The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-06-24
IT WAS "sPEAK EASY, nEER.
Rev. DR.. Howard Shows u Bottle of Beer
From Asbury Puipit last Night.

The Rev. DR.. ]. H. Howard, OF Asbury
M. u. Church, preached on wilmington
Under Cover" last night. The church was
crowded. The sermon was the second in
the series which DIR. Howard is preaching
on the wrongs of Wilmington. DR.. How
ard is apparently very much in earnest.
In his Introductory prayer he spoke of the
responsibility that devolved on him and
asked for Gods help.
Once during the prayer there was a fer
vent amen and in the beginning OF his ad-
dress he spoke of the good that an amen
did occasionally. Continuing he spoke about
the unpopularity of the sermons, and said
his friends were advising him against the
work and others were staying away from
the church because they said 1t was not
preaching the gospel.
Notwithstanding the discouragements
DR.. Howard said he was determined that
he would go on and tell the truth as he
understood 1t.
The sermon was not without dramatic
interest and incident. The most interest
ing was when the preacher read printed
directory of the best-known disorderly
houses. The directory contained only the
names OF a half dozen or SO and were
printed on a double card. He showed the
card and talked about it for some time and
then asked how many would like to hear
the names read.
Several men held up their hands and DR..
Howard said: "These are the high-toned
places where the high-toned people go.
will not read the numbers, for some of
you might go around" There was laugh
when the first name was read and the
preacher said: "I see some of you appear
to recognize it."
He read the complete list and then said
that the circulation of cards was very care
fully looked after. He had spoken to
Newspaper reporter during the week. but
the batter sai4 be had never seen one of
the cards. Then the preacher with terri
BILE aearnestnesstisaid that these were the
places to whiok some of the best girls in
Wilmington were being enticed and these
places were the traps that were set for Che
best boys in town.
He was glad, he said that God had taken
his only girl when she was years OF age.
because he knew she was safe. II he had
a boy II or IS he would be frightened to
see him on Shipley street or Orange street
or other thoroughfares which he could
name.
Another dramatic incident was when he
showed bottle OF beer which had been
purchased in a "speak-easy." This created
something of a sensation. and it was prob
ably as the preacher said the first time
there had ever been beer in Asbury pulpit.
In the main, however. the address was
an attack on the Police Commission and
Chief OF Police Dolan. 1t was unfortunate.
the preacher said, that the CHIEF Of police
had at one time been a saloon keeper. He
| CDR. Howard) thought that this handi-
capped him as a police officer, for how could
a man arrest his fellow creatures for doing
the same thing as he once had helped to do.
He the preacher) thought the police force
should ferret out crime and bring those
who broke the law to Justice.
He had applied, he said, to Police Com
missioner Pyle for a list of disorderly
houses in this city and he was told that
there were eighty-seven disorderly houses,
| Of these forty-hve were places where fights
were frequent. twenty-five were houses Of
| prostitution and eleven houses of assigna-
| tion. Mr.. Pyle promised to give him a list.
but afterwards refused to do SO. To another
| man Mr.. Pyle had given list that was as
follows: Houses OF prostitution, 20; assig-
nation, 6; suspected speak easy. 1.
In opposition to this DR.. Howard pre-
sented list as follows; Houses Of prostitu-
tion, "a; in addition to these there were so
which we was not prepared to prove; as
| slgnation houses, 12; speak easies, IL, and
| he believed there were 40.
Wilmington needs Parkhurst as much
as "ever New York did," said the preacher,
and he continued, Il do not know whether
| 1t has one or not"
He for one had come to the conclusion
that he would speak out and declare the
1 truth. The police will not look into these
things, and he believed the Church should
do so. All he needed to change Wilmington
was a dozen men who would stand behind
him and go with him. He thought that the
work of the Police Commission should be
turned over to the Methodist preachers
meeting. He felt sure that the $500 which
is paid for the commissioners salary could
be used to ferret out crime and much good
| would result,