The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-12-13
Sins OF THE QUAKER CITY
Philadelphia Investigation Reveals
q Shocking State Of Affairs.
EVIDENCE AGAINST POLICE
Two Ministers from the Easy Street
Districts Give Interesting Testi.
mony-InfIuence Of Crime Upon
the Rising Generatton.

Philadelphia, Dec. 12.-The testimony
given before the senatorial investigat-
ing committee this afternoon shows that
the social evil flourishes in Philadelphia
to an appalling extent and that, too.
seemingly, through the indifference. II
not also with the actual connivance OF
the police. 1t was sworn to before the
committee that in thirteen police dis
tricts, comprising the heart of the city,
there We're 629 houses OF iil-fame. and
of this enormous number 2S0 are in one
district alone. Today's session Of the
committee was devoted almost entirely
to an exposure Of the prevalence OF
houses of prostitution and the unavail-
ing efforts of citizens In securing the
aid of the police in stamping them out.
Rev. Hugh Gibbons, pastor Of the
Third Presbyterian church. and the
Rev. Henry L. Phillips, an Episcopal
clergyman. whose charges are In the
heart of the foulest plague spots Of the
city. testified to the character Of the
houses that abound around their
churches and to the Indifference of the
police when they appealed to them to
suppress these resorts Mr.. Gibbons
further exposed the methods Of the po-
lice in his ward in the part they take in
elections. He asserted that repeating
and padding Of voting lists was done
openly and that the police stand by and
allow these frauds to go on. He also
told of the efforts he and some of the
reputable citizens of the ward had
made to improve the school facilities.
Whenever they held meeting with this
object in view the room would be pack
ed with ward heelers and roughs who
invariably created a disturbance and
frequently precipitated fight that
broke the meeting up.
Mr.. Phillips is q negro and he Is
brought In contact with the lowest Of
his race in Philadelphia. He took an
| especially gloomy view of the effects Of
their environments upon the children
of the neighborhood and he gave 1t as
his opinion that many Of them are alb
solutely without any moral sense of the
difference between right and wrong.
Proprictors Have n phil"
Both Mr.. Gibbons and Mr.. Phillips
said that 1t was the common belief in
the neighborhood where they live that
| II any policeman should make informa-
tion against the infamous dens on his
beat, the proprietors Of these places
have influence enough to have the off,
GERS discharged from the force.
Eugene lyons. a private detective.
testified tLat keepers Of several houses
Of Ill fame had told him they paid the
police for protection.
A number of citizens residing in the
neighborhood of fast houses, told Of the
| orgies carried on openly and the re-
bluffs they met with from the police
when they sought their aid.
Philip Fredericks. dealer In musical
instruments, at 43s North Ninth street.
testified that on one occasion he had
the keepers Of forty-one houses arrest
ed, but that they Immediately re-
opened after the hearing before the
| magistrate, and ere still in operation.
Margaret Langdon, Who lives at 621
North Tenth street, and who was one
| of the women whom Lyons said had
told him that they had paid protec-
tion money. took the stand and fatty
denied that she had ever paid any
money to the police. Without finish
ing this branch Of the investigation.
the committee adjourned until to-mor-
| row.