Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-02
AN OPEN AIR MEETING.

| Six of the Women Confer on the Street and
Decide to Resist the Police Order
They viii Protect the Inmates of Their
Houses.
All the disorderly houses in Pittsburg
were closed yesterday and last night. A few
of the women at least made a pretense at
obeying the police order implicitly, and all
of them denied having been notified that
the order to close had been delayed in Its
effect until o'clock this afternoon to give
them an opportunity to consult with friends,
if they have any, and to provide themselves
with new homes if their friends do not ma
terialize.
Six of the women who own and manage
disorderly houses in this city held a meet
ing on the street at Ferry and Second ave-
nue. yesterday afternoon after they had
listened to the Mayors speech. They de-
cided to stand together in protecting the
women now in their houses, and they de-
cided to resist any effort on the part of the
police department to compel the women to
leave their houses or the city. They had
been advised BY an attorney that the police
could not interfere with them so long as
they closed their houses to visitors and did
not maintain their places for immoral pur-
poses.
Afraid of Being Arrested.
The street meeting of the women was rarely
interesting. They were all greatly excited
and all insisted upon talking at the same
time. They deplored the condition that
compelled them to hold this conference on
the high way, but they insisted that they
were fearful of going into any one of their
houses least the detachment of police on
special duty in the condemned district
would arrest them for opening their houses
even to themselves
The women talked of the closing order in
all its bearings. They contended that they
had been imposed upon by everybody and
that in the matter of rents and every thing
they purchased they were compelled to pay
extravagant prices. During their discus
sions, which were frequently loud and
earnest, they sawed the air with their
hands, and before they realized it crowd
of men and boys had collected about them
and were listening with a morbid interest
to every word they were saying. Two
policemen were finally attracted by the
gathering which was promptly dispersed.
Investigation later developed that each
of the six women had gone to their resorts
and had notified the females in their plac es
that they need not leave and that they
could remain as guests until the Christian
people of the city had arranged to provide
for them. This decision somewhat sur
prised the police authorities Last night
they were unable to say just how the women
could resist their order or just how far their
order would go in closing houses to the
women as homes after the places had been
closed to visitors.
The Order VIII Be Enforced,
"We will inquire into this phase of the
question tomorrow" Superintendent
O'Mara said last night sour order goes
into effect at o'clock tomorrow afternoon,
and we will enforce the order just as far as
the plain law will let US CO."
Notwithstanding the decision of the six
women to protect the inmates of their own
houses, First, Second and Third avenues,
where the condemned places are located,
was all day yesterday almost blockaded
trunks and furniture, and all day and up
until midnight those thoroughfares were
literally alive with the women who had
been driven out by the police authorities
There was no apparent distress among the
outcasts. They had no particular reason
for being on the streets and they seemed to
be devoting themselves to abusing those re-
sponsible for their distress and inconyen-
ience. Many of them spent most of the |
day and night in calling upon the ministers |
who have been active against them.
About 40 of the women, both black and |
white, called on Rev. j. 7. McCrory at his
residence at 81 Wylie avenue about |
o'clock last evening The crowd was
orderly, but the police were on hand to |
suppress any disturbance that might arise. |
They asked to see Mr.. McCrory, and when |
he presented himself, they stated that they
and demanded admittance to his house or
formed that he could not provide for them.
An Interview With MIR. McCrory.
"Are you not a director of the Bethel
Home?" asked one of the women.
81 am but cannot give you an order to
get in there" replied Mr.. McCrory.
With that the women withdrew.
The visit created considerable excitement
in the nelghborhood of the residence and
many of the curious ones antscipated
trouble. In this they were disappointed,
however, as the women were we'll behaved
and after meeting with MI. McCrory's re-
fusal to aid them departed at once
Seven inmates of the disorderly houses
called on Rev. DR.. Sands, pastor of the
Forty-tourth Street U. P. Church, and one
of the most vigorous in the campaign
against the houses, yesterday afternoon
and applied for aid. Police Captain Brophy
was present when the women came and
says that DR.. Sands refused to help them.
ONLY HIS PLAIN DUTY.