The San Francisco call., 1897-12-06
Gates VIII Be Recommended for
Quincy and st. Mary Streets
at the Next Meeting.
STRICT POLICE REGULATIONS NEEDED
Official Visitors to the Tenderloin Ex-
press Opinions as to How to
Abate the Evil.
Is the town run vide cpen2

Is the town run vide open?
The question has been asked many
times and many different answers have
been made, those who believed in hav-
ing the throttle valve pulled to its widest
extent answering in the negative and the
more conservative and respectable ele-
ment averring with great vehemence that
the old town S being run entirely too
wide open. Chief Lees and Police Com
missioner Gunst have also aired their
views on the subject and their positions
in regard to the question are we'll under
stood by the public, as THE CALL has from
time to time published their opinions.
1t remained for the Grand Jury, how
ever, to settle the question, for they have
stated in brief, after a nights ms pection
OF the teGderloin, that the town is very.
very wide open. a history OF the visit o.
the Grand Jury men to Quincy street and
Bacon place was published exclusively in
yesterdays CALL. The deductions which
they have made will be gwen in their
next report.
Some OF the Grand Jury men who made
the rounds of inspection last Saturday
night were seen yesterday and expressed
themselves fully in regard to the matter.
Foreman Hiram II. Hobbs stated that the
streets complained of were found to be
occupied solely by women of the half
world, who, If shut off from the gaze of
the passers-by would be as little of an
evil where tney were as they would be If
driven to some other part OF the city.
i am in favor of having gates put up
in front of those streets to shut off the
view of them from the travelling public.
That part of the city is but little fire.
Quented, and were II not for the fact that
the church is in such close proximity the
fact that the women were localized there
would not be as great a cause Tor COM
plalnt as II would If they were scattered
about the city. The other Grand Jurors
almost TO q man are in favor of putin 2
up gates if Il can be found that there is
any law that will sanction such q thing
as closing up a public thoroug ghfare.
suppose it would be all right If no one
wouli complain about the closing of the
streets, a there is little traffic there, and
a the streets are devoted entirely to those
women the property-owneTs there would
not complain.
Zone of the jurors suggested that the
women be removed to Pacific street, from
Kearny east, but in my mind they would
be more OF an evil there than where thew
are at present. | believe the Grand Jury.
in It's report, will recommend that gates
be put up in front of those streets. In
their present condition those places are
run pretty wide open, for the windows
are allowed to remaln up and crowds con-
gregate around them to look at the in
mates. To simmer the whole thing down,
think that the city is run rather wide
open.
Il don't think that 1t will better m matters
any to drive those women out of these
streets" " continued Mr. Hobbs. at will
only scatter them over the town and
make matters worse. They would take tc
walking the streets and the police could
not have any supervision over them at all
The consequence would be that there
would be great many more robberieE
com mitted by those women.
There are few people robbed in the
houses where the women remain for any
time, for they are afraid of fdetection. Th,
police know them, and if any one i:
robDed they can locate the offender anC
arrest her Il you scatter those womer
the same condition will obtain which nov
exists i'll London, where the evil IS no
localized. The women are so notoriou
and bold that man can scarcely walls
out on the streets after o'clock at nigh
with his wife without running the risk o
having her insulted.
II believe that the police should regu
late them and not allow them to keeT
their windows open. If that is done anC
the gates are put up l don't believe tha
there will be any cause of complaint
IS pretty hard to regulate that evil. w
OF those streets and that the police be
little more strict With the women there.
Luke Battles was another OF the juror
who went on tour OF inspection. III
stated that there was no doubt about tn
town being run wide open. A visit I,
Quincy street had convinced him that bet
Ter police regulations were needed.
Il cannot blame the police too Sc
verely," said Mr.. Battles, "for L believ
that there is some one over them of whom
they are afraid who is responsible in
great measure for the cond ton of tning
there. No officer who has a wife anC
babies depending on him is going to ex
erciSe diligence in suppressing an evi
when he knows that by doing so he may
be cutting lis head off.
"That part of Bacon place where the
gates are up, hiding the residents from
the view OF the pas,ers-by, seems to me t.
be all right so far as the passing public i
concerned, for they see nothing of tn,
women down that street. But on Ouiac,
street and st. Mary's place a dIffere n
state OF affairs prevails. Those womer
are allowed TO faunt themselves and thei
shame in the faces of the people who ma,
be passing.
That abuse ghould be corrected. An
other thing which l think the polio,
should stop-that is the vi its Of voun,
lads of II and Is years who crowd aronnt
the open windows to get a peep at tn,
women who are rather scantily clothed
The police should send those BOYS away
If the houses were kept closed ther,
would not be such crowds congregated il
front of them.
II am in avor of having gates put up il
front of the streets com planned OF, SO az I,
shut off the view. That seems 10 be tb,
general view of the gentlemen who visited
the quarter the other evening. We shat
recommend as much in our report if tn,
legal objections 10 the closing of th,
streets Can be removed. However, we vii
await the settlement of the case whicl
will come up Monday under the ordi