The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-12-14
N-CENT HOSTELRY
1.-THE PEOPLES HOME" CAUSES THE
POLICE MUCH ANNOYANCE.
A Chicago Gang That Undertook to
Clean Out the PIace-Arrests
Frequent.

There is a queer institution on Washing
ton, near Alabama street, known az the
PEOPLES Home. A barber shop occupies the
front room, where two colored BARRIERS pass
the time shaving i~mpecunious wayfarers Tor
a nickle each. The back room Is perhaps
twenty by thirty feet in dimensions. A long
table, covered with oilcloth, occupies one
side OF the room. where meals are served
for the sum OF 10 cents. At night shake
down. beds and cots occupy the remaining
space. Above stairs are two other rooms
which are used for dodgers. Ten cents Is
charged for a nights lodging, and the place
Is always crowded. Thursday night sixty
men were scattered about on the cots OF the
second story or sleeping on the floor. Some
were provided with mattresses, While 9TH
ers had nothing but a blanket: not very
comfortable arrangements nor at all con-
ducive to sleep, but then-as the proprietor
says-"what can they expect for 10 cents?'
The place Is a source Of annoyance to the
police. Thursday night, about 1890 o'clock.
two men came rushing upstairs at the po-
lice station and asked that officers be sent
to the lodging house at once. One OF them,
a Swede, was highly excited. and so out Of
breath from running he could scarcely ar
ticulate. For Gods sake" he cried, send
some one over there at once. There Is a
gang OF toughs fighting and threatening to
wipe out the Joint. One Of them smashed
me-for what I don't know. See my eye."
The optic in question was badly discolored
and swollen from a blow. The other man,
John Heating, had been In the thickest Of
the fight, and was badly cut and bruised
about the face. The blood was flowing free
ly, and he looked like a prize nghter VINO
badly worsted. Steinrock. the wagon man,
and Clark, the driver, were the only officers
at the station house at that moment, and
they Were dispatched to quell the disturb
ance. The proprietor Of the place was sur
rounded by an angry crowd. all demanding
their money be refunded. 1t seems four or
i've Chicago rowdies had gone into the place
early in the evening TO secure lodging, and
had paid for beds. They spent the evening
in adjacent barrel houses, and returned to
find earlier corners had been given the
beds they had bargained for. They tried to
throw the sleepers out, when Heating, one
of the proprietors, interfered. Heating is an
Irishman and a powerful fellow. we'll con-
ditioned TO run such a place, but the Chi
cage gang was too much for him, and soon
had him 1oored and were beating and KICK
ing him numerically. Some one raised the
cry of police" when the gang rushed down
stairs and demanded their money be refund
ed. The proprietor haggled with them until
Steinruck and Clark arrived, and placed
and Mike Phillips, under arrest. Kannada
had a big revolver of the bulldog pattern
upon him, and was charged with assault
and battery and carrying concealed weap-
ons- The other two were charged with as
sault and battery. The Swede explained he
had just come in the front door at the mo-
ment the gang were surrounding the pro-
~prietor, when one of the gang hit him over
the eye and knocked his hat into a corner.
He was held as a witness. Kannada was
fined $40 in Police Court on the double
charges yesterday morning, while his COM
panions were fined s. each. They were sent
The Peoples Home has changed hands
several times recently. The owner rents the
place by the day, at a daily rental Of 81.
Yesterday he demanded possession because
of the trouble that has occurred and the
frequent complaints which reach the police.
Three or four men have been arrested there
this week for thieving, and the place has
an unsavory reputation. James Miller was
arrested there last night on the charge of
grand larceny. Detectives Stout, McGuff
and Kaehn made the arrest. 1t is said Mil
Ter stole a pair OF trousers and an overcoat
from the Ross Block last night. According
to the detectives, he Is what is known as a
''room-worker," and Is regarded as a good
one. His plan is TO go. through a block. He
enters all the doors he finds open without
knocking. II the occupants are at home he
states he is looking for some one, using a
fictitious name-last night 1t was Jim Cook.
IL the people are not at home. he helps
himself to whatever he can find. When ar
rested last night he had disposed OF the
stolen prOperty. but IL was recovered.