The San Francisco call., 1899-05-11
Mayor Phelan Called Upon
To Take Action.
A New Vigilance Committee Pro-
posed to Eradicate the
DenS of Vice.

refers to contains the following provision
the method for suppression Of
these hotbeds of highbindery:
Sec l. Besides the remedies now provided
by law for the abatement of public
nuisance it shall be lawful for any Sheriff,
Constable, Justice of the Peace or other
public officer, and it shall be the duty of
the Mavor, or other presiding officer, and
the chief or head of the police force of
Supervisor of every township or district in
which any such house of i'll fame shall eX-
ist as aforesaid, and each and every one OF
them, severally, to cause notice in writing
to be given to all persons who may be
owners lessees, tenants or occupants of
any such house of i'll fame or OF the land
whereon the same is situated, and to all
persons who may keep, manage, control
lnhabit such house peremptorily re-
quiring the abatement of such nuisance
within three days after the service of such
notice, and such notice may also be posted
upon the outside of the outer door or other
conspicuous place upon such house OF Ill
fame. In towns and cities the notice may
be in such form as the Mayor or other pre-
siding officer, or the chief or head OF the
police force may prescribe, and when serv-
ed an affidavit showing the time. place
and manner Of service shall be indorsed
upon a duplicate thereof, which shall be
returned and filed in the office of the chief
or head of the police force if there be such
an officer, and If not, then in the office of
the Mayor other presiding officer of such
city town.
To make the task even a simpler one,
the Legislature in 1874 passed an amend
IUGIl ~ TIE dCl VI 1cOO plONlullS AOA NOAl-
victions on evidence as to the common
repute of such houses. Under it it will
not be difficult for those interested in the
eradication from Chinatown of the twin
Misrepresentation and highbinders-to &C
complish their work. The task will be
easy if the assistance of the Mayor and
the Chief of Police, which they have
every reason to expect, is lent them.
They propose to go to the Mayor and the
Chief of Police and say to them: Cen
tlemen. there are such and such houses
of prostitution in Chinatown. They are
in Bartlett alley and Sullivan alley and
Ross alley, on Dupont street, on jackson
and on other streets and alleys. We have
witnesses to prove their common repute.
Order your policemen to force the doors
and arrest the inmates and we Will fur
nish the witnesses who will prove their
immortality"
What answer the Mayor and the Chief
of Police or either of them will make to
this plain statement remains to be seen.
Should they answer in the affirmative and
say 1--WE will do as you ask" the organ
izers of the new puritication committee,
under whatever name they may act, viii
do as they have promised. Ii the author
tiles called upon do not respond, the per-
sons who have made the call will act
upon their own responsibility, backed to
some extent by funds from the law abid-
ing element in Chinatown. and will Whack
at white landlords and yellow tenants
until the bitter end. Thev are of the
opinion that the victory is to be had with
some little eXertion in the right direction
and they all say that they are prepared
to go as far in that direction as the law
allows.