The evening times., 1896-03-05


hensive one, and at this particular time is
| regarded as significant
1t looks as though the authorities, under
pressure of The Times and public sentiment,
are at last going to move against the "Divi-
sion."
Like many other cdicts issued indirectly
from the Commissioners to the police force,
this one was clothed with secrecy. Its pur-
port leaked out today, however, and was
generally discussed about the police court.
The order was directed to the lieutenants
and they were instructed 10 have their pa
trolmen notify the keepers OF all suspected
houses to break up their establishments
forthwith, under penalty OF being arrested
and prosecuted in the police court.
An important clause of the order is said
to be the one urging the police to be on
| the lookout and report promptly any woman
who moves into their precincts and opens
a suspicious establishment. In this par
ticuar the guardians were notified to take
| extra precautions and carefully investigate
the character of the place and its inma tes.
| DRIVING AT THE DIVISION.
This MEANS" said 4 veteran policeman
| today, that the women conducting dis
reputable establishments in the Division
are to be cleared out of that central locality
| at an early date, and that the police In the
reputable quarters of the city are to be
on the qui vive to prevent them from
scattering about in the residential sections"
| Coming. as it does, upon the heels of the
recent alleged order of the Commissioners
against liquor selling in the sinful quarter,
and a I time when the Anti-Division Asso.
citation has prepared an urgent address to the
public and the organization has actively
entered upon an uhcompromising warfare
against the evil, this latest police order
means much, in the opinion of a number
of law officers who were spoken 10 today
on the subject.
1t is the fiery hand writing on the wall"
remarked n police court official. land
means that he Division must go. don't
think the Commissioners care TO be driven
pell-nell and hastily into closing up these
houses in the very business center OF WASH
ington and under the lens henng shadows
OF the new city postoffice structure, but
am convinced from their recent act ion and
some things which have lately come under
my observation that the Old place is doomed
TO early demolition. The recent orders to
the police are the first steps in that direc-
ton" ,.-.,... . --...-....,
This opinion of the police court official
is shared by number OF policemen who
We're spoken to on the subject by Evening
Times reporters.
The last order to the police is in opera
tion, and a number OF keepers OF suspected
resorts In the northwestern section of the
city have been ordered to close up and
move on.
IN QUIET PLACES.
Some of these places are located In highly
respectable neighborhoods. Their patrons
are said to be men high in the social world
and the houses In question have been con-
Quoted with quietDess and decorum, SO as
not TO ruffle the serenity of the localities
In question or excite the suspicious of the
police.
IL is currently reported that certain indi-
viduals favorable TO the work of the Anti
Division Association have been quietly
Parkhursting the city. and that their rev.
clations, when made public. will so shock
the community that the Commissioners
cannot longer evade the direct issue.
1t is stated that the strongest opposition
to the project for moving the Division
from its present central locality has ema-
mated from some of the property owners
WIN Housts anu are Wltlllu
the radius of the dark spot on the map.
Houses in that limited quarter now COM
mand gilt-edGe rentals, whereas If the re-
sorts were removed by order of the police
it would be hard matter, they say, to rent
them at any price, owing to the reputation
OF the former inmates, which would live
there after their departure. Those who ad-
vance this belief point to the former sinful
and Four and -a-!iaIf streets southwest,
which was broken up By the persistent raid
of the places by Scrgt. Daley and the Fourth
precinct police. They say the buildings
formerly occupied by the disreputable char
acters remained vacant many months. al
though the rentals were reduced.
On the other hand friends of the in
vading anti-Division society say the sec
ton known as the division would soon
be populated by business concerns, as a
mercantile flood-tide would follow the ebb
of vice in that locality. 1t is a space, they
claim, which is needed for the extension of
the already contracted business section in
Central Washington.
Under the recent order from headquarters
the police are also ferreting out violators
of the Edmunds law, and some officials
profess to believe that a tidal wave of
morality will soon sweep over the Dis
trict, and carry away with it much of the !
debris of vice, gainst which the law now
appears to be almost powcrless.
THE MASSAGE HOUSES.
The massage houses remain closed.
There was nothing to be construed as |
equivocal about the chief OF pOlice's order, |
and its provisions are regarded in letter |
and spirit.
A Times reporter made the rounds last |
night to discover if any one of the places
which had advertised baths and received
orders to desist from the suspicious ayoca-
ton yet had its portals open as an invita-
Jon TO public patronage.
They are all closed.
The ones which had had signs out as
massage places simply to clOak other
are afraid of the police.
The ones which are in reality legitimate
for the application of the treat
nent do not care TO attempt to violate n
Dolicc regulation. These live in the hope
hat Investigations may follow that will
distinguish between real and inpostors.
)nc OF the women said, though, that she
would not attempt to open again., for the
cason that if the reputable establishments
were guaranteed privileges to conduct
hem 1t would be but short time until the
axes would thrive again, which would
AL for recurrence of the order to close,
md sooner or later they would all have to
20.
Those which conc under the voluminous
category OF fakes are more indignant
han the others. They realize fully that
he order Is more narfiCularlY annlicahle |