The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-04-04
Raid on Photograph
ParlorS.
KANE AND POLICE IN CONCORD
MAYOR PHELAN DENoUNCES A
VILE TRAFFIC.
Authorities Determined to Drive I'm
moral Shops Away From the
Main Thoroughfares
of the City.

The efforts of The Call to secure the
suppression of degrading and indecent
public exhibitions in the monograph par
lors on the main thoroughfares of the city
are bearing fruit. The police and the Of
ficers Of the local society for the proven
ton Of vice made Independent raids yes
terday and the proprietors of three of the
disgusting establishments were placed I'M
der arrest. Municipal laws cover the Of
Tense completely, defining clearly and ex-
picitly what the penalty shall be. The
police have in their possession the evil
dence that is necessary to convict. The
offenders have been formally charged
and the affair is now within the jurisdic-
ton of the Police Judges.
Under these conditions il would seem
that the outcome would be easy to predict
Experience has taught differently how
ever, as panderers of filth and corrupters
of children sometimes enjoy political
pulls. Frank Kane, the secretary of the
Society for the Prevention of Vice, says
that Police Judges are sometimes very
erratic. An incident that happened yes
terday justified his assertion and explains
his meaning. Justice of the Peace Barry,
whom an accident has raised to the dig
nifty of an acting Police Judge, released
one Of the offenders on his own recogniZ-
anCe, while Police Judge Graham held an
other for the same offense on a bond of
$500. This fact needs no criticism. In the
same connection it is perhaps significant
that Police Captain Whitman did abso-
lutely nothing to enforce the law against
the public display of immortality in the
district over which he has supervision,
while Police Captain Spillane acted Yigor-
ously and with success in the raid that is
intended to protect decent people and in
nocent children from the contamination Of
vulgar vice openly Haunted.
Secretary Frank Kane was the first to
act yesterday. He secured warrants for
the arrest of NJ. HOLMAN of S4S Kearny
street and NJ. S. Levy at Ais Kearny
street. The warrants were procured on
the charge that these men were violating
Order No. 2825 of the General Orders of
the Board of Supervisors. This order
prohibits the exhibition of indecent pic
lures, and as Secretary Kane has what
he deems is sufficient evidence against the
arrested men, he hopes to secure con-
viction. He has in his personal investi-
cation, seen enough to become an i'm
portant witness as well as an accuser.
HOLMAN was taken after his arrest be-
fore Acting Police Judge Barry and was
released on his own recognizance. Levy
was liberated upon supplying a bond for
$500. LeVy's establishment is one OF the
public thoroughfares. 1t is located in the
district over which Captain Whitman ex-
ercises an alleged vigilance. Whitman
has permitted the place to exist for
months in fragrant violation of the law,
and even after his attention had been
called TO 1t be saw no reason to take ac-
ton.
Acting under orders from Police Captain
Spnlane, Officers TyrreIl and Esola also
made a raid, armed with warrants for
Peter Bacigalupi, the panderer and chief,
and NJ HOLMAN and John Carroll, whose
vice-breedng shop is at 724 Market street.
These three places are the only ones
within the police district governed by 70
lice Captain Spillane. But HOLMAN and
Carroll were arrested, but Bacigalupi
could rot be found. He was reported to
have left the city, but will be arrested as
nc he
The police are acting in their arrests
upon the authority given in Order 1887,
Section 90 of the General Orders of the
Board of Supervisors: This order is SINH
lar in intent to No. 2S25, although Secre-
tary Kane believes that convictions may
be more easily obtained under No. 2S25
than under No 1887. The examination OF
the arrested men will be held this morn
ing.
It is a matter of incidental interest per-
haps that Bacigalupi has recently gone
further i'm his effrontery than ever be-
fore He sought and almost obtained
the right to make his establishment even
more offensive to the public than 1t is by
displaying a great illuminated sign.
Mayor Phelan and the Supervisors, at the
meeting of the board yesterday, can
celed a permit granted to Bacigalupi, at
sign in front of his photograph par
lors" The matter came UP on final pas
sage. The clerk had been reading various
resolutions in mechanical way, but this
one attracted the attention of his Honor
the Mayor. Read that again, please
he said When the resolution had been
read he said: II desire to call the atten
ton of the board to this resolution. 1t
grants one Bacigalupi, proprietor of a
monograph and moving picture show, the
right to erect an attractive sign such as
the theaters have.
HE wants to advertise a lewd picture
show. What Is the pleasure of the board
in this matter?
Many members objected to the granting
to-, IL kv-
pervisoT Deasy that the consideration Of
the matter be indefinitely postponed was
carried unanimously. The proposed adj
vertisement will not be displayed.
IT is not by any means the intention OF
the authorities to stop in the work they
have so we'll begun. While the arrest
and conviction of the shopkeepers will
do much to cripple the disgusting traf-
fic. against which complaint has been
made, something more thorough must be
done before the trade in vice is destroyed.
There is not the slightest doubt that the
vicious machines, the "artoscopes,
'.mutoscopes'' and "vitascopes," may be
condemned and confiscated. 1t is the pur-
pose of the authorities to seize these ma
chimes and make their owners fight for
them In all of the establishments lewd
and ribald songs are ready for the phono-
graph and are subject to confiscation.
When the authorities commence this cru
SADIE it will be the beginning of the end
of the depraving business.
After the attack has been completed
upon the source of the evil, raids will be
made upon the saloons and resorts among
which the vile machines are scattered.
Every week the subjects are changed in
these machines and with each succeeding
week the moving pictures become more
daringly suggestive The police intend
to drive these machines out of the sight
of decent men. Above all other things
is it the purpose of the authorities to
clear Market street Of its vulgar evils
that nightly outrage the senses of citi-
zens and shock pedestrians with displays
Of vice and immortality.
A Rusiness-L Like Burglar.