what she had met him
for, and after conyersing with her for time he
excused himself from longer interview at that
time, and agreed 20 meet her again; that he paid
the house keeper 81 cher fee) for the use of the
room, and gave the other woman (his companion,
IS, ard lett.
Lieut.. skiPpcn testified that he had heard of
TINS house for some two years past as one of
.AOADSAuI Knew HDtlIng, his
own personal knowledge, against the inmates
only what had been told him; that the officers
uncer him had been directed TO keep a lookout,
and about year. ago special orders had been
given them In this same connection, but no evil
denee had been obtained TO warrant a raid. He
testified TO the facts in connection with the
present raid.
Mrs. Tyler, living near by, testified tlat she
had never seen any disOrderly acts there, though
she had often heard that it was not a respecta-
bic house.
Sergeant Painters testimony corroborated
that OF Lieut.. SkippOn's.
DIR. Neff, the owner of the house, testified that
he lives on Pennsylvania avenue; had never
heard. any thing against the reputation Of the
housei had frequently visited it, as Mrs. Pitts
was his washerwoman, and had ALWAYS regarded
her as quiet, Industrious woman.
MI. Goodrich, gentleman living near by,
testified that the reputation of the house was
that OF fancy or assignation place, and that
IL was the common talk about there.
Emma Brown, neice Of the accused, testified
that she had lived with her aunt off and on for
some years, and had never seen ANYTHING wrong
about the house, that the special officer had been
who visited there, and who he stated wore n
black dress and white ear-drops, and he had
lokingly asked Mrs Pitts if he could not have
her TO Keep; and when her aunt turned To her
with the remark "Do you hear that" she insiip,
nantly refused TO have anything to do with him.
She did not hear all the conversation between
Mrs. Pitts and the officer. In reply to the ones
ton If she had seen men and women there to-
gether, she denied it most positively.
AT this time counsel for defence moved a post
Pone ment until next Tuesday, in order to obtain
the attendance Of the woman who had met the
of Ger there. The court granted the postpoue-
meRt as desired.