The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-08
EVILS OF ROLLER SKATING.
The Providence Kinks To Be Closed on Ac-
count of immortality.

| Providence Or. H. Special
| The brief announcement made in the city
| newspapers to-day that the Board of Aldermen
had voted Thursday not to grant further
licenses to roller skating Kinks gave rise to con-
| siderable speculation. The only information to
be gained from the report of the regular pro
| ceedings was that the board went into executive
session, heard a report of an investigation con
| corning the Kinks, and voted unanimously to dis
continue the licenses. The correspondent this
evening learned upon good authority that the
report which was submitted in private to the
board disclosed state of immortality among
young girls belonging to respectable families
hardly to be believed were it not that the evil
dence upon which the report was based was
carefully gathered and prepared
For some time there had been complaints
heard IN this city of perceptible increase in the
NUMBER OF young street walkers. The girls com
piained OF DID not openly solicit company at
night. but they made it their regular practice to
promenade up and down the streets on pleasant
afternoons and carry on open firtations with
those specimens of humanity known as mash
ers" In many instances the promenading was
carried on we'll into the evening, and by girls of
very tender years. Assertions were made in
certain quarters that the roller-skating Kinks
were responsible in part for the bad conduct of
the girls Four weeks ago Mayor Thomas
Doyle determined to trace out these, and at his
suggestion Chief of Police Child detailed officers
to attend the Kinks in citizens dress and thor
oughly investigate the matter. The worst that
had been said about the existence of immoral in
nuences was confirmed by the official report of
the investigation. The officers night after night
saw degraded women mingling with young girls
as freely as though they were of good character.
Every night the officers saw professional mash
ers" entlce young girls some of whom were in
snort Clothes, to accompany them out of the
Kinks. The officers followed these young girls
saw them 60 into saloons where LIQUORS were
sold, and then later followed them and their
male escorts to houses
In one rink week ago the officer detailed saw
young girl come in who had Just begun to
learn to skate and was unable to 90 about alone
on the rollers. He questioned one of the regu-
lar male patrons as to who and what she was.
The young fellow remarked that he didn't know
who she was but unless she was made of differ
ent stuff than the rest of the young girls who
came to the rink she would be some ones prey
In less than two months. Nearly all of the girls
who were followed belonged to good families,
and some wereVery respectfully connected. For
that reason. presumably, the aldermen heard
the report with closed doors. The action of
the mayor is approved by all good citizens,
many of whom have long asked for the suppress
sion of the Kinks The strangest feature of this
matter is that the largest and most freouented
roller-skating rink building is owned by one of
the leading churchmen of the State one who has
long been very prominent in religious and tenn
perance affairs He leases the building to the
person who runs the rink and while legally he
cannot be held responsible for the ruination of
the thirteen and fourteen-year- girls there is
q public sentiment here that is disposed to hold
him morally responsible After this month no
more roller-skating rink licenses will be granted