The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-09-05
THE CRUSADE AGAINST VICE.
Mayor waddeII Examined the Wit
nesses Yesterday rs TO the Charges
Against Certain Houses for Being
DisorderIy Places-Two witnesses
Held for the Grand Jury-Rich-
mond Also Has Trouble.

yesterday morning DIT II CLOCK May
or Waddell had before MIN a lumber OF
the people who signed the communica-I
ton 10 him. demanding The suppression,
Of certain houses in the vicinity of
Fourth and Castle streets. They were.
s~upoenaed Tuesday afternoon immedi-I
ateIy after the mayor received the COM
munication tina there had been con
tinuous indecent exposure Of person.
and drunken orgies" at these establish
ments.
All the parties summoned were asked
what they knew Of their W knowledge
of the charges they mad in their COM
m~unication. Several who signed the
| have the nuisance abated because they
own property or live in the vicinity,
could not say OF their own knowledge
that the charges were true. nut some
Of the witnesses did SO testify. Among
the witnesses, the Mayor recognized
| Captain Preston Cumming and Mr.. Ben
Bellois to appear before the grand jury
at the next term of the court for the
trial of criminal causes.
1t is presumed that several warrants
Will be issued, as a result of some of the
information obtained.
As will be seen from the following
from the Richmond, Va, Times of yes
terday, that city is having the same
annoyance that now affects Whining
ton:
During the meeting Of the common
council of Richmond last night a mild
sensation was created when the report
of the committee on ordinances, charter
and reform submitted an advel Sc report
~ - -ls4I
at a recent meeting Of the common
council in reference to the houses of ill
fame in Richmond. Mr.. Miner. the pa
iron Of the ordinance, made a speech
against the adoption of the report of the
committee. in which he said he was
greatly surprised at the action of the
committee. He cited several instances
where the police have failed to take &C.
ions upon complaints made to them
concerning the location Of certain dis
reputable women in respectable neigh
borhoods. He appealed to h members
of the common council to think of the
virtue of the fair women Of Richmond
before adopting the adverse report,
which, he said, would allow the houses
of i'll fame to invade the most respecta-
BILE portions Of the city
Both Mr.. Pollard and Mr. Bottom,
members Of the committee which sub
mitted the report, spoke in favor Of it's
| "uoplioli, SldlIHS IHdI lnSy ndC IOTI1u-
lated the report only after consulting
with the chief Of police and, The police
captains. in which they stated thu any
law-abiding citizen, who reported to
them the existence Of any Immoral
house in a decent locality would be
given immediate relief. The gentlemen
argued that the evil was now under the
control of the department and that to
NEEDLE with it would result in a deplor-
able state Of affairs.
MI. West lac a brief talk in which
ne stated hat he knew of an instance
where evera citizens went to the police
with a petition nat certain ~disreputable
women be removed from a certain
street, and the police replied tia they
could not disturb them unless proof of
the existence of immortality in the house
was furnished them. 1t was only after
N of the gentlemen mad threatened to
procure a camera and take a photo
graph Of every person who p%atronized
the place in question air produce same
IN police court as evidence that the
women left the neighborhood.
In view of the statements CT the four
councilmen it is not at all improbab BILE
that the matter will be taken up by the
bOaIt Of police commissioners"