Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-07-14
Salt gakt 9snlotrat,
THE DIVES OF CHICAGO.
HOW YOung Girls are EsNined ina
the NOf0rkOEs Dens Gf That city.

"You are responsible before God and
man for the ruin OF that girl said JUS
tice Foote to Roger Plant at the Armory
Police Court Yesterday. sit is worse
crime than theft or murder. How can
YOU do it. man ?'' Plant is the proprie-
tor of disreputable saloon at 500 South
CLARK street. and was before Justice
Foote ON two chargers-selling liquors to
minors and keeping disorderly house.
/ Andrew Paxton. of the Citizens League,
| prosecuted. The only witness was the
| girl alluded to, Annie Peterson, fifteen
years old, and tolerably good looking.
She was flashily dressed in bright blue
satin, and seemed to have small concep-
ton of the depravity with which she was
indirectly accused. She testified that
she had lived in Plants house two
months and had often bought beer for
him.
"a lady who said she was her sister,
fetched her in, . said Plant.
"a lady Bah!'' said the Court, con-
temptuously. "No decent woman would
90 into your saloon Ii a saloon-keeper
wanted to be square and right he would
never let petticoat across his threshold,
and Pm not fanatic or bigot in morals
>
of girls not big enough to reach the coun-
ter without standing on the railing go IN
to saloon and get beer IN pail. Even
up where l live, at Twenty-nlnth and
State, | can see such things, and lt,s
shame and outrage. have seen 1t with
my own eyes, and vet the man had the
effrontery to stand up before me and
swear it never occurred.
1.-THE parents send the children" said
Plant, "and ninety-nine out of every hun
dred saloon-keepers will serve them"
"And that's the way children are first
put on the path TO eternal ruin, said the
Court. "They go into saloons where two
thirds OF all the words spoken are all vile
and profane, and get their young minds
poisoned. believe with Bishop Ireland,
that reform must begin with the children.
I'm an out-and-out Democrat, and be-
lieve in personal liberty, but | don't be-
lieve in the liberty that lets children and
girls and women into places like yours. "
Mr.. Paxton said the girl had been en-
ticed by Plants wife to become an in
mate OF the place.
'Her mother drove her flom home
said Plant.
''Then your wife should have driven
her back again, sad the Court. " GU
are responsible before God and man for
her ruin. Look at her there, as handsome /
as God and nature could make her
here the girl covered her face and began
to sob-"and think of the crime you have .
committed Man, how could you do it ? ,
fine you 500 in the one case and S. in
the other, and you had better not do it
again.
Plant is said to own considerable prop |
erty in the city, including some noted as
signation houses. Twenty years ago he
kept the most notorious den this city ever
was afflicted with, under the Willow"
at the corner of Fifth avenue and Monroe
street Chicago was finally made too hot
for Roger, and he went to St. Louis.
A case almost as bad was that of Lottie |
and Lizzie Miller, twins, 20 years old,
who had been arrested just after engaging
rooms in a house on Fourth avenue.
They had worked in cigar-boX factory
on South Water street, and, being thrown
out of employment, had been enticed TO
the locality named. Justice Foote sent
them to the House of the Good Shepherd
on fines of 800 each-Chicdg0 Herald.