The Nome nugget., 1902-03-29
Percentage System in Daw-
 son Must Cease.
COURT TAKES hGTE0N
Mr. Justice Dugas Directs That Ac- tion Be Taken at Once Looking to the Extinction of the Women Who Live By Their Percentage.


 to be purified of the women who make their money by inducing the men who come within reach of their Circean wiles to spend all the money they have of their own and then trench on that in respect of which they occupy hducurv relation. The fiat has gone forth that the "percentage" system must and shall stop. and the men who thrive by putting these women forward must seek some other vocation.
 The matter came up in the territorial court this morning during a lull in the proceedings. Mr. Justice Dugas was presiding. His lordship commenced by pointing out that the court at that moment was sitting as criminal court, having just sentenced prisoner to d term of Imprisonment. There being no grand jury in this territory, it was quite proper and in order that the pre- siding judge should take upon himself some of the functions of such a grand jury and take cOgniZapcc of the moral state of the community. A grand jury was usually looked to to do this, and growing evils were Investigated and the laws applied for their remedy. The recent shocking suicide (Mlddleton) and many another that had shocked this community was traceable to one and the same cause.-the existence m this city of a large and thriving class of women who live not on their in- mOraliteS so much as by inducing their victims to the eXtravagant spending of money These startling crimes have occurred too frequently of late, and in each case have been traceable to this dangerous class of women. They were worse and moro dangerous than com mon prostitutes many times over. and by whatever name they were known were clearly living without the pale of the law. The court would. therefore, suggest that action be taken at once to etfectually rid this community ot this dangerous class of women who are the origin of nearly all these crimes to which the court leterrcd-the women who made victims by their Wiles of the promising IOnng men of the community and brought them toa violent end. The court thought that the class to which 1t referred could be reached through pro- ceedingS against prostitution and Kin dred immOralities, and the men who utilized them could be reached under the clause which forbade the living off the proceeds of vice. The court con- tinued that 1t had consulted with Com missioner Ross and had found him in accord. Orders would at once be given to the police and other authorities that the proper proceedings be commenced and at once.
 His lordship was most emphatic in the expression of his convictions that this form of vice should and shall be stopped. It. was pointed out that out side 1t had never been permitted to exist for d moment, aud the present laws were found ample to cope with It. lOung men on moderate Incomes and occupying positions of trust were lured into eXtravagant living and spending by women hired by men for the pur pose. The women. who were given q percentage of all they could induce the man to, spend, knew no limits, and under the combined influence of wine and the company of the woman who was drawing him on Was quickly led into an irremediable act. 1t was not only a few dollars that were thus squandered, but it was known that often in a single night the victim found himself out of thousand dollars, a misstep from which there was often but one way out, and in d number Of cases lately the victim had chosen that way. The judge concluded with the declaration that 1t can, must and shall be stopped