The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-06-16

wish to SEQ and Eoing where thoy wish
To 20, independent Of the watchman
| and bis shrill French song.
Later in che evening NJ. Houlier re-
sorted 10 ono Of these plans, and we
entered most of the places whose doors
had been so Tystcriously closed be-
fore entered them without permitting
| n single person to know that the police
! were near. Aud tho Waterman, in the
| meantime, had been quietly taken into
custody.
The first was dance hall of an ex-
traordinary character. Its largest d.
| mension was probably not more than
thirty feet, and its width was not ut
any place moro than one-half US much
at least fifty per cent, OF this small
room was occupied by plain board
benches and primitive wooden tables
| AT one of these tables we SAT- without
attention. NJ. Houlicr ordered "cognac
| ccrisc."
"0nc can take branded cherries with
out fear" said he. They arc not likely
To be worse here than elsewhere. But
tho wine or the beer and an OK
| pressivc shoulder shrus followed
Before us was that small portion of
| the room which was devoted TO dane
| ing, and in its barrow limits an incrrd-
| ible number OF couples were wal,zing
with u foryor which varied with tho
amount of liquor which the dnncers
| had DRUNK during the early evening.
| The music wos furnished by fiddler,
cornctist and Il pianist, who were
| provided for in tiny recess. Tho
dancers ranged in ago from sixteen 10
| sixty. Tho women averaged perhaps
| twenty-five years. Costumes were care
| less. One young woman contcnted her
| self with Il corset and skirt as the
only visible garments, and she attract
ed no especial attention. Criminality
does not secn to rob tho French wom-
an Of her prcttincss md there were
those there that night whose very dirt
and tatters were chic aud taunty. But
tho men! Frepchnen are rarely of fine
appearance anyway, and tho lowest of
them. such as pntronizc this place, look
! like beasts. High ehcclc bones, small,
widely set eyes, nat noses, short stat
ure, big hands and feet and ungraceful
arms and legs are characteristics Such
faces as | saw that night in Paris /
have never seen in the worst quarters
of New York or London; such utter
and entirely brutnlizcd depravity could
not be written on any but French
face of tho lowest type.
Every time the music stopped-and
dances were not more than three or
four minutes long--tho proprietor (by
all means the most horrible fnced of
| all the men> stepped forward and col
lectod OF each man ten confines 1.-TWO
| 0t,t gN hot la
| dnnce again. The space was go small
that not more than one-half of the oc-
cupants of the room could dance at
one time, so that the crowd Mt the
tables and TINT on ti,c dancing floor
were constantly required to change
Plnccs. little high kicking crcated
great dissatisfaction because il took. too
much room,
was not surprised to learn that
this place had been tho scene of two
murders within the year-one of the
victims being member OF one branch
OF the police service, the republican
guards. 1t Is permitted to continue in
existence because the Paris police
philosophically figure that if these PEG
\ pic did not meet hero they would end
somo other and very likely less ac-
ccssiblc place, and have some slight
reason for believing that the pro-
! prictor of this dive Is not without n
quiet connection with the palais de JUS
| ticc.
This place was Il fair sample OF the
wors. of the Paris dance halls It is
in such places rs it that the thugs of
Paris lind their rough amusement
The stranger who goes there under po-
lice escort and sits quietly at one of
the tables in the rear is certain not to
be molested, but the stranger who
went alono would DO in danger OF
druggcd drinks, despite tho watchful-
ness of the republican guard. And if
he attempted to make free with ono of
the girls, woe would be his lot The
thug is jealous OF his inamorata
From this dance hall. inter MANY
strange calls and unsupported peeps
into queer places, we strolled around
to Pcrc Lunettc's. Pcre Lunettc's Is
the anarchist resort which is best
known OF NIL those in Paris The police
came within an ACC OF arrcsting one of
the most sensational OF the past two
years dynaniters there, and it IS
limited TINT they avoided taking him
while he was actually within the place
because they did not want 90 have to
close it up. Another instance of their
method OF giving Dad men n chance to
| COifrrCgatC so that they ffhe po):rnl