The San Francisco call., 1899-09-21

jury, a verdict of guilty was obtained in
Judge Graham's court yesterday against
S. p. Blumenthal, L. 2. E. Frey, Emile
Kehrlein and Valentine Fl. kehrlein, who
with w. II. Richards constitute the
board of directors of the Twinkling Star
Improvement Company, the sweet-scented
corporation that is responsible for the eX-
fstence of the Infamous resort The
charge on which these men were con-
viCted was Letting premises, knowing
that the same We're to be used for the pur-
poses Of prostitution" and the jury that
rendered the verdict was composed Of:
A L. Anderson. L. Harter. +. v Peterson,
NJ. Meyer, Henry Beckman, Edward Bull
lard II. G. Tibbits, NJ. Brandenstein, w.
H. Thompson, Paul Keyser, Charles Leist
and II. Hopkins.
The penalty is six months imprison-
ment. 500 fine, or both, and Judge era
ham will pass sentence next Wednesday
unless an appeal is taken. The immediate
be the closing of the cribs by Chief
Lees, and If this is done those who have
labored 50 hard to accomplish this end
will feel that their labors have not been
in vain. The fact that Director Richards
was not convicted with the rest OF the
gang was due to the fact that he could
not be found by the police.
The evidence adduced at the trial
showed a deporable condition of moral
depravity and the lengths to which some
creatures in the. guise of men will go in
order to gain a few filthy dollars. Attor-
ney Joseph Dunno, who represented the
defendants sought TO show that his
unfortunate outcasts who occupy the
cribs for a few hours each day or night
but this contention was speedily shown
to be false by their own witnesses under
the rigid and skillful cross-examination
Of Attorney J. J. Barrett, who prosecuted
the case for the North Beach residents.
Blumenberg swore that the Nymphia
was leased to a woman known as Lille
Dale, and the latter took the stand in
support of this assertion, but her testi-
mony alone was sufficient to convict the
Aafa < tn
from the consequences of their shameless
greed. She swore that she rented the
place for $500 month; that the hotel
contained ninety rooms, or cribs, and that
since July l of this year the largest num-
Der that were unoccupled on any one day
was forty-seven, and the smallest num-
received $3 a day, and the monthly reve-
nue. amounted to about $4,000. This money
she claimed she kept in her husbands
safe in his saloon across the street, but
on cross-eXamination she admitted that
she had not paid any rent, and that there
was not thousand dollars IN the safe.
OF course the defendants expected the
Jury to believe that they leased the place
to the woman without insisting on the
payment of the rent or without an ac-
counting of any sort.
+. Venture was one of the principal
witnesses for the prosecution. and he tes-
titled that Blumenberg in soliciting him
pany told him that his scheme was to
have every fallen woman in the city
take rooms In the hotel" It was shown
that the women who rent the cribs are
the exiles from Quincy alley. Bacon pace
and St. Mary's place, and they were in
the habit of occupying the cribs but
few hours during the day or night. They
had their homes elsewhere. Lieutenant
of Police Martin and Officer Clark who
had been detailed on the case by Chief
Lees to assist Mr.. Barrett, also gave
damaging testimony against the defend
ants The jury was out less than fifteen
minutes. Judge Graham announced that
he would pass sentence next Wednesday.
The fight against the Hotel Nymphla
has been waged ever since the scheme to
coIonize immortality and vice in the neigh
borhood of Stockton and Pacific streets
was frst given publicity. AS originally
planned the second ,ioor Of the main
building was intended for a hig saloon,
but Attorney Barrett, acting on behalf Of
the residents in the vicinity, went before
The Police Commissioners and success
fully opposed the application for license.
Mr. Barrett also went before the Board
of Supervisors when a petition was pre-
sented by the Twinkling Star Improve
rnent Company asking to be allowed to
alter the basement of the building facing
on Stockton street. which was to form
the west wing of the "hotel," and secured
the passage Of q resolution declaring the
nj 81 DIlbiic nuisance.