Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1892-12-09
The Pittsburg Sensation.

The order of Mayor Gourley closing the
houses of ill repute in the city of Pitts
burg, and the haste in which it was exc
cuted by the Chief OF Police created sen.
sation in that city, last Wednesday.
On Thursday, tort; Of the keepers OF
such places, some of whom have grown
wealthy, visited his cfiice in City Hall and
wanted to know what he intended doing
for them He, of course, could do moth
ing, and said 50, though he criticized
Chief Browns haste in the matter of eviet-
ing the women, as indecent and inhuman.
A number of the women visited Rev. Nc
Crory. and other ministers that day, and a
few of them left the city.
On Friday, Chief Brown revoked the
order closing the, houses, giving as his
reason for so doing the criticisms Of Mayor
Gourley; and invited the Mayor to fix the
day for closing.
On Saturday Mayor Gourley reiterated
his order to Chief Brown, and in his letter
to him said:
Ny order to you of November 80, refer
red to in your communication to your Su-
perintendent, did not direct you to eject
the inmates of houses of ill-fame; it simply
and only directed you to enforce the law
against all houses of i'll repute in the city.
And to prevent any possible misunder-
standing | quoted in the communication
mentioned the full text of the law under
which you were to act, and which consti-
tutes the only authority for any action at
all by you or me in the premises.
By referring to the law or ordinance
quoted, aud which asked you to enforce,
by no pretense can you find scintilla of
authority for summarily ejecting the in
mates of houses of i'll repute or of summar-
lily closing such houses by driving the in
mates out of their homes upon the streets
To the end of suppressing such houses the
law gives your department power to ''ar-
rest every keeper therof and every person
found therein, and to bring all such per-
sons before the police magistrates of said
city for examination and hearing, and
each person found guilty after trial shall
be fined for each offense."
This law only convicts after "examina-
tion and hearing" and does not profess to
invest you or me with despotic power to
Danish into the streets and make homeless
and shelterless even women OF i'll fame
without arrest, examination and hear
ing"
And even after conviction upon such
examination and hearing" it does not i'm
pose a sentence of ejectment from the
house, but a fine, and, in default of pay
ment, imprisonment.
You cannot fail to see that your order OF
November 80, as reported to me by you, to
drive these women out upon the streets
and to close and keep closed the doors OF
the houses, is not warranted by the law or
by anything in my communication OF that
date directing you 'to enforce the law
against all houses of ill repute. Your
sole power in the premises, under the law,
is ito arrest every keeper and every rer-
son found in such houses, and take them
before the police magistrates for ''examin-
alton and hearing" your power under the
law is then exhausted and your duty fully
done.
| am convinced that if you confine your
self to the simple discharge of your duty
as a sworn officer, from day to day, under
the power given you all houses of i'll repute
will soon be closed, without any unauthor-
lied and illegal order from you to such eff
feet.
Inasmuch as these houses of shame have
for five years been allowed by your depart
ment to live and flourish, it would produce
cruel and unnecessary suffering to at once
and upon few hours notice fill the patrol
wagon with prisoners, many of whom
would certainly be unable to pay their
fines.
As you have led these women to believe
they could conduct their business in this
city with safety, would suggest that you
serve notice upon them that after a reason
able time, sufficient time to allow them TO
arrange for shelter elsewhere. a week If
you please, you will enforce the law by ar
resting, from day to day, inmate or keeper
of snch houses, and leave it to the police
magistrates to infict the sentence of the
law upon such as may be found guilty. l
believe that if you pursue this course. the
only course within the line of your duty,
and the only course permitted by the law,
these houses will soon, very soon, dlsap
pear. Should this course not accomplish
the purpose, l beg to refer you to the act
of assembly approve March 81, 1869, P. l..
394, which reads as follows:
IF any shall keep and maintain bawdy
house, ETC., or shall knowingly let or de-
mise house, or part thereof TO be so kept,
he or she shall be guilty of disdemeauor.
and on conviction be sentenced to pay q
fine not exceeding 81, 900, and to undergo
an imprisonment not exceeding two years
The correspondence between the Mayor
and the Chief of Po lice was the principal
topic of conversation about City Hall, that
day.