The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-08-16
CRUSADE ON A
SLUM SECTION
POLICE COURT WILL MAKE A
CLEAN UP OF PLEASANT
ALLEY OFFENDERS
.af. -.
The Police Drag Net Was Thrown Out
Last Night and Seven Colored Wo-
men Brought Into the Bastile
Fragments of Dialect
Were Scattered About
the Temple Of
Justice.

Judge Boyle announced in the police
court this morning that crusade will
be started at once against the colored
of the women are arrested almost every
night upon the complaint Of some man,
usually white. who has been robber or
thinks he has been robbed among the
huts Of Pleasant Alley, and the women
have come to be regarded as thlves of
the most persistent and persevering type.
1t is difficult to convict them Of rob-
berry, in fact, almost impossible. There
fore they are usually tried on a charge
OF being inmates of forbidden resorts
and fined the amount which was secured
in the robbery when the police and the
police court are convinced of their guilt
Notwithstanding the convictions FREE
quently secured against them in this
manner and the fines compelling them
to disgorge the booty gathered in some
OF the robberies, they thrive upon their
stealing for the reason that in many
cases the victims Of the robberics pocket
their losses and make no complaints
In addition to this condition enabling
them to escape punishment. TIE fleeced
visitors to their houses who make COM
plants seldom give the police o. the court
any help in convicting the women. for
the reason that they are usually ashamed
to appear against them or to figure in
the Investigations necessary to establish
the guilt Of the thieves
Seven Colored Women Jailed.
Seven women belonging to the Pleas
ant Alley community of thieves. were
arrested by the police last night in an eff
fort to capture the woman who robbed
man named Oscar Secord of $50. ac-
cordlng to his statement to the police
last night after the robbery occurred.
Ihe colored women's houses all looked
alike to Secord, as they are much allie
IN appearance and are not numbered. He
had been in one of more of them and
his money had taken wings and flown
While there. Consequently he was of tho
opinion that some Of the women had got
it.
1.-The seven arrested women were: Annie
Smith, Jennie Foster. Trilby Hicks. Mar
garet McCleary, Annie Larue. May Will
Jams and Maggie Mitchell When they
were brought before Judge Boyle Tril-
by Hicks, Annie Larue and Margaret
McCleary pleaded not guilty. and their
trials were set for the goth. The other
women pleaded guilty and were promptly
fined SO.
Judge Boyle and the police had become
informed that the women arrested had
not secured Secord's money, and hence
the lightness of the fines. Information
had been received which laid the rob-
berry at the door of two other colored
women named Mary Mcmillan and Leila
White. These women are said to have
left Butte for Missoula last night after
the robbery occurred, and it is believed
that they carried the money Secord lost
away in their pockets.
fearful and Indignant
The seven women who were arrested |
We're fearful and indignant before they |
left the court room. They knew about |
the robbery of Secord, of course, and |
they all started to protest their inno-
cence at once.
Asked if she were guilty, Annie Smith !
said: "Of course I'm guilty. Don't I |
live in Pleasant alley? Ev'ybody |
knows that. Don't pay fine evy
We'll, the monthly fine doesn't go
any more" Judge Boyle said. You'll !
be arrested every night now till you get
out"
We'll, suah won't get out" sail the
woman.
Annie Larue took the floor he, and |
said: "Ah jess moved up theh Judge, |
and thet's nah private residence"
Then the women all mad. remarks at |
once about how they would have to live |
some place, and they would not leave
town, and they did not get Secords
money, and the women who did had left |
town, and other matter germane to the |
subject before the house.
Hush hush," said the judge, and then |
the clerk shooed them away from the
desk and they took seats, bursting with
Indignation.
'Theh nevah floated me in heah an
they'll nevah float me out, thet's all deh
Is to thet." one big colored woman said
with emphasis.
1--WE got ten stay some wheah; we
can't stay in deh street." another one
sputtered.
Och took ev'y woman in de alley; dey
did; ev'y one, and deh didn't done catch |
de two wha' got de money" a third one
The indignant chatter that fioated up
from their corner of the court room re-
minded the nearer of convention of
angry blackbirds.
At the close of the court proceedings
they surrounded Judge Boyle's desk and
resumed their protestations of innocence,
and several of them managed to squeeze
out few tears.
May Williams told the court that she
had just arrived in town the night be-
fore, and she begged to be allowed to de-
part again. She convinced the judge