New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-13
PHILADELPHIA'S POLICE.
MORE TESTIMONY BEFORE THE SENATE
INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE.

THE SOCIAL. EVIL. FLoURTsHEs IN THE QUAKER
CITY uNH1NDERED. II NOT AIDED. BY
THE BLUE-CoATED REPRESENTA-
TIvEs OF THE LAW.
PHILADELPHIA. Dec 1.-THE testimony given be-
fore the Senate Investigating Committee THIS
afternoon shows that the social evil hourishes
in Philadelphia to an appalling extent, ana ina =
too seemingly through the Indifference II NOT
also with the actual connivance. Of the police
II was sworn to before the committee that in
thirteen police districts. comprising the near
OF the city there were 629 houses OF III iahie'
and Of this enormous number, $50 are IN one us
trict alone.
To-day's session Of the committee was deNoteu
almost entirely to an exposure of the prevalence
OF disorderly houses and the unavailing EFFORTS
of citizens In securing the aid Of the ponce IN
s,anping them out The Rev. Hugh GIBBONS,
pastor Of the Third Presbyterian Church. and
the Rev. Henry L. Phillips. an Episcopal clergy
man. whose charges are in the heart OF the FOUL
est nlague spots Of the city, testified 10 the char-
acter of the houses that abound around their
churches and to the Indifference of the ponce
when they appealed to them to suppress the re-
sorts.
Mr. Gibbons further exposed the methods Oh the
police in his ward in the part they take IN eiec-
tons He asserted that repeating ana pauuhs Vi
yoting-lists was done openly, and that the Po-
lice stand by and allow these frauds 10 20 oi''
He also told Of the efforts he and some OF the
reputable citizens Of the ward had mace 10
improve the school facilities. Whenever theS helu
q meeting with this object in view the ROM
would he packed with ward heelers ana roughs'
mbo'I jnvariabv created a disturbance and fire.
ouently precipitated fight that broke the meet
ing up. ., o,d ba + brought in con-
tact with the lowest Of his race IN IN, rr''a ,
deInhia. He took an especially gloomy view Oh
tho effects Of their environments upon the cni-
dren ~ the neighbOrhoOd. and gave II a. Ms
trion that many Of them are absolutely without
any moral sense of the difference between rsht
' Roth Mr. Gibbons and Mr.. Phillips said ina,
u vas the common belief in the nelghoorho0d
1bers they live that II any policeman shoulu
give Information against the infamous dehs On
his beat the prOprietOrs OF these places I'd ~
fuence enough to have the oflceT u'SchH' seu
t-,,cena vons a private detective. testified that
he bed lately made an investigation OF the houses
- IN fame in thirteen of the police districts ana
~ 60 f,,Td co such places In the Eighth district
lone there are $50 houses or III repute. lE oi'9
testified that keepers OF several OF these nouSe7
had told him they paid the ponce ior pto.tCtl
,un,bar Of citizens living in the nelghporhoou
- fat ho,,4es told Of the orgies carried on openly
and the rebuffs they net with from the pO'i0o
when they sought aid. ,x,,
,,arts ar No 439 North Ninth-st. testified mat
an one occasion he hal the keepers OF forty-ohs
houses arrested. but they Immediately reopeneu
after the hearing before the magistrate anu are
Worgarst Langdon. who lives at No. CPL North
-rentb-st and who was one OF the women VINO
7 vons said had told him that they had pad pro-
tection money took the stand and hatiy uenleu
tbat she had ever paid any money 10 the police
Witbout finishing this branch OF the lnvestsa-
ZION the committee adjourned until tomorrow