Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-05-24
\ Threat to Shoot Supposed Detect
IYe-Fhe Devils Thoroughly Scared.
Inc New Law Providing Imprisonment
III the Penitentiary to be Applied.
ANTI-DEN ORGANIZATION

1t is Doing Effective Work. Plans of the Con-
Germ and Schemes Of the Dive KeeperS.
| EAU CLAIRE, May 21.-The organization
for the suppression of houses of Hire
pute which exist in the vicinity of Fan
Claire now has eases pending against all
the three den keepers. Hamilton's case
was called for examination to-day be-
fore Justice Bartlett in this city. Nc
CanR's and Barker's cases are set for
examination Tuesday and Wednesday be-
fore the same magistrate. Hamilton and
Barker are the proprietors of the two
largest and worst places. The prosecu-
tions are personally conducted by District
Attorney Cooley. The den keepers are
defended by prominent and high priced
lawyers and will
| MAKE STUBBORN FIGHT.
| Postponement will be secured as often as
possible, and it may cost the county
good deal of money to convict. It has
been discovered that the den keepers re-
quired each of the girls, when the place
was pulled to pay her keeper ten dollars,
besides making her pay the court fac of
twenty five dollars, and they keep the
girls trunks and clothes as security until
the twenty-five dollars has been paid. 1t
is runored that it is the purpose OF Ham
ilton and Barker, if their places
are raided so often that they are prac-
tically closed half the time to have their
girls refuse to pay fines when arrested as
inmates and to themselves omit to give
bail when arrested as keepers and that
the whole gang of two dozen women and
two men will go to jail and try to make
the prosecution tired by living on the
county two months, but the den keepers
are thoroughly scared and they will be
only too glad to give bonds as long as
they can DO SO. Their real purpose Is
TO SKIP THE COUNTRY
if worst comes to worst. The profits of
the infamous traffic are such that they
can put up cash in the hands of their
bondsmen for the face of their bail, which
is usually eight hundred dollars in each
case. But it is not intended 10 allow them
to escape in this way as did the notorious
! Mackey, who forfeited his bail, fed the
country and was succeeded by Barker. It
| is believed that convictions IN the three
cases new pending for examination can be
secured at the fall term of the circuit
court and it is more than likely that the
den keepers will get the benefit of the
new law enacted by the last Legislature,
providing for Imprisonment in the peni-
| Tertiary in such cases.
! Hamilton stood on the street corner
the other night ard pointing out man
who is supposed to be detective of the
anti-den organization, declared he would
SHOOT HIM ON SIGHT
if he ever caught him near his place.
But the detectives employed are actually
unknown to the den keepers, who are in a
state OF continual apprehension and
scarcely dare to admit anybody to their
resorts. The personnel of the anti-den
organization is known to very few. It
embraces perhaps two score of men and
has an executive committee whose meet
ings are private and frequent. The plans
of the organization are now thoroughly
matured ard they embrace some striking
and original features which are likely to
produce highly interesting Developments
Nj n II, Z, short time