The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-04-20
Tacoma Bureau Of the Poss-rntsiiissnesr.

Tacoma Bureau Of tns Post-rntsliise
liz Pacific Avenue
TACOMA. A prH fs.-Comnisssoner Tests
has als3 nls report q htz tour through the
s.ua.A Of Tacoma with the connisaioa-
This IL his description OF some OF tie
worst dives Ia the ctty:
The general business 6one IA houses OF
iii-fsns has fallen on Win ths saysne y. :
spread oct among TIE people 10 the loas-
ing aouseE, hotels and wine rooms u ne
rear OF saloons. made accessible tnrougn
the back or side door. over which 10 con-
spscuoUsiy leEgered aides entrance g
family entrance. In these denz Of nell
young Eirls are entieso, married women
are taken AMI deoaucne<-, and small goys
reessge their first lessons OF crime. Aen
of honor in our fair city, sitting 10 eonn-
eiiEnans csasE. make money from ne
errsuds TIE little messenger runs from ms
NIne rooms 10 the handy house. telling
the inmate that shs Is wanted at ----------
saloon. where boisterDas boys or anorous
men are Dent on having good zine ms
hotbed OF crime ia tnls city IL the wine
room. ladies cutrance II but another
name for house u assisn2tiofl. anc Il -
worse than the bawdy hoase. for II Il
About one year ago an elderly LADY
came into my Office. broken down with
grief and told me The sad tale OF her hstls
daughters downfall. how she had been de-
coysd into the wire room, nllcd with IL
qGof. sed0csd and finally driven 20 the
ALLEY. where she was found IA dance
hall ard rescued bg the officer very
recent case Is noted on the police cour.
docket under date OF April 2
.On the night of the 18th Of April |
went, with several policemen. through
sonls OF the establishments on their beats.
The first place visited wac the Standard
theatsr. . veritable Den OF thieves, gam
blsrs, cut-throats. prostitutes. whisky
bloats and tcughs OF every color. age and
sex. There the different gambling de-
Vices play their part of crime In one room.
while rum and beer nos freely at the bar
Woe TO the man who has more dollars
than sense. woe 70 the stupid miner or
woodsfnan just Ia from he camp. Tor he
H. rolled robbed. and II he rosists po-
iiceman is called VINO drags him 10 taii,
and on the mex, morning he must answer
10 the charge OF dlsorderiy conduct or
some other offense. In another room. the
foolish boys and scottish men listen 10 the
vulgar songs and vulgar jokes of the more
vulgar actors on the stage. or while away
the time 'toshlng with the bloaF-eyed
the boxes are men OF responsibility tax
Ing In the town and being taken In by the
female box rastiers, whose capacity for
beer l. limited only by their success 20
are cleared away and young men or our
town waitx with the drunken women and
eirls. and low carousal rends the dingy
walls until the wee small hours Of morn
Ing. Above IN another story is carried
on the true vocation OF the hariot. There
under one roof 10 fawdy house. dance hall,
loon. with their attendant pimps. strum-
pets. rollers. fiima4a1nmerS. thieves and
thugs. and the greatest Of all must be this
proprietor. who has always played an In
tsfessing part IN elections. the appoint
m1nt Of city officials and the conduct OF
our police.
Tn this place | saw a beautiful young
girl OF no more than IL years OF age ener-
geticaliy playing the boxes as Well as
doing some acting on the stage. She was
one of the two sisters Capt. King took
from there some time since. and IL now
back again.
This concern Is allowed TO exist NOM
inaliy az house of ill-farne. a variety
theater, 4 gambling house and a saloon
for few paitry dollars. the gambling
house paying 80 a month. the theater 500
per year. thu bawdy house go per month
and tho regular saloon license-sn ALI SiS
a month. Can the stain Of this institu-
tion on our fair city be allowed for any
money. much less for the price receiyedg
But this r. not the only place that man
ufactures crime. There are others but
not OF such fun combination