The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-02-24
STILES CLEANS
OUT THE DIVES
ATTORNEY - MANY LEAVE CITY, OTHERS ARE
AGAIN SCATTERED RoOMING HOUsEs-ORDER MORE
EFFECTIVE EVEN THAN ROWIANDs RAIDS

The Sandberg joint is closed
and the restricted district is no
more in Tacoma.
Scores of denizens Of the under
world left town last night and
today, while other scores are scat
tered over the city, taking rooms
in cheap lodging houses. The
spectacular crusade started by the
police and license committee in
the city council a week ago is re-
sponsible for the change and the
block between court A and A
street and Forteuenth and Fif-
teenth Is now freer from women
than 1t was during even Prosecu-
tor Rowland's term.
In the sensational report read
| by Chairman Jameson of the po-
lice and license committee last
Wednesday night and adopted by
the conucil there was paragraph
instructing the city attorney to
take steps to enforce the law and
wipe out the unlawful institution.
| City Attorney Does 1t.
City Attorney Stiles said moth
ing but quietly got busy after the
councilmen and mayor had ex-
hausted themselves In explaining
their various straddled attitudes.
Last evening he proceeded to
carry out the instructions given
him.
Instructed to Get Out.
Special Detective Taylor of the
city attorneys office was quietly
sent down at O'Clock last even
| ing to the parlor houses facing
Fourteenth street. Each matron
was served with a written order
to get out. There was no alterna-
tive, but notice was given IL they
we're found there today arrests
would be made.
At s o'clock Mr.. Taylor swoop-
ed down on the court A resorts.
The places swarmed with women.
AS he began serving the inmates
a great crowd of men who assem-
bled around the women gathered
at the doors. Taylor gave notice
to the members of the crowd that
If they wanted a free rids they
should just hang around and the
exodus that followed was in the
nature of a stampede. Men ran
in all directions. One man fell
down stairs and wedged under the
| folding doors in his haste to es-
cape. There was grand scamp
ering In all directions and the one
official completely put to rout the
whole tenderloin.
Water and Light Shut Off.
To make double sure the effec-
tiveness of the order the city att
torney had the light department
shut off the lights last night from
the block. Today he had the wat
er cut off. When the water in
spector went down the inmates
of the place refused to let him in
but police authority was secured
for the job.
Before Detective Taylor finished
his rounds at the various apart
ments of the great vice place the
women had begun to get out.
Their entire belonging soccupied
nothing but suit case and they
could easily move.
Many Scattered Over City.
Many of them declared they
would leave town at once, but
others declared that they had al
ways lived here and they would
stay and find other quarters.
Stiles Statement.
81 simply carried out my in-|
structions," said Judge Stiles to-l
day. cit really is no part OF the
city attorneys business to do this,
as 1t is part of the police duty
of the city, but was instructed to
do 1t and 1t shall be done. I will
close that place up. II necessary
I will issue warrants for every one
of the women If l have to write
a new one every five mintues.
have had the light and water
shut off from the place also and
1t will not be truned on again. /
will obey my instruction from the
council. I did not consult the po-
lice department nor the mayor
about the matter but simply act
ed independent of everybody and
followed the resolution Of the city
council,