The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-10-04
THEY DEFEND THEM.
Police Commissioners Excuse the
Existence of DisorderIy Houses.


~
5ect-
The warfare on the disorderly houses
has opened up IN earnest and the best
people Of the city are determined that
the public places shall be closed Il IS
hardly probable that the police will dare
to longer neglect their duty in the face
of popular indignation, which is now
thoroughly aroused Mayor Harrison IS
doing all he can to see that these places
are closed and he has allies in the lnhu-
entail people in the city. He talked to
JOURNAL reporter today who asked:
do you think these disorderly houses
can be driven out Of the city9'
They can and will be-" replied he.
"With the JOURNALS help we have al
ready driven out the boldest and % Ost
powerful one The people Of the city
are thoroughly aroused and intensely IN
earnest They believe that law il more
powerful than crime and that decency is
more desirable than debauchery. The
police authorities, if they desired, could
close all such houses in a week and drive
their inmates from the city. 1t has been
done before and can be done again If
lie becomes necessary in order to rid the
city Of these vile places the good people
Will form law and order league 50
powerful and 50 earnest that nothing
can withstand its fury. If it comes to
trial of strength between the good peo-
other cities that have cOngregated here
during the past year the conflict will be
short and decisive.
"Whdt do you think OF the plea of the
police that this agitation only advertises
those houses and does more harm than
goodI'' asked the reporter.
THAT is the plea Of the houses them
selves Their business is SO disgraceful
that they warn decent people to let them
alone. All that they ask is to be let
alone. They viii advertise their own
business One man said that in going
irsm Sixth street to the u. p depot the
other evening, he was solicited three
separate times by street walkers to visit
their houses If the police make that
plea they are simply singing the same
song that these disreputable houses
would sing themselves No sensible
person believes any such nonsense. Let
them alone and they will soon become 50
numerous that they will demand recog-
milton and protection a lawful bust
ness There is only one way to deal with
them in this city, aud that is to drive
them out and keep them out They do
not belong here, but come from other
cities, and never would come but'for some
assurance Of protection or that they
would DO let alone
Members Of tIe-schooI Board
r B. WelcA. president of the school
board said TO JOURNAL reporter: ''Such
state Of things ought not TO be permit
ted to exist 1t is the business of the
officers TO enforce the law and they
should do il. ( know it can be done for
We did il. Thea the police force and
sheriff worked as a unit and one helped
the other and sucn places were not al
lowed to live.
"Mayor Harrison is wrong to think
that the school board can do more than
any other citizens ia closing these houses
which are near the schools The law
step would be to have the houses abated
as nuisance. The matter should be
brought before the grand jury and a
thorough examina alton made Of the alleg-
ed violations Of the law.
This thing Is = great disgrace and is
not to he tolerated by any respectable
community. l understand no attempt is
being made to excuse the existence of
these places and when we sit by and per-
nit these things to go on We are parties
to the violation Of the law"
Jesse Shaw, a member Of the school
board, said: II know nothing personally
about this place alluded to on Tenth
street 1 heard man say a few DAYS
ago, in talking about the state admins
tration, that the Governor. from his Office,
could look into disorderly house and l
suppose this is the one meant
''Personally, l am in favor Of doing all
In my power to rid the city of these
places just as soon as possible. If the
school board can do any thing it ought to
be done right away, but if we have no
jurisdiction then there is nothing more
80 say about Us acting as a school board"
>. q. Miller, member of the board
from North Topeka, is indignant He
said he intended to do all he can to crush
out these places and to see that they were
not allowed to locate at the doors Of the
city schools at any rate.
A JOURNAL reporter asked Police Com
missioner 1ount why disorderly houses
were allowed to exist ia the city He
denied their existence, but refused to be
interviewed i have nothing at all to
say for publication" said he
Commissicner Krauss' Opinion.
In speaking of the triangular discus
sion between the mayor, the school board
and the police, Police Commissioner
Oscar krauss said:
This woman business is a very hard
matter to handle with satisfaction To
everyone concerned Every town of
any size in the world has them. No town
has been able even by the most strenu-
Gus efforts to rid itself entirely Of them.
We have studied the question as thor
oughly as we can and find that the best
thing TO do is TO DO as we are DOING
quite agree with Mayor Harrison that the
vicinity of the public schools is no place
20 have them, and for the past two
months TO my certain knowledge. the
women who were IT the corner of Tenth
ana JACKSON have been trying faithfully
70 secure house to move into. 1t il not
an easy matter for q woman of that repu-
tatlon TO find q place to live in. No
owner wants that sort of a renter Thev
nad moved, though, before Mayor Harri-
son made such fuss about it.
"have they moved?"
understand that they have moved y
A1r. Harrison's statement that there
are more houses and more women Of that
class IN Topeka EOday than there have
been for years. il certainly vvithone q hse