The morning times., 1897-01-17
AN anti POLICE SOCIETY
st. Dayid's Lily of the Valley
Club.
QUEER DUTIES OF MEMBERS
The Club Is New One, Similar to
the Notorious Bloodfield Organi-
zation That Existed When Sergt.
Daley Made His Memorable Raids.
A List of the Officers.

The police of the South Washington pre-
cinct have discovered an odd secret Or
ganiZation, which has flourished in that
section and which for originality OF its
kind, has not a counterpart, perhaps, i'll
this country.
1t is an anti-police society, with head
quarters III Locust alley southwest, and
bears the deceptive name OF st. David's
Lily of the Valley Club
The ironclad obligation of the order is
that its members shall promptly go to the
rescue of those brothers or sisters who
are luekless enough to fall into the hands
of the law officers, by employing law
yers to defend them in the police court,
paying their fines, or adopting other hon
orable means to bring about their re-
lease from custody. The members are
all colored and mostly residents of Lo-
Gust alley.
Getting Active Again.
Since John Minor was stabbed to death
by "Barrel'' Turner, st. David's Lily of
the Valley Club has been In a state of in
nocuous desuetude. John the police say,
was an officer OF the organization, and one
of its principal promoters, and since his
tragic demise the. club has enjoyed but
sleepy sort of existence. During the past
few days, however, it has shown signs OF
shaking off its lethargy and resuming its
erstwhiIe operations of saving sinners from
| a protracted stay in prison.
| The club, so the police say, is organ nized
| on business principles, and in business
| like manner, with a full quota Of officers.
| constitution dues, grips, passwords, grand
| hailing sign of distress, emblems and the
| like. The old officers are said TO have
| been Phil Chunn, president; Frances
| Disgs. secretary; John Minor, deceased,
| sergeant arms, and Lizzie Blackwell,
| treasurer.
The dues re o cents per week from each
| member, and, according to the constitution,
| the aggregate is never to be kept in the
! treasury longer than one week at a time
When Receipts Exceed Expenditures,
The dime is paidin every Monday. and if
! during the week no members are arrested,
i requiring the payment of a fine or law
| yer's fees, a iollification IS held on the fol
| lowing Monday evening. and the money in
tile treasury expended for liquid refresh
ments.
Tie police court fine fund is therefore
kept at a current figure, and tile incentive
to be good is the expenditure OF last week S
| fund for beverages which are known to
| bring about that funny feeling when Mon
day night rolls around. Should there 81
| an unexpected outbreak of badness among
st. David's Lilies, requiring for fines more
money than there is i'll the hands OF the
treasurer, each member is assessed sun
| sufficient make nm deficit
No Member Has Been Sent Down.
One of the aXioms of the club and it ii
said To be inscribed upon their banner
is that no member of the st. David Lily
OF the Valley Club has been permitted {,
be sent down to the workhouse or jai
during its existence, when the payment d
fine would secure his or her freedom.
The m eetings are held in different
Locust alley tenements, and the principal
emblem OF the club is said TO be police
baton drapcd in mourning. Just what
comprise the initiatory services and oath
of membership in this unique organiza
ton the police have not yet learned. Many
OF the members, however, are known, and
have police records, which may be one ul
the requisites for membership.
1t is said to be one OF the treasurer
most imperative duties to learn as quickly
as possible Of the arrest Of member ex-
tend all the comfort possible to the i'm
prisoned one, tender collateral for his or heI
release at the station house, or, failing il
this, to be at the police court promptly
on the following morning, with funds SUI
ficient to pay the fine, should one be i'm
posed, or employ q lawyer to defend the
Lily in trouble, if such a step should b.
deemed necessary.
Bloodfield's Notorious Club.
The only anti-police organization, sim
liar in any respect to the st. David Lily
of the Valley Club, which has been known
to the police, existed in Bloodfield sew
eral years go, about the time Sergt. Dale,
commenced his raiding, which gained 70
him the sobriquet of the fighting ser
geant.' The association in question wa
composed of young colored men. well
known violators of the law. This club die
not, like the Lilys, believe in the peace
full method of paying the fines of mem
-bers arrested, but they were required b.
their oath to secure the release of thei
brethren by fair means of foul, one of tn
/ favorite methods being to mob the police
man and take the prisoner from hin
They had a distress Gala sort of shri
whistle, repeated several times-and whel
it was sounded the members who heard i
were required to assemble quickly at th
patrol box where the law-breaking membe
was being taken, and secure his release i
they had to precipitate a riot to do so.
During one of the Daley raids the con
stitution, bylaws and roster Of member
of this desperate organization were CAP
tured in a 'speak-easy," and the member
were spotted, the club being finally roke
up.
MRS. WELLS WANTS A DIVORCE