The Washington times., 1894-11-05
PLAGUE SPOTS OF THE CITY
One of the Worst Is Freeman's Alley
in the Northern Section.
VICE AND CRIME REVEL THERE
Worth Policeman's Life to Attempt an Ar
rest After NightfaIl-F Between a
Man and a Woman in Which Baby Was
Used as the Weapon-seen by Summers

A Summing expedition. headed by Mrs. E.
G. Haight, OF st. Johns Charity League,
made a tour yesterday of that sinful byway
known as Freeman's alley. situated between
Sixth and Seventh, n and o streets north
west Mrs. Haight's main objee. was to pre-
sent to some OF the humanitarians of Wash
ington living pictures of poverty in their ac-
tuai state. without undue coIoring or exag-
geration. In this she thinks she succeeded.
The party entered the elIey from the o
street side. passing groups OF colored men and
women engaged in singing ribald songs and
indulging in coarse jests and jokes. The o
street entrance faces the High School build
ing, and is an outlet for some Of the worst
characters IN this city, some OF whom steal
out in the dark hours Of the night to commit
depredations upon the law-abiding citizens
during the hours of slumber. In the dawn
ing, when gray streaks Of light appear in the
eastern sky, and the early rising cocks are
Growing a welcome TO the breaking day, these
midnight marauders return TO this alley of
many ramifcations, laden with their ill-got-
ten swag.
Passing along the party encountered other
groups Oh llIy-cldu u6llLtl5-Ultl, women,
and children-whO were breaking the Sab
bath with that recnless abandon character
istic of the lawless element Turning a cor
ner they came to the spot surrounded BY
garbage heaps pools OF foul water, dead cats
and rats. where Policeman LaurensOn was set
upon and mobbed some time ago by several
hundred OF the dark-hued inmates OF the IN
holy byway.
Further along, past the filthy ''shacks,' as
the tenements are termed, the summers
came to 1.-The fats" a series OF two-story
bricks, in the upper story Of one OF which
determined attempt was made TO murder
Frank Auldridge, one OF the most courage
Gus policemen in the Second precinct. Off
Ger Aiudridge was called into the overcrowded
structure 10 make an arrest. and when he
reached the upper floor the inmates Of the
place surrounded him and would nave put
out his mortal lights had It not been for a
friendly colored man who ran 70 the station
house and summoned assistance.
After leaving the fats the expedition
continued through the divergent and filthy
sub-alleys aud looked into the small houses,
in some OF which from four 20 seven families
live. In one house was found an ordinary
sized room which is occupied for eating
sleeping. and cooking purposes by eight hu-
man beings. In a loft over a stable was
found family OF six huliled together in
filth and poverty. Such scenes a. these were
Witnessed throughout the entire alleyway,
which. in the language Of one Of the slum-
mers, was found 10 be g veritable cesspool of
crime and poverty.
officer Frank Auldridge, on whose beat
Freeman's alley is situated, furnished some
interesting and startling facts and figures
concerning the criminal status Of the foul
thoroughfare. During the past quarter he
made eighty-seven arrests in this alley alone.
During one night last week he took IN four
teen prisoners. and two nights later arrested
ten men and women inside OF an hour ali OF
whom plead guilty the following morning in
the police court
Among Policeman Auldridge's prisoners
was Rhoda Washington, notorious female
who lived with Oscar Willis, who Is now
serving long term in the pen" Several
years ago the Washington woman and Willis
were tried for manslaughter in causing the
death OF her infant
1t appears that the two engaged in a fight
in one Of the Freeman all ey ''shacks." Dur
ing the progress of the afTray Rhoda Wash
ington picked up her infant by its feet. and
using the poor little thing as club, proceeded
TO strike Willis with it repeatedly. Then she
threw ii at him. The brutal fellow then
seized the child and. using it as a missile
hurled it at the woman with great force. She
lodged and the little one struck the wall and
rebounded to the floor, where it lay, a man
gled corpse. Rhoda, the terror. is now
serving a long sentence in the workhouse.
where she was sent last week on the evidence
of Policeman Auldridge.
Laura Day, gigantic negress. who is
known in the alley as police killer" was
also sent down on this officers evidence sew
eral days ago. 1t usually requires squad
of policemen to take Laura, but officer Aul-
dridge subdued her sInsle-handed. He told
TIMES reporter that it IS almost as much as
a policeman's life is worth TO make an arrest
in Freeman's alley. especially after nightfal,
when, under cover of darkness, the officers
are assailed with bricks, stones, clubs, and
sometimes pistols
Complaint has been made to the Commits
sioners by res. dents of the streets that bound
the alley, and it is expected thai steps will
sooE be taken to purify the immoral atmos-
phere OF the place.