New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-21
GATHERING GRAFT CROP.
Police Protect One TenderlOin Vice
.Syndicate-Hound AnOther.

Not since the police discovered the revenue
that could be gathered from :he disorierly
houses OF the Tenderloin has graft been so
good or the system I'm such fine working order
as at present In that precinct BY taking sides
with the head of one Of the two vice syrdcates
which controlled the disorderly houses OF that
district for some time the police have only
to sit down and have the money brought TO
them Incidentally the money reaches the police
in a saloon not more than block from Il" sta
ton after passing through FIVE OF six hands.
The chief go-hetween Tor the police is big
Frenchman. who owns two dsOrderly houses n
Thirty-fourth-st. and one in Twerty-scTeIlth-st
His rival, who owned a house in Thir1y-second-
81. and controlled score OF other clsordeTly
houses in the Nineteenth Precinct. has been put
out of business and the houses under his con-
troll have been absorbed 10y the other syndicate
The police are hand and glove with the pro-
prietors OF the disorderly houses controlled by
this man. who bears the nickname Of "Gros
Jean" The agents and owners of these houses
nearly all saloonkeopers and professional
bondsnen. Those who run them have to pay
practically twice the rent demanded OF one who
wishes to conduct a legitimate business. In con
sideration of the high rent there is a clause in
the lease of nearly every Tenderloin d'sorderly
house which binds either the agent or the owner
20 furnish bail for the proprietor whenever the
the bondsmen do not the proprietor any
thing extra his services being included in the
double rent.
whenever a house belonging TO the Cheerful
Givers" the police call their pet syndicate. is
raided the bondsmen reach the houses as soon
as the patrol wagon. Sometimes they display
such reverish eagerness TO fulfil their contract
with the proprietors that the head OF one of the
bondsnen is poked cautiously through the door
TO see IL the prisoners have arrived and to see
If any reporters are watching, before the patrol
wagon has reached the house. When the pris-
oners reach the station they are. in eight cases
out Of ten free before the ink has dried on the
blotrer The serEeants give all the aid possible
TO the bondsInen seeking the release of their
flock and often go over the blotter TO tell tne;':
the names given by the women when arrested.
60 that they Will not have 10 stay long in the
cells.
Whsn a house OF the Cheerful Givers' syn
dscate is raided the evidence presented the next
morning is Of such hiulsy texture that the mag
istrates Invariably have TO discharge the pris-
oners. On the other hand. when one OF the
houses outside the syndicate IS raIded. the evil
dence submitted by the police is "all wool and
e. yard wide and the inmates rusticate for
some months at the Bedford Protectory or on
BlackwelTs Island. At houses in the ring with
ten twelve inmates the patrol wagon is os-
tentatiously backed up with flourish OF trum-
pets and two or three women out of ten or
twelve are taken away There is never any pro-
test from the proprietors inmates, since they
are sure OF being bailed out Immediately and
being discharged the next morning. Half
hour later the police and the women may be
drinking together. When house outside
the ring is raided the police lock up every
in IT. from the proprietor 10 the cook and the
dog.
The police Loyalty support their ally. Some
time ago the chief go-betWeen sold the house
L,- lr,--, ,r4 -,
member of the rival syndicate Two days
later the police reided the place. arresting the
proprietor and two women, the sole inmates.
They continued to raid the place until the rival
forced out Of business and the Frenchman
bought back the house at A profit. At the time
the police We're so busy putting his rival out of
business their friend had twelve women in his
house, which is one Of the most notorious in the
Tenderloin. He was unmolested until recently
when Inspector Walsh. between whom. and
Captain Cottrell, of the Tenderloin there is said
TO be friction raided il. The next night Captain
CottrelPs men raided II again, and have done
several times since without seriously disturb
ing the owner.