The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-11-07
DISORDERLY HOUSES.
THEaRaND JURY TO HANDLE THEM
WITHOUT GLOVES AND TO IN
vEsrIGArE WHY THE Law
Is NOT ENFORCED.
onicers, it is said, Are to Be Rakea Over the
Goals and Held TO strict Accoanta-
bili.y for Not suppressing
the Evil.

Il
meander about the corridors of the
county's temple of justice are true,
there is going to be music in the air
when the grand jury meets next week.
1t is asserted, and it is doubtless
true, the jury will probe deep into the
social evils of life, and will investigate
and demand of the conservators Of the
peace why they are not enforcing GER
tain laws.
1t will be remembered that the last
legislature, at the earnest request OF
citizens of the leading cities, and be-
ing impressed with the great and in
cleasing magnitude of the social evil,
almost unanimously amended the law
regulating disorderly houses so as to
reach property owners and officers.
In all cities the social evil is far
reaching and great, and its poison is
by no means confined to the circle OF
the recognized depraved but flows
through the veins of the best and
highest society.
Its appalling magnitude and its
woeful influence upon society induced
the legislature to amend the law.
1t has not been enforced, and the
grand jury, it is said, is going to as
certain why it has not been, and it
can be set down right now, and Of
ficers of the law may as well cut this
out and take it home and putt under
their pillows and calmly sleep on it,
that the grand jury is not going to
receive the old chestnut excuse, that
the law has not been enforced "cause
public opinion is agin it."
If public opinion is confined to Il
very limited Circean circle of distin-
guished rakes and debauches then
such an excuse may be good, but il the
public opinion of nine hundred and
ninety-nine one thousandths of the
men OF families and all of the moral
community is entitled to any con-
sideration at all, then the excuse will
not hold water with the grand jury
next week, If all reports are true.
Property owners, too, are going to
catch it in the neck, and they may as
we'll take this home and placidly sleep
on it. No chestnut excuses are going
to be accepted from them. The sugar
coated excuse ~ don't know what
goes on in my house" is not going
10 be swallo we'd by the grand jury. Al
least that is the talk and, all in all
the probabilities are good for an in
tensely interesting session of the grand
Jury.
The following is the law as amended
by the legislature:
Section /. Be it enacted by the leg
islature OF the state Of Texas: Tha
article 339, chapter SO, Of the genera
laws Of Texas, approved March ~
1887, and Article BAL, chapter A, It'll,
X, of the penal code OF the state o
Texas, be 80 amended as to hereafter
read as follows, and by adding thereto
articles 34la and 34lb:
Article $780, A disorderly house i
one kept for prostitution, or wher'
prostitutes are permitted to resort o
reside for the purpose of plying thei
vocation, or any theatre, play house
or house where spirituous, vinous, o
malt liquors are kept for sale, AM
prostitutes, lewd women, or women @
bad repu cation for chastity are EN-
ployed, kept in service, or permitte'
to display or conduct themselves in
: lewd, lascivious, or indecent manner
or to which persons resort for the pun
pose OF smoking or in any name
: using opium.
Article BAL. Any owner, Jesse, Q
tenant who shall keep, or be concerne
y in keeping, or knowingly permit tn
keeping Of disorderly house in an
6 house, building, edifce, or tenemen
e owned, leased, or occupied by hin
shall be deemed guilty of keeping, 0
y berg concerned in keeping, or know
ingly permitting to be ,kept,as the cas-
0 may be, disorderly house, and shall b
y punished by fine OF two hundred do
D lars for each day he shall keep, be cor
u cerned in keeping, or knowingly permi
e to be kept such disorderly house. An
: owner having information that hi
Z house is being kept, used or occupie
as disorderly house shall be hel
guilty OF knowingly permitting hi
+ house to be kept as disorderly hous
y under this act, unless he shall immt
= diately proceed to prevent the keel
ing, using or occupying Of such hous
for such purpose by giving such in
formation to the county or district Of
torney against such lessee, tenant 0
occupant for violation of this act, O
. take such other action as may reason
ably accomplish such result.
Article 34la. Every owner, lesse'
tenant, or manager OF any theate
dance house, play house, or hous
where spirituous, yinous, or ma
liquors are kept for sale, who sha
knowingly employ or have in servit
in any capacity in such theater, pla
house, or house where spirituou
vinous, or malt liquors are kept f
sale, any prostitute, lewd woman,
woman of bad reputation for chastit
or who shall permit any prostitut
lewd woman, or woman Of bad reput
ton for chastity TO display or condu
herself therein in lewd, lasciviot
or indecent manner, shall be deem
...:1t., ,f l,oo,,;,c a dsaordoriv hon.