New-York tribune., 1902-08-18
VICE ON THE EAST SIDE.
IMMORAL WOMEN INVADE TENEMENT
HOUSES AND SOLICIT OPENLY
on THE STREETS

Despite the fact that there is a general I'M
preston that the moral conditions of the East
Side have greatly improved in the last fe"
months. there is a rather widespread feeling
that conditions there are not such TO satisfy
the people Of the district. There is district
around the foot Of Second-ave. where women
prowrl the streets nightly and where soliciting is
done openly and constantly. There are many
little cafes where criminals of all sorts congre-
gate. and there evidences that there, in a
certain measure. the practices which once -four
ished in the red light district still go
A city official who is Investigating conditions
in a manner which precludes the use of his name
told Tribune reporter that within the week
he had heard mel in the back room Ct Second
ave. saloon boasting OF living on the earnings OF
unfortunate women. These men do not conflne
their operations to New-York City They have
women in other cities. but the main traffic is
in the Fifth-st. precinct. A probation officer
who lives near by was only last week called
upon to investigate the statements that were
brought out in a trial in the ma gistrate's court
His investigation proved that the man placed in
his charge had sold his wife into the slavery or
an immoral life and was collecting her wages
The region between the Bowery and Second
ave- and particularly in East Third-st., Is the
favorite haunt Of streetwalkers. By IL O'Clock
they are out in force and solicit passers by. To
stand any one or the corners III lONtl SSI-
ond-ave. is to invite solicitors Residents Of the
district testify TO this condition. Coroner Gold
enkranz told a reporter yesterday that he had
frequently been solicited there
Robert Hunter, head worker Of the University
Settlement confirmed the report Of this condi-
ton and declared that for several months he
had seen soliciting in fragrant form IN Hous-
ton-st. east of the Bowery This state Of affairs
he declared had been in existence for long
time.
Another phase-and the worst-of this situa-
ton is the fact that vice still exists in the
tenement houses. Along East Third-st- there
are numerous tenement houses used for i'm
moral purposes The attempt Of various reform
bodies to keep vice out of the tenement houses
has failed here.
There is a row of houses in the next block,
said Coroner Goldenkranz, who lives at No oh
East Third-st. where the passer on the street
would have no difficulty in picking out evidence
Of the presence of vicious people Then in the
fes and billiard rooms there is a great deal OF
gambling going on. These little German cafes
ae we'll as some of the bigger Raines law hotels,
are the resorts of people of this sort There is
not 4he same fragrant openness that existed
orce but there is a general and plainly visible
system of soliciting
: nrobation officer who has lived on the East
Side for many years pointed out the situation
TO Tribune reporter yesterday
MY attention was called to conditions in TINS
district" said he by case that came under
NV notice last week I visited a number OF the
hotels here and found that they were used as
hang outs not merely by immoral women. but
Inv the pfckpockets Here men who make thelF
living from wives sold into this business meet
The streets are places of solicitation The women
walk IN and down particularly on side streets
but on the corners OF lower Secohu-a'e' "i9o
they ply their business
from the Bowery to Second-ave- has frequently
reen stopped opposite the Dry DOCK motel, anu
members of the University Settlement speak OF
similar occurrences there. This state OF aIlalIs
is not merely of recent growth nufnpef LS %, ol
weeks ago Meyer Schoenfeld, member OF me
Citizens Union City Committee from the SAI1t
Assembly District declared at meeting OF
that body that conditions on the East S!de IL
r-aIIad those of the Tammany days. The inves-
tigation that followed this statement brought
about the preferring OF charges ana lhe dp-
Acting CAPTAIN Churchill. The results of the
Investigation were turned over TO the CltV C4uO
TO be used in It's report on the ponce sltuatioti.
Roth Captain Dean and Captain Gallagher
who recently took the Fifth-st, and EldrldSe-sl
precincts respectively, have attempted 10 Ilee'
the situation Only last week Captain GAIA
CHER conducted highly successful raid at y o.
Il RiYington-st. where man was ropptq pS
the old familiar panel game" He was aoIe 10
secure several convictions in this instance. A
recent raid by Captain Dean also closed no.
forious place But there are still many eVi-
dences Of open vice. Robert Hunter is at pres
ent engaged in investigating the condition OF a
Mace NOT many doors from the University Set
tlement where he belives vicious practices are
going on. - ,a.,- ,.L .
certain degree of passive sunerancc on street
Soiiciraffou protest strongly against the spread
It nS +bis evil in the tenement houses. Both
refoTTners and residents Of the district are
agreed that the district around the foot OF Sec
ond-ave has become infested with dlsorderly
Women, and that street walking is carried on to
an unusual extent here