The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-31
HARD BLOW FOR BONDSMEN
MIR. MATHOT STOPS WHOLESALE
ARRESTS or WOMEN.
Ne OFFENCE Under the COde to he In Raided
House p lAns q Law That VIII Make II
AMlsdemeanOr Ono to INT Owners Toe
Their Illegal Resorts VIII ne Closed.

/ w " EAACG ~ ~ WV - ~
House p Rans q Law ina VIII Make n
AMlsdemeanOr Ono to INT N Toe
The Illegal Resorts VIII he Closed.
Until the Corporation Counsel gives an
opinion in the matter, all inmates OF dis
orderly houses raided by b police will
be immune from arrest and only the pro-
prietors will be held. According to Third
Deputy Commissioners Mathot, who freed
eight women taken in Tenderioin raid on
Monday night, such arrests are not justified
by law, and II the police or agents OF anti
vice societies persist In rounding up the
[ inmates OF such houses Mr.. Mathot will see
TO it that they are all turned loose immedi-
ately.
This action on the part OF the Third Deputy
is a singing blow at the professional bonds
men who have made. fortunes out OF the
Tenderloin station alone, and it also lessons
the work OF the desk sergeants, who put
in most Of the time during a busy night
booking inmates Of houses and making
out hail bonds.
Il don't care how many inmates are ar
rested by vice crusaders or the police Mr..
Mathot said at Police Headquarters yester-
day. Il will have them set free Immediately
and will continue to do so until the Corpora
ton Counsel gives a final decision In the
matter"
There is nothing in the Penal Code that
car find to show that it is a crime for a
woman to be in a disorderly house, and
without proof Of a violation OF n law, which
must be followed by the securing OF a war
rant, neither the police nor Parkhursts
agents AVE any right TO make arrests.
In my opinion, II you eliminate the aspect
Of diaOrH0rlu conduct nr airtat4t soliciting
you can reach awoman OF this class against
her will only by showing that she falls
under the vagrancy. section OF the code.
But in order TO do his you must show that
she has no visible means OF support other
than vice.
What we want is legislation similar
to the Goddard anti-policy law, which
killed the policy game in this city. am
working on a bill which L hope to have
passed at the next session Of the Legs
la ure getting after the landlords OF dis
or ierty and gambling houses. With the
enRctment OF a proper measure lt wouldnt
take the Police Department long TO put
all those places out vi business. As II
stands now, the existing laws are to blame
and il is hard to secure convictions.
Until we get legislation that will en-
able us to reach the owners OF the resorts
there will be no arrests OF inmates unless
there il positive evidence of crime. There
are numerous cases that have been taken
to the higher courts OF the State, and in
nearly every instance the learned Judges
have disagreed in one thing or another.
We want a ruling that will enable the Police
Department to act legally in every instance,
and if the bill | am working on goes through
il is certain hat we will have the remedy
necessary TO close the resorts for good
If the Legislature would pass a bill
making il a misdemeanor for a person TO
be an inmate of a disorderly house, Mr..
Mathot believes the police would have
little difficulty in closing all the resorts in
the city. .
But come what may, Bob Nelson and
the other professional bondsmen in the
Tenderloin will be out many dollars as
long as the Third Deputy insists that the
inmates shall not be arrested.