The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1890-06-24

Ida Radcliffe Ferrets Out Opium
Joint Keepers and Brings
Them to Justice.

ears OF Oelng harmed Dy the
friends of the opium joint keepers
whom she had recently prosecuted,
has driven Ida Radcliffe from the
place where size was boarding in We
Thirty-third street. She hes dissp-
peared as mys eriously as she csme.
No one knows where she has gone
save perhaps Detective Mcconnell.
Evidently Ida Rsdc life has history.
She refuses to say who she is and
where she came from, but when asked
if the opium denkeepers' house
wronged her, her expressive mouth
becomes hard and firm as she replies:
"They have"
She first appeared 10 the Tenderlon
precinct at Mrs. S. Woods, who lives
at 10S West Fifty second street. When
Ida b jarded with her, Mrs. Woods
lived in South Thirty-second street,
with whom she only boarded a few
days. Next she went to board with
May Birch, at 142 west Thirty-third
street, and las ly Winslow's, in the
same house. No one at the above
places can say word sgain-t the girl
and whether she lived at these places
for the purpose Of gaini' g an ingress
into opium smokers society or not is a
question that 10 one can answer. 1t
is more than probable that she did
and she must have been courageous
girl to brave what she did. Her me-
tive for ferreting out the opium dens
and bringing their keepers to justice,
was to avenge her father and brother,
both of whom died from the effects of
the fearful habit.
She was playing in Geatry's theater,
Memphis, Tenn LIST January when
che arm, d of her brothers dea h In a
den in West Thirty.third street. Her
stage name was Ida Radcliffe, and she
hiss chung to it all the way through.
When the news of her brothers death
was brought to her she became pos
sessed of wild desire for revenge.
No other method presented itself to
her than to visit New York, insinuate
hers lie into the circle of last women,
and thus obtain evidence against the
opium den keepers. 1t was round
about way, a road the roughne.s Of
VIII oh would have appalled, many other
girls Of less nerve.
She knew she could carry out her
plans, for she became accustomed to
opium smoke while living with her
father In Washington square some
years ago.
He was an artist of rare ability,
who had come here from France, it is
said, and he killed himself with rum
and opium. Her brother learned the
habit from her father, aud when he,
too, died of the terrible curse, she re-
solved tn n to extripa'e as many as
possible of the dens.
The knowledge that these glided
opium joints existed in the Tenderloin
precinct surprieed many people. 1t
was generally supposed that they
haunted the down town districts en-
tirely.
This girl lived among those people
for several months. She brought
opium and even smoked it. so as to
leave no loophole of escape for the
joinikeepers.
Finally, when she secured all her
evidence, she went to the police and
laid it before them. They eageraly
accepted it. and the joints of Arthur
Morton and Nay Birch, at 142 West
Thirty-third street of Signor Hess,
at 1873 West Thir;y-'hlrd street /;
of Sadie Young, at 1873 West Thirty
third street and of Vic Wallace, at
105 West Twen'y-seventh street were
pulled in rapid succession. Valuable
layouts were captured, and in every
case the girls evidence was so con
elusive and straightforward that the
jointkeepers were held for trial in
heavy BALM. Y. Sun.
How Fast the Sea Swallows Land.
Prof. W. J. Niece in the Forum.