The San Francisco call., 1907-02-02
GRAND JURY TELLS
POLICE To CLOSE
VILE RESORTS
Dinan Must Clear the Resi-
dence Section of the City
OF Surrender His Star
NEW TENDERLOIN ON
GREAT HIGHWAY

Chief of Police Dinan sat in the
Grand Jury room yesterday and heard
Foreman p. b. oliver tell the members
of the Board of Police Commissioners
present that they must have the de-
partment clear the resident section of
the city of the social evil or remove
the present head of the department and
get q Chief who could enforce the law.
ait f. an easy matter TO get ne"
Chief.- one of the jurors suggested
Police Commissioners Beahy, Cres-
well and UmbSen, who were present
promised that steps would immediately
be taken TO eradicate the infamous
houses which DinaR has allowed &"
multiply I'm the home centers and on
streets where they are an insult Q"
respectable women and constant
menace TO the morals of children.
Two months ago the Grand Jury be-
gan an investigation into the encroach-
ment Of the tenderloin into the district
Of homes. The Police Commissioners
and Chief 'Dinan and Captain Mooney
We're told that the law. must be en-
forced and decency protected. But
nothing was done. beyond a few in
nocuous raids which did not discour-
age the spread Of shame I'm the city.
POLICE KNEW OF RESORTS
Grand Juror Gallagher was assigned
by Foreman Oliver to investigate the
conditions existing in the city, and yes
terday his report was handed to the
Grand Jury. In presenting his report
the Juror said that he had had no diff
Guilty in collecting his information anj
that in canvassing the district he near
ly always secured Information regard
ing the location of the brothels from
policemen on the beats. In view of the
fact that Chief Dinan has maintained
that he has been unable to secure in
formation regarding the places the eX-
perience Of Juror Gallagher places tbs
head Of the department in a queer po-
sition. The following is the repor'
Submitted
DENS RAPIDLY MULTIPLY
= During the investigation that some time age
engaged the attention OF the Grand Jury ] wal
surprised ~ the apparent ignorance or th'
police officials 10 the existence or houses
Of ill repute in the very heart Of the residence
district Of our city. II well known thai
many such places existed. but I was satisfied
with the assurance Of Captain Mooney that h'
would do everything in his power 10 eradieat'
mis- evil. Nearly two months have passed since
This assurance was given, and instead of al
abatement Of the evil. l find that il has in
creased 70 most alarming proportions. One hours
stroll through the district bounded by Devisadero
Van Ness. Suffer and HAYES streets and youl
fnd not only the old fenGerlOi1 leproduee0 II
every particular. but a scattering of the mos
vicious and lowest dens that in the years pas
gave the Barhary Coast its unsaEors reputation
TODAY our city'S most beautiful thorough
fare has been turned into a second Pacific
street. From Steiner 10 Van Ness on Colder
Gate avenue are located houses Of I'll repute
dance halls. gambling dens and dives of The
most vicious character Golden Gate avenue
has not been compelled 10 suffer alone Or
nearly every street in the district have men
tioned may be found some more or less question
shle resort. ] have secured list of sons
thirty TO forty houses. all Of which must b.
known 10 the police and all of them are per
mitteS 70 openly.
This list contains only few OF the dozens O
similar places scattered throughout the dis
trict district thar IS today the most thickI,
settled residence section OF san Francisco Their
Is not an important street in this section ol
danger Of heing insulted. Our children in go.h,
from school sre constantly threatened on al
sides by dangers impossible to guard against.
POLICE MUST ACT
The letter closed with the recon-
mendation that the police act i'm,
mediately to clean the city of the
vicious element. Appended to the letter
was the list Of brothels which Chief Of
Police Dinan has permitted to exis-
openly and which will cost the Chic
his star if they are not immediately
closed The list embraces resorts or
every important thoroughfare in the
section mentioned.
After the report had been read the
members OF the Grand Jury told the
Commissioners and the Chief Of
Police that no temporizing would bs
permitted. The evil of the saloon,
with side entrances. into which meI
take young girls from skating rink,
and dances, was also condemned.
Something must be done, and don,
Immediately. to purify that section O.
the city" declared Oliver to Leahy
Creswell, Umbsen and Dinan. ."and i
something is not done the Grand Jur,
will know the reason why"
CRAFT WAS SUSPECTED
G. H Gleason and G. NJ. Gamble
druggists, a McAllister street and Val
Ness avenue, appeared before tn.
Grand Jury TO explain a transaction
they had with Ruef prior TO the fire
and behind which the jurors though
might be some graft The druggist.
had prepared to lease a store in Ruef'.
new building ataKearny street anc
Montgomery avenue, and had deposited
$1,000 to cover their contract. Th,
money was IN the form of check OF
deposit in the First National Bank.
After the fire Ruef returned tn,
check 10 the druggists. The matte'
was explained TO the members of tn,
jury and it was apparent that tn,
ltdnsdCAon was IN the line or regular
business and that Ruef had been en-
gagged in at least. one matter which
would bear: scrutiny
District Attorney Langdon and As
sistant- District Attorney Francis 7
Heney We're at the meeting of tn,
Jury The gathering at which Dinar
and the Police Commissioners wer,
present was informal in a legal sense
but the. Chief was shown that the nex
time the jury has occasion to refer I,
his neglect Of duty the proceedings will
be sternly formal