The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-03-15
Vice Crusade and It's Sur
prising Results.
ONE TOWN GIVEN A JOLT.
Society Men and Church Members
Charged With Being Freauenters
Of Low Resorts.

La Crosse, March l3.-Men and wom-
ell prominent in social and church ac-
tivities are mentioned as being FIRE.
quenters of the lowest resorts in this
city in report made to the Pastors
union by detectives hired to assist the
ministers in their war on vice. The
revelations were so astounding that
even the preachers who started the
crusade are divided, fearing that to
make public the names would wreck
the social system of the city.
But while the pastors. are divided,
prominent residents have taken up the
matter and are preparing for al ener-
getic crusade against vice.
The incorporation of civic fedora
ton, with capital of 100000, has
been announced, and it is declared that
the entire sum will be used to pros
ecute the crusade until every disrepu-
table saloon and resort is driven from
the city.
The corporation will hire agents to
investigate and make complaint upon
violation of laws and to force prosecu
ton of violators. dissatisfied with
promises of reform by police officials,
the ministers have taken this summary
action to force pleasing of the city's
morals.
Stock is being subscribed and an
out -of-town agent, who will not be
recognized, is to be hired to take
charge of the prosecution.
Circulars depicting the scene of i'm
morality were printed by one of the
spies and cast about the city. This
circular Unidentified prominent people
and has created an uproar, even among
the ministers.
The pastors detectives, guided by re-
formed drunkards and by men who
would not be suspected i'll the world of
vice, were led through saloons and
wine rooms into secret passages, where
electric bulbs turned on by the pres
sure of the foot revealed lewd pictures,
where young girls, timorOusly treading
the pathway of immortality, mingled
with the hardened women of the under
world.
OF one wine room the report of the
detectives says:
"Here was a church member at our
elbow, young married man within a
year; there singer in our choir, both
filmy-eyed and under the influence of
liquor. The place was filled with
smoke and the blind musician was
pounding the piano in an untuneful
way, emphasizing his playing in order
to get a hearing above the rattle of
glasses and the boisterous conversation
and laughter.
"Here we saw a merchant, there
railroad man, there one who moved in
the best society; girls from store and
factory mingled in the crowds.
"Heartsick, we left, and outside we
saw flirtations between heartless men
and young girls; we saw figures fitting
into dark doorways to be followed
moment later by men,"
The report recites the visit of the
spies to well-known saloon where Sd
police Justice" is Unidentified as "hang-
ing over the bar" Girls of prominent
families are said in the report to have
been seen drunk. Men whose positions
depend upon their integrity were said
to have been guilty of infractions of
the law Men of prominence in the So
cial, business and professional world
are limited at as active visitors of re-
sorts. Many ministers declined to give
publicity to the revolving facts out
lined in the reports, and warning fac
tons developed among the ministers
as result of the unanticipated direct
ness of the report.