The San Francisco call., 1906-09-14
VICIOUS RESORTS
MUST CLOSE.
President Leahy Declares
That Jimmy Lawler Will
Have to Close His Den
WOMEN VICTORIOUS

OMEN NlClOnlOOS -
Jimmy Lawler's notorious resort at
1922 O'FarreII street, against which the
women of the Western Addition have
been wagfng n crusade, will be closed by
the Police Commissioners. Even If the
patroImen ON the beat cannot find
enough evidence to warrant closing 1t,
the Commissioners are determined that
something must be done to rid the
neighborhod of the noisome place.
At the meeting of the Police Commits
sion last night no action was taken
because the charter provides that be-
fore q license cnn be revoked a for
dent William III. Leahy and his coll
leagues are satisfied that 1T is high
time to protect the community from
such places. Here is what he snys,
"AII such places as LAWYERS must be
driven out of the Western Addition. 1t
is not the place for them and they will
have to be closed. We could not take
up the Lawler case tonight because of
the charter requirement, but between
now and the first of the month he will
have to apply for another license and
then we VIII be able to reach him
much more quickly than we could If
his case was brought before the board
on citation to revoke his present
license.
At the corner of Steiner and Turk
streets there is a disorderly house
which has marshaled enough influence
to keep its doors open in spite of the
protest of laymen and clergy. Only
once since it was established has there
been disposition on the part of the
police to keep it closed.
The house, which is conducted by
the notorious Lazarene. is construct
ed SO as to have an en-
Turk Steiner street is the divid-
ing line between the police dis
tricts of Captain Mooney and Captain
Gleeson. In regulating the house there
is division of authority. Captain
Mooney declares that he has taken
steps to see that the Turk street en-
trance is kept closed. Captain Glee-
son says that he has maintained a
blockade" on the house ever since il
came to his knowledge that the law
was being violated.
HOUSE RUNS OPENLY.
In spite of these declarations the
house is run as openly as at any time.
Six weeks ago Captain Mooney ordered
a raid upon the place. Lazarene, who
has been familiar figure in the night
years, was arrested with seven In
mates. The women were arraigned be-
fore Police Judge ShortalI, but upon
the representation that Lazarene and
her hirelings would move away, the
prosecution was not pressed.
The only result of that raid was the
closing of the Turk street entrance.
The woman has found it unnecessary to
have two entrances when one will
serve as well.
Captain Gleeson when asked why the
Steiner entrance was not also closed
replied that ne has a policeman sta
toned at the door who is required to
take the names and addresses of all
visitors. This is the only way he
has to combat the evil.
The ordinary blockade" is not eff
fective. There is no effort to drive
visitors away or even TO learn their
identity. fictitious name and a false
address is sufficient to gain admittance-
POLICEMEN ARE LENIENT.
The accommodating policemen on
duty there, after the formality of the
so called blockade" is over, will fire.
Quently direct the visitor to the door
bell. These are the measures that the
police are taking to close this resort.
The reasons for their apathy are not
apparent.
Before the ire Lazarene conducted
number of the disreputable houses on
Commercial street which were known
under her husbands name, Labrodet
Labrodet is one of the despic-
able characters of the old red
light district, who has been iden-
titled with all forms of vice
since his residence in this city. In
spite of this well known fact, he has
never failed to WELD powerful in
fluence with the Police Department.
Personally the patrolmen despise him
but he has always made friends with
the higher officials. 1t is not known
whether he is interested in the finan-
cial success of the present nefarious
he has been instrumental in keeping
the hands of the police idle.
INFLUENCE is STRONG.
Whatever may be the influence, it is
strong enough to prevail. When Laz-
arene took a lease of the property she
expected to escape notice in the ex-
citement and confusion following the
fire. She fitted up the second floor
of the building with the most luxuri-
Gus furnishings. Something in. the
neighborhood of $4,000 was the
amount of the bill. For several
months there was no notice taken of
her invasion of the home section of the
city. but when 1t became public that
the old Commercials den had
been transformed into a palace of vice
and located in the Western Addition
there was an agitation that resulted in