The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1898-08-25
A PUBLIC EYE SORE.
PUBLIC DECENCY DEMANDS INVES-
TIGATION OF COMMERCIAL HOTEL
POLICE TELL THE WHOLE STORY
Not Only is the Sanitary Condition of the
Place Terrible, But It's Moral Effect On
the Community is Such That 1t
Should Be Closely Watched

For some time repeated complaints
have been brought to this paper in re-
gard to the condition OF the CONNER
cial Hotel, a house on Market street
conducted by a man named Rose, and
if all the stories told about the place
are true it demands the careful sur
veilance of both the Board of Health
and the police force.
The place was run for many years by
Peter Rhode and in that time not a
complaint was registered against it
any more than could be brought
against other hotels with a bar at
tached. However, since the present
proprietor took charge of it the case
has been far different. The Board of
Health have recently made an exam
ination of the place and the Secretary
of the Board stated to reporter Mon
day evening that he had decided to
make daily visits to the place. The
last visit made by the Board found the
place in a terrible condition in regard
to it's sanitOry condition. The private
sewer, which was used to carry away
the waste waters from the house, had
been allowed to become stopped up and
all this mass of filthy water had backed
up and was filling the cellar. That
men should be asked to exist with such
a cess pool beneath them is crime
against common decency. Nor is this
all: for waste matter from over ground
privy vaults has been allowed to over
flow all about the back yard and to
enter into the ground to cOntaminate
all the water supply of the neighbor-
hood and breed countless germs of dis
eases whose influence could not but be
felt in all that part of the city.
All these things might have been en-
dured, but during the last few days it
has been ascertained that the hotel is
being made a rendezvous for women of
i'll repute. Such facts are confirmed by
the Chief of Police, who said Monday
night that women whose character was
known to be of the Yilest had made the
place their home. Those women had
been ordered out of town, but if they
left their stay was of very short dura-
ton.
We do not presume to say that these
things are done by the consent or even
with the knowledge of the proprietor of
the house, but it seems incre 1ible that
such a condition should exist without
his knowledge. Chief Barber further
stated that ne had3 abundant evidence
against the house to revoke he license
and close up it's doors, and if such is
the case it should be the duty of the
Common Council to at once investigate
the place and cause it to be closed in
definitely.
Reform in KenOsha has been a sue
cess. Saloons have. been kept within
reasonable bounds. Gambling houses
have been suppressed and now that
such a place should exist within a
stones throw of the city. building, the
people cannot and will not allow. 1t
makes no difference how good man
may be backing it or how many city
officials may have finger in the pie,
the city has right to demand some in
vestigation and the public are willing to
assist in making it. We cannot hope
to attain any reputation for vicpurity
as long as such places may exist un-
molested.
Monday evening the police together
with Mayor Petit made a very unex-
pected call at the hotel.to2make some
arrests, but when they arrived they
were informed that the women had left
about ten minutes before and taken the
Electric cars to Racine. The people in
charge of the place are evidently very
sharp and the officers must needs have
sharp eyes to catch the offenders.
W. S. Fish, of Milwaukee, was Ke-