The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1898-03-12
that is TAKEN FROM
COURTESANS AS FINES.
POLICE COURT RECORDS
and what IL shown 10y Them-An the
Money So Var Collected From Fallen
Women Has Not Gone Into the
school Fuud but to Psy the
Salaries OF the Police
The statutes

The recent structures made by Judge
Rurford upon the methods employed
by the city authorities in dealing with
courtesaus in Guthrie, are still the
source Of much contention. The dis.
position OF the jrjge to enforce both
the spirit and letter Of the statutes
governing this evil, and the CEN
sure OF officials who, knowing this blot
TO exist, but who secretly wink at 1t
and fail to do their sworn duty seems
TO meet with the approval OF all law
abiding and fair-minded citizens.
The comments of the judge, while it
has not killed a single crow, has ter
ribly frightened the flock, and set
those at whom it WAS aimed TO cawing
in vociferous manner for cessation
of hostilities. But the spectre raised
will not down.
The people Of the city appear TO be
interested in this matter and gen
eral desire for light on this dark sub.
ject has led to an investigation of the
methods employed by the city in re-
gard 10 the scarlet women within it's
borders. From the police judges
docket and monthly statements it Is
discovered that about twenty women
OF this class ply their unholy calling
IN Lnt Gllls huu AhdA Nutl hIt AltNtu ut
police court and pay monthly fae of
St0.50 TO the city, They rendt zvous
at Ave notorious houses, and are about
equally divided between the white and
colored races. OF this contribution to
the city's finances the city gets s5; the
city attorney gets 81 so, and the police
Judge the balance
Farther investigation shows that not
one out OF dozen of these women
ever appear in court; and while the
statutes make each Otfense punishable
one payment each month handed To a
collector for the city secures immunity
for the eutire month, and this enforce d
contribution is called fne."
The police court docket is kept with
a scrupulous regard for the law in
such cases made and provided; the
warrant is in due form, the appear
ance plea and payment of the fine"
are noted, when the facts are that the
drAb who replenlshes the fee and sal
AIRY fund with the soiled stquins of her
shame has, perhaps, never darkened
the doors Of the tabernacle Of police
justice.
That the "6ne" is other than a
license cannot be maintained success
fully, as the payment of penal sum
for the commission of n crime can
never be held to shield the offender
from the consequences Of crimes of a
similar nature committed after the
payment. Fines contemplate penal
ties for each and every intraction OF
he criminal law. But sum Of money
paid to secure immunity for a stated
period from outraged justice can only
be regarded as license pure and sim
Pile. No court in the country would
hold otherwise.
Now, IL this contention be correct
that the alleged hne is only license,
how about general section 2O21, Oi the
statutes Of 1893. which saws that any
person taking money, either expressly
or impliedly, TO confound, conceal or
abstain from 'se p.Jsecuton OF any
misdemeador, and provides term OF
one year in jail and a fine OF $3.50 for
such offense?
Again, even II the theory OF these
monthly payments being fines should
obtain, by what authority does the
city place this money in tue fee And
salary fund?
Under ordinance No. e99, which
went into effect 10 July, 1898, any and
all persons who may be guilty OF any
vices such as are usually prohibited by
ordinances governing and regulating
prostitution, also the owners OF build
ings leased for such pu pose, are sub.
ject TO q fne of not less than $50 nor
more than 500 for each oifense. This
ordinance is practically the same Rs
sections 5, and Z, OF article 33,
"Crimes ana Punishments, statutes OF
1898, aud II will be observed that this
particular evil was made misde-
meAnor by legislation and punishable
by hne, at least two years before the
city ordinance went into effect Sec
tion Q. OF article 4, Of cities OF the first
class, Oklahoma statutes, 1898, reads
as follows;
"seetion g. II In the progress OF
any trial before the police judge Il
shall appear that the accused ought TO
be upon his trial for an oifense against
the criminal laws OF the territory, ani
not cognizable before the said police
judge, he shall immediately stop all
further proceedings before him as such
judge. aud thereupon he shall cause
complaint 10 be made before him as
justice OF the peace, and shall proceed
AS In other cases cognizAble before the
justices Of the peace"
This section is clear that the oftense
Is territorial one and should be SO
tried. Article OF the session laws OF
1897 has this provision as 10 the dispo-
sition Of fines provided for under the
head OF crimes aud punishments Of
said statutes:
"Seetion /, article 2. That section
So Of article 50, OF chapter 25, Of the
statutes Of Oklahoma, entitled, Grimes
and Punishments, be and the same Il
hereby amended 10 read as follows
Section so. All fines, forfeitures and
pecuniAry penalties prescribed as q
punishment by any Of the provisions
OF this chapter, when collected, shall
be PAID into the treasury and credited