The evening world., 1894-09-12
SOUBRETTE ROW,NOW
Petitioners, Police officials and
Justice Voorhis in Conference.
Systematic Effort TO Be Made to
Purify the Block.
Capt. Price wrathy Over Imputa
tions Upon His Neglect.

The police and judiciary finally began
to-day the long-deferred investigation Of
that much-complained-of stretch OF
Thirty-ninth street. between Seventh and
Eighth avenues, known AS "Soubrette
Row"
Justice Voorhis retired from the bench
at Jefferson Market Court when he had
finished this mornings docket, and
presently sent from his office a mys-
terious notification to the newspaper re-
porters that he wanted them present In
his private chambers.
When the reporters entered, they found
the Justice at his desk with Inspector
McAvoy and Capt Price standing solemn
ly on either side, while the room was
comfortably filled with a group OF very
respectable-looking men and women.
The Justice arose and read the follow
ing petition:
To Thomas Byrnes, Superintendent OF Police, New
York City.
Til. undersigned. property owners and person,
interested In the block Thirty ninth street, be
| tween Seventh and Eighth avenues respectful,
| call your attention to the fact that a number oil
houses and mats located on the block occupied
| owners lone Of whom has been Indicted continue
| to allow their premises to be occupied for immora
purposes
| Ladies' living on the block scarcely dare Il
| open their front doors after nightfail. and can
! M, sit on ueir stoops or IN their front yard
| Without being subjected to Insults and bein,
| compelled to see repugnant sights
In one house the front shades are never RAISED
| for fear the children will see sights in the street,
| which will bear blighting marks In after years
| Children OF respectable parents cannot play OF
| the street without coming Into contact with youni
| hoodlums and drunken women and with othe
forms Of vice, drawn there by the attractions o
| INN orality.
| Young men congrcgate In the street at night
and are drawn into these dens OF vice and arr
seen leaving in the early hours Of the morning;
| Property-owners on account Of the above cond
tions are unable to rent to desirable tensnts o
sell their holdings The Captain of the precInc
! fed that he knows fully the character Of ever,
house in the block We therefore appeal to yo'
ment, and we beg you viii correct the existinl
evils The citizens Of Thirty. ninth street are ii
earnest and viii adopt s susn measures as ar
longer to perform their plain duty.
New York. Aug, 81. 1894
There were about twenty signature,
to the petition and Of these the foll9 9,S
Edward Msfe Becf No. a. Men Ne and Nd Mrs
Carl S. Loewenstein, No. 2ls; William
a. Reid. No. 272: NJ; Robinson. No; 22i
| n,s' Neh a1n No' Est anu w. - o'ei
inspector McAvoy brought me thl,
petition last week, and l made up m,
mind" said the Justice. addressing hi
street, which is so frequently under com
plant, needs purging. It can best b
tween the police, those residents an
prEFerty-owners who complain and my
, II have thought that the best way t
approach the matter was to call thl
conference OF you ladies and gentleme
and the Inspector and Captain of tn
territory thfs morning. Now, I woul
like to know who may be properly re
} garded as the leader or the first move
among yourselves"
Several men and women announced 4
concert that their leader was D. J, os
good. who owns the lighthouses, 270 an
272 West Thirty ninth street, and live
in one of them. Mr.. Osgood was no
Fl, but wife snyns tna vas se receive
Providence and could not return unit
Friday. but that upon that day he woul
be glad to attend the meeting.
tiles could not proceed in an unadvise
manner against the nusances of tn
block without knowing specifically 1
which houses the irregularities occurred
He called upon those present to give hir
the numbers OF offending houses. Thi
proved TO be a little more than they wer
able or wiling TO do.
They had all seen painted and gayl
dressed women and fast looking me
moving up and down the block and i
and out OF houses, had seen women ca
men from the street. had heard tn
sound of drunken fights and orgies an
all that disagreeable sort OF thing. bu
when 1t came to giving house numbers
they hesitated and all confessed to
dependency upon Mr.. osgood for thos
points.
Capt. Price stepped forward with
paper in his hand, and said. with Sigh
sarcasm:
II may be able to help these ladie
and gentlemen to locate their com
plants. / have here list of the own
ers and occupants of all the houses o
the street. But want to demand RICH
here that help from you which you hav
denied me-
Inspector McAvoy raised his hand an
told the Captain to stop.
II demand the right of an officer" in
sisted Capt Price. These very peopl
land he pointed out several OF them) wi
not help the police to clean that block
My policemen have been abused and In
suited"
The Captain was running on hotl,
when Justice Voorhis peremptorily con
manded him to leave Off and enforce