The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-04-19
indianapolis Correspondent
Sees Our Dirty Back
Yard as we See it.
CAN'T EXAGGERATE IT
Imagination Balks This Time-Facts
Are Bad Enough-Hammond
Spared for Once.

Billy Blodgett Of the Indianapolis
News was In the city the other day and
after visit to West Hammond he be-
came inspired and penned a word pic
true what he saw there Usually
the lake breezes which blow over this
section of the state have the effect
of stimulating Billy's Imagination. but
when he got over in West Hammond
he found such a condiation of affairs
that even he was contented with a re-
cital OF the plain facts. The following
in part is what he told the people of
Abe Martins town about Hammond's
next door neighbor
There is not place in Indiana where
the people and the authorities would
stand a single day for what is regard
ed as all right here. The Indiana auth
critics have closed the big poolroom
near Hammond and the Chicago gamb-
lers will go there no more And this
place reflects on Hammond Ind. be-
cause you step across the street and
you are in West Hammond, Ill 1t is
only a few feet from the thrift and
business Of Hammond Ind, to the
wickedness and nastiness OF West
Hammond, III. The dividing line is
marked by saloon-you leave a sa
loon on the Indiana side and saloon
greets you on the Illinois side And
the Illinois authorities do not raise a
hand to curb the RIGHTEOUSNESS and sin
and the open and notorious violations
of all laws going on In Hammond, Ill
This village is inhabited by foreign
ers. the majority of whom, however
have become American citizens for
:
in the place is long and wide and is a
continuation of one of the well-paved
thoroughfares of Hammond, Ind. There
are few business houses in this street
not many. but it is lined from one end
TO the other with saloons and eight Of
these saloons have disreputable houses
attached to them Seven of them are
are few business houses In this street.
In the village. Another is in a back
street and is saloon and resort com
bined. Two more have no saloons at
tached.
Scum Of Other Prts.
The Indiana authorities, in a meas
sure. regulate the towns of Whiting
East Chicago, Indiana Harbor and
other villages which are located in this
territory, and the disreputable element
hocks to West Hammond, Ill
And It was openly charged that the
village authorities were levying toll on
the disreputable houses. the law-defy-
ing saloons and the gambling houses.
These places are dives OF the worst
sort There are no places in Indiana
like them. The front part of the build
ing is generally a saloon, kept by some
foreigner and men are the managers
OF the places-the back part of the
building being houses OF ill-repute.
The unfortunate inmates are recruited
from the foreign class in Chicago and
other large cities by band Of scoun-
drels in Chicago, who make procuring
a business These places have high
sounding names sucn as THE Mecca.
The Vestibule,' The Silver Dollar"
The Nonpareil," The Last Stop" etc.
These places, 1t is asserted, paid from
sic to $50 week each for protection.
and 1t is declared. too, that a portion
Of this money was taken from the un- I
fortunate women.
learned that former administra-
tion looked after these dives with pa
ternal interest. The notorious charac
ter of the places. their immunity from
interference by the village authorities +
caused the dangerous and disreputabl bic
element for miles around here 70 4oclx
SnACfQl
officers were appointed-to see that +ha
laws were enforced-wen. hardly. The
business of these special officers was ~
look after the visitors who would start
a rough house in any OF the dives In
other words. they We're resort police I
men, nothing else.
Crime was Rampant.
Men were beaten and robbed in these
resorts and no arrests followed II a I
murder occurred. of course. the auth +
orties had to act. but a mere robbery. T
hold-up, sand bagging scrap. or a mur-
derous fight. was not worth looking
after. Consequently the village filled
UP with murderers and thugs. Hold-up /
men abounded and burglars would hide
here in the daytime and go elsewhere I
to work at night-they did not wish
to rob each other here. West Ham |
mond became danger spot avoided by |
people after night.
There are citizens OF West Hammond |
who don't approve of the way things /
We're carried on here, and so a citizens |
ticket, made up of good men, was nom |
mated. The citizens ticket was op-
posed to graft, protection Of law break
ers; in fact, opposed to about every |
thing that had been done under the t
SNCA 4eAtAN SlNlllA4A4SNA saLlOu- Inc people /
behind the citizens ticket desired to
stop the notorious Sunday carousaIs I
and drunken fghts-they desired some
thing done to stop the turning of sun
day into a day Of hideous revelry and /
drunken debauchery in the streets and
within the dives OF West Hammond. So
the election was held. The Pollacka,
the Hunyaks. every kind OF foreigner