The morning call., 1892-04-04
CRIME HATCHERIN.
life in San FranciScO'S DenS
Of DepraVity.
PLACES WHERE VICE Runs RIOT.
Jack HalIinan's Notorious CremOrne
Theater.
4 PLACE THAT SHOULD BIZ CLOSED.
Other Vile Resorts in This City Where
Youth Is Corrupted and Women
Slowly Slain.
PLACES WHERE VICE RUNS RIOT.
4 PLACE THAT SHOULD BIZ CLOSED.
CHAPTER ].

Life in the dives of San Francisco What
Is it like?
Tell US not that it is picturesque. Say
not that it Is permissible; that the low and
vulgar viii be low and vulgar, no matter
what is said or done. Say that it Is vile.
and you have spoken Of it in fit terms
sharp, short and to the point.
Vile is the word.
There are differen kinds Of dives. There
Is the underground ball, where the fe;id air
reeks with a stencil that never leaves the
place night or day; where young maiden
hood is debauched; where innocent youth
becomes laden with foulness; where robbie
ries are concocted; where men are slain;
where RIGHTEOUSNESS rules supreme.
There is the hall just off the street. per-
haps a step or two up fr0m-the Sidewalk,
which Is just SO many steps downward into
Hades for those who 60 in as participants.
Here, possibly, it is a little cleaner in
physical sense. though morally it Is just as
foul and loathsome as the dive-cellar.
Then there are few places where one
goes upstairs in order to gain entrance. So
far as good air and decency are concerned
nothing is gained by the ascent The up
stairs places are just as vile as those in the
cellars. Often they are worse.
But they are all dives, whether above or
below ground.
The Century Dictionary gives the def
milton Of dive as that Of "a disTeputaole
place Of resort, where drinking and other
forms of vice are INDUCED in, and commonly
vulgar entertainments are given"
So it may be in cellar or in an attic. If
Ii conforms to the foregoing definition put
ting it upstairs does not let it escape from
the appellation of dive"
But there is better name for them
crime hatcheries.
That is what they are. The police records
will prove it.
Now, there are great many dives In San
Francisco. If there were only one, that
would be one too many.
Some of them are hidden away out Of
sight. Others faunt themselves brazenly
on cur leading streets. their blatant bands
of harsh music sending forth their discord-
ant notes nightly.
These places which greet the youth Of the
city with attractive signs, inviting them to
come in and begin a course of vice, are main
tanned On such streets as Market and
KeaTny, staring the public in the face, say
ing, I'VE are here to stay; what are you
going TO do about it? We are here to stay
the mischief re can. and you cannot pre-
vent H. We ale deep-Tooted, strong-seated.
We cannot be moved. We are giants in the
land. Our rover in politics Is great, and
DO matter what is done against US we can
not be injured
Much of this is true.
The dive-keeperS have political pulls.
They know how TO get Of easily when 1t
comes to threatened punishment. They
are experts at evasion Of the law. They
have plenty Of money. and use Ii more un-
scrupulously than does any other class of
corruptiOnists.
They are moral lepers.
And yet these same dive-keepers have the
support of the law, after fashion. To
uproot them one must strike deep.
Ii should be done. They should be up-
rooted, and with no tender hand; but merci-
lessly. just as they slay and corrupt
There is the Cremorne Crime Hatchery.
1t is the worst Of all. 1t would be closed
to-morrow by the police il they had the
power. The Police Commissioners refused
10 give their consent TO license 1t: but II ia
licensed just the same.
How is that done?
Never mind, just now. It Is done-rest
assured OF that. For there Is money behind
the Cremorne-big money.
THE CALL will tell ali about these things
In the course of time. In this chapter it
will merely Introduce the reader to tbs
Cremorne. the Star. the Eureka. the
Olympic, the Palace Varieties, the Elite
and other dives.
See how vile they are!