The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-07-27
IMPORTED HARPIHS.
Vile Women From New York
and Hoboken Haunt
Lower Grand
Street by
Night.
POOR JACK THEIR VICTIM.
Street Solicitation, New Form Of
Vice Here, Fostered by Vile
Saloons Licensed by Our
Aldermen.

olfJh IN lhe city. IL is the presence of
women of disreputable character, solicit
ing on one of the main thoroughfares of
the lower section of the city. Grand
street, from Warren to Hudson is the
section where this vile business is carried
on. The nuisance will be broken up at
once. and in all probability the names of
dozen or more women heretofore un-
known to the police will be given space in
the big blotter at Headquarters.
Last night Detectives Dalton, Pearson
and Doyle were detailed by Superiptend-
ent Smith to cover the locality freouented
0y the solicitors and to place ali of them
possloie under arrest. A JERSEY CITY
NEWS reporter accompanied the detec-
yves on their nrst tour. At half past ten
O'Clock not woman was in sight, and it
was feared that news of the raid hal
leaked out. The Superintendent,s or.
ders, however, to the detectives made it
compulsory to remain on Grand street all
night until some of the offenders were
found doing business.
MIDNIGHT CAPTURES.
At midnight the detectives made an
other visit to the stamping grounds of
the solicitors and were greeted with
sounds of drunken songs. An hour later
haIf dozea OF the women put in an ap-
pearance and the detectives, watching a
good opportunity, corralled three of the
offenders. The women fought like tigers
TO get away. realizing that ninety days at
Snake Hill stared them in the face. The
detectives. however. compelled the wom-
en- TO keep quiet, and in short order
placed them behind the bars at Head
quarters. AT the desk Detective Rear-
sons prisoner gave her name as Annie
Cosgrove and her residence as No. 43
York street. in reality the woman's
name is Annie O'Hearn, better known as
annie the Fish," Dalton's prisoner
registered as Maggie Turner. giving her
address as No. 1913 York street, while
Doyle's prisoner was the famous Mrs.
Miller of No. 80 Hamburg street. This
morning the women Were given ninety
days by Justice O'Donuell.
Annie O'Hearn is q notorious character
and spends most of her time at Snake
Hill. The woman's appearance today is
haggard. She is woman of consider
able education, but family troubles set
her astray. She has living today two
who do not recognize her. In her drunk
en- orgies she has disclosed their where
abouts to rufdans. who have persecused
them and driven them from city TO city.
The girls are now in the West earning 4
livelihood.
Maggie Turner is a stranger, but her
appearance is indicative Of the fact that
nothing Is too low for her. Mrs. Miller is
well known to the police and has figured
in many scraDes Raids will continue to
be made until the entire gang is under
arrest or driven out of the city.
The women are habitues of both dens
not yet exposed in THE JERSEY CITY
NEWS, who, fearing arrest, have abandon
ed their old methods of doing business
and taken to the streets. The women are
a most disgusting set. AS a class they
are strangers in the city. From an inves-
tfgation made a few nights ago the Su-
perintendent is of the belief that some Of
them, at least, were inmates of some of
the vile dens recently closed by the police
of New York. Detectives who have been
working on the case have also discovered
that some are the hardest characters of
our city sister, Hoboken.,
THE DISCOVERY.
The discovery that a dozen or more
women were soliciting in this section of
the city was made when a report was
made to the Superintendent by a seaman
that he had been stopped on Grand street
by woman who asked him to treat her.
The seaman accompanied her to saloon
nearby, where to all appearances, she was
we'll acquainted. The woman proved to
be congenial companion and several
drinks were purchased. Songs enlivened
the occasion and the seaman becoming
drowsy, threw his feet upon table and
went TO sleep. An hour later, he was
elected from the saloon and it was then
that he discovered he had been relieved OF
a silver watch and small sum of money.
An investigation of the, case showed
that seamen were the principal victims
of these women. The harpies do not
put in an appearance on the street until
about ten O'Clock, and from that time
until early in the morning ribald songs
and an occasional free fight disturb this
usually quiet and respectable neigh
bourhood.
hole every man who passes. Frequently
the couples adjourn tosome saloon, while
occasionally visit is paid to house of
ili-repute on Hudson street. Residents
Of the neighborhood have complained to
the Superintendent and raid is to be
made. Superintendent Smith is deter
mined not to permit the women to take
up residence in the city, or to get hold
on any locality. They are women of
the lowest and most degraded type,
women who would not hesitate to rob
every victim they catch, and perhaps re-
sort to even more criminal plans to secure
the money Of unsuspecttng victims.
THE BUSINESS PAYS.
The women are as a whole quite well
0IcSSCA3 tsA0 A0bO sAS ftpJOdkhpC0 "a COn~
Quoting an exceedingly prosperous busi-
ness.
The superintendent has also located
two or three saloons where these women
take thsir victims, They are all licensed
by the Board Of Rumsters. In all proha-
bility, the proprietors of these places will
be arrested and charged with keeping dis
orderly houses.
"4his business is something new," said
gentleman who has been Watching this
business. "The women are to all ap-
pearances strangers, but nevertheless
they have become intimately acquainted
with proprietor5 of saloons whose receipts
have improved since their arrival The
women are acquainted with each other,
and have seen them fight on the
street over some poor devil who
was too drunk to care for himself. 1t has
become so now that it is not safe for
man to sit on his stoop with his family.
These women use the most disgusting
language and insult everyone who passes.
lam convinced that they are some Of
those who have been driven out of houses
of assignation In New York. / am ex-
ceediugly pleased to hear that Superin-
rendent Smith intends driving them out
of the city. Had these women been per-
mitted to continue this business during
the summer have no doubt but they
would have attempted to establish den
for the entertainment Of men this win
ter.
Other residents are highly excited over