The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-05-03
THE DISGRACEFUL DENS IN
DRURY TOWNSHIP.
A Woman ShockingIv Beaten.
A Rufflan now in our Jail await
ing the action of the Grand Jury.

We suppose it is pretty well known
that, opposite Muscatine, in Drury township,
in this county, upon the largest island in
that township there are several houses of
prostitution the principal Of which Is the
old Jack Anthony place, now owned by
Ben Langell and Lottie. The other is the
Ben Smith place, now run by man named
Crawford. They keep six to eight girls
each There are also some smaller estab-
ishments of the kind in the vicinity, and
it is reported that agents are looking up
more girls to supply these dens of infamy,
Among the creatures who were in the
employ of the Ben Smith concern, was one
Orlando Knipple who last summer, run
skif between Muscatine and the Smith
baguio, all these houses being an append
age of Muscatine, and supported from
there and from the people in the vicinity
on both sides of the river. We have the
names of some people, in our county, hold
ing quite respectable positions in society,
who are patrons of these places. Last fall
this man Knipple induced a respectable
girl in Muscatine, who was keeping a res
taurant there, TO marry him, and three
days afterwards he commenced to beat and
abuse her This continued, at intervals,
during the winter. In March last, knipple
rented the Jack Anthony place Of Langell
and Lottie, aud wanted his wife to so over
with him and keep house. She did
not want to go and he beat her badly.
She had him arrested but on
his solemn promise not 10 misuse
her again she Withdrew her complaint
and went over to the house. They had
not been there long before he
commenced abusing her, insisting on her
becoming prostitute, and beating her
badly because she refused. About the
middle Of last month she managed, stealth
lily, to escape from the house, and came to
this city and related her story 10 Magis-
trate Chopper, who issued warrant for
the arrest of her husband The next day
Friday the 18th she went back to get
her clothes, Knipple not knowing where
she had been. He permitted her to come
in, promising not to modest her, and said
she could take her clothes As soon as she
got inside the house he attacked her,
knocking her down, kicking her in the ribs,
pounding her, bruising her ear badly, and
backing her eyes and, to-day, as we saw
her in Esquire Choppers office, the poor
girl bears marks Of the beating of Is days
ago. She was compelled to stay in the
house and was not able to get away until
yesterday the I'd when Deputy Sheriff
Harson arrived and arrested Knipple
She then got away, but was not able To get
her. clothes and appears now in the poor
clothes she had on at her every day work.
Is a slave, about the house.
knipple bears bad reputation, and it
5 said that he formerly kept bad house
n Iowa City, and was driven out of there.
His wife now complains of him for keep
ng house Of ill-fame for selling liquor
Without license; for assault and battery,
ETC, etc, and, if she holds out, viii proba-
bly, be the means of aiding States Attor-
ley Parmenter in breaking up these sink
holes of iniquity. In her poor and desti-
.ute condition it will be necessary for Su-
Dervisor Krell to make provision for her
until she can obtain respectable
employment She appears well and seems
lesirous of getting away, permanently,
from the gang where she has been an I'M
willing witness of the Internal orgies which
have so long disgraced that part of our