The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-06-17
Mayor Acts on Sug-
gestion Of Vigilants.
MUST CLOSE IN THREE DAYS
CHINATOWN WILL THEN RE
PURGED OF THE SOCIAL. EVIL
Notification Caused CONSERVATION in
the Vice-Breeding Quarter, but a
Concerted Effort Will Be
Made to Defeat Law.

The work of the seIf-constituted COM
mIttee formed few months ago for Tho
suppression of the social evil in China
'""A mas at last borne fruit. and if the
avs dug up by them are still lucrative
me vie dens of Chinatown Will he closed
"lIhln q few days The brothels of chi
LaS'"h' located chiefly in Baker. Kun
Auh' sullivan, Bartlett and Ross
dueys and Waverly place have
III years been the talk not only
oA San Francisco but the whole coun
liS' hundreds Of tourists have been led
through this Unhallowed section of the
N.N!, ana have not only expressed disgust
al the existing conditions but have carried
me tales abroad, and the result has been
general Vilifcation of san Francisco
una condemnation OF a municipal gov
TO exist
About i've weeks ago number of citf-
Zehs formed themselves into committee
NN-tn Vas later incorporated under the
1'aIHe OF tne Nigilants. Its object was,
among 9lher things. the suppression OF
wee IN the Chinese quarter. A COMMITTEES
OF the \lgiIantS went through the dis
reputable quarters of disreputable China -
town and found vice in its most disgusting
forms haunted at every step. AT the next
meeting the conditions. so tar as could be
C1Ct.ly described, We're reported to the
society. An almost forgotten law, known
as An act for the suppression of houses
OF Ill fame, approved March 81, 1866. was
LSsuIIected. According to the provisions
OF this statute, If the Mayor of any CITY
III the State is notified by responsible
parties that certain house is being used
1oT improper purposes. he is empowered
10 nOtl1y the occupants thereof to leave
"ltAln three days, either by posting a
notice on the door Of the house or by
sending TO the owner, occupant or occu-
pants
The committee of the Vigilants secured
the names of the owners and occupants
OF some Of the most notorious dens in the
Ohlnese quarter, and about week ago
sent the list to the Mayor, at the same
time calling his attention to the act Of
IN66. As a result, the occupants of each
house Informed upon received a notice
yesterday Of which the following is a
sample.
SAN FRANCISCO, June Is, 1899
Mayors ONCE city and County of
san FranCisco-To NJ Mar Gee lessee
Of premises southwest corner of
Baker and Sullivan alleys: Within
three days after service upon you Of
TINS notice. you are hereby required
70 abate the nuisance now existing at
the southwest corner Of Baker and
Sullivan alleys. in the city and county
and occupance OF said premises for
purposes Of prostitution. Failing TO
Within said time. will subject YOU 70
penalties prescribed by the act of
March 81, 1866 entitled AN act for the
suppression of Chinese houses of ill
fame. as amended by the acti APP
q.
JAMES y. PHELAN, Mayor
1t is needless to say that the receipt of
this notice caused CONSERVATION in China
town. The Nigilants had been heard of
and sCoted at. The owners Of the dens
looked upon il as a blackmailing scheme,
pure and simple. and hourly awaited the
arrival Of the agent Of the society in
quest Of fee 10 omit the name Of the
house from the list. But the agent never
came. In his place was the order from
the Mayor directing the social outcasts
q - O.
upon the police 70 eject them under the
law quoted.
The officers Of the Bow Wah Tong. or
slave dealers association, held hasty
conference and selected a prominent law
Yer to handle the case. With their Gus
t0mary secretiVeneSs the Chinese refuse
10 QiVulge his name, but rumOr has 1t
that the man is former Judge Ferral.
When II comes TO giving their side of the
story, however. they were more garru-
lous. These dealers, with an eXtraOrdin-
familiarity with a law which has al
Il could easily be defeated. Glass or spe-
Cial legislation said one of them, lis
unconstitutional. This law provides only
Tor the suppression OF Chinese houses of
il-fame and is therefore unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court has. decided similar
cases. time and again and we are safe"
Aside from this the general impression
prevails that the Mayors notice is more
than half bluff. or in other words that in
stead of every den being turned inside
out the keeper Of one of the houses will
at the eXpira ton Of the tated time, be
placed under arrest. and a test case made.
In tho meantime, his and all other houses
will run fun blast just as usual. The
Eigilants. at whose instigation Mayor
out no such programme. The society
wants TO see the law as It stands on the
statute books enforced. 1t is its desire
10 have every house closed according to
law and common sense, which is the foun-
dation Of all law, and let each and every
offender be given a separate trial II nee
essary. The object first and foremost Is
70 close the houses.