The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-12-15
NURSERIES OF CRIME
Dark Deeds Hatehed in Goth
ans Lodging Houses.
They ARE FOUNTAINS OF Ev,l.
The Police Of the Great Metropolis are
reweriess 10 Exers Any Aa-
shority over Them.
New York Tr.hmne

A subject which viii probably come b.
fore the next legislature is tnecvils produced
BY the lodgingAouSe system in this CITY,
Public attention was directed 20 this mat
Ter BY Inspector ByEnes. whose knowledge
OF these nurseries ri crime Is doubtless
more full and accurate than is possessed
by any other student OF life Ia the rnesrop-
CHS IN all its phases. he declares that the
lodging-nouses constitute an evil of large
and growing proportions" and that they
have - powerful tendency TO produce.
foster and increase crime The report OF
the police department for last year showed
that during the twelve months ending
December 81, lSSS, 4.649. 660 cheap lodgings
were furnished. There were ST places
elassed as "lodging-houses and dormito-
ries, containing i0,4a9 rooms Yet there
Is no law that governs or applies 20 these
places, except certain sections OF the sani-
taFy code which give the health depart
ment the right h exercise supervision
over them IN the matter of cleanliness.
OF course there are some honest and ne
specsahle people who happen to be down
on their luck who find in these resorts
cheap places of abode; but as rule the
houses in question are the resort OF drunk
ards. thieves, idlers and loafers Of every de-
scription. IL Is easy 10 see the influences
that would surround a young man who
bad not succeeded so well in the city as he
had expected, and who had been driven to
one of these lodginghouses IN default Of
means TO procure more comfortable sur
roundings. 1t Is not in the slightest de-
gree surprising that many burglaries,
murders, etc, have been traced d.
rectly TO places OF this sort, and that
they are iH the majority Of cases rank
breeding-place OF crime. Not only are
young men corrupted in them through as
ISOLATION with criminals, bat convicts
newly out of prison are not infrequently
forced into crime again by meeting their
former associates in some Of the lodging
houses TO which persons without resources
naturally drift. Inspector Byrnes is con
WINGED that during the last three years
crimes concocted in the city's lodging
houses have increased rapidly. and he de-
clares that only very small proportion Of
the dodgers are worthy persons who are
glad 20 get a nights rest at these resorts
for tfifle Butunder our present laws the
lodgingheuses are . law unto themselves.
any authority over them.
NO EttlBNt u 51IthA N1a1l1t9keN III q kTGAA
city Ike this can fail to see that these
places are fountain OF almost unmixed
evil. The question that presents itself for
solution is. what shall be done TO reform
them2 Lodginghenses cannot be abol-
ished. brit something can be done aud
ought TO be done in the way Of regulating
them. in the first place II would be- easy
To require that they be licensed and that
no person who IL not Of good character
should be allowed to conduct one. Then
the proprietoya should be compelled 70
keep full and accurate record OF every
ledger entertained, and these records ought
at all times 10 be open 70 the inspection
OF the police. Mr.. Byrnes thinks that the
police department should have complete
authority in the inspection and supervision
OF the lodging houses. and his opinion Is en-
titled to great weight. Wholly 20 eliminate
the evil OF which these resorts are the
source Is hardly 70 be thought Of at present.
but the legislature will fail la Us duty II
il does not take some action in the direction
Of reducing II. Our charitable institutions
could hardly do wiser thing than 20 call
upon the legislature to make a beginning
in the work OF reforming these fruitful
nurseries OF crime.