Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-08
EMPHATIC PROTEST ENTERED
BY RESIDENTS
GROCERIES NEAR PLAZA MERE
DENs OF ROBBERY
More Than Eighty Promptly Sign Pc
tition to Police Commission Call
ing for Decisive and lmme-
diate Action

Italians against the eXlSLence VI, dS
they claim, fully a score OF the most
disreputable, vicious and dangerous
slum grog shops which may be found
in any city of the United States, which
are conducted as blind pigs" under
the very eyes of the police department.
These grog shops, or blind pigs, are
located within a radius of about TOUR
blocks in the immediate vicinity OF san
Fernando street near the Plaza and all
are located within the downtown pa
troll district of the police department.
They are the same kind of resorts
that were protested against about a
month ago by some thirty Slavonians,
and which then were closed by the po-
lice. But they have been reopened ny
other owners equally as depraved, as
evil and as debauched, who draw no
line even at murder itself, and who
thrive and grow rich under a system
of boldly robbing their drunken vic
tins when they become SO helpless
that they have no consciousness of
what is going on around them.
For the past two or three weeks
these blind pigs have grown holder
and holder, until they have awakened
the decent, law-abiding residents of
the district, who have seen their
friends, and not infrequently their ia
theirs and brothers, victimized, de-
bauched, robbed, arrested and impris-
oned in a brazen manner, winch
seemed never to reckon with the fear
of the law, and suspiciously suggested
the existence of SO perfect an under
standing between the blind pig" own
ers and the defenders of the law them
sselves as to resemble closely immunity
itself.
Sunday Their Harvest
Sunday has been the real harvest day
for these resorts, and what one might
see at any hour of the day or night
in any of them would require the de-
scriptive genius of a lola or a DICK
ems to portray. Men Keeling and stag
gering in all stages of ribald drunken
ness, swearing, cursing, fighting or
stretched at length prone across the
drinking tables or along the waste
places of the crowded floors; harp1es
and "come-on men plying easily duped
victims with more of the vilest Of
liquor until they had reduced them
also to a stage Of utter helpiessness,
while still other harpies plled Lnelr
work of pilfering the pockets of those
already rendered helpless for such
stray coin as had not actually been
taken away from them through the
trifingly more honorable means OF
"short-changing'' and other such
doubtful methods.
And the residents of the district in
seen their friends and relatives led
through this inferno until their last
penny was gone and have seen them
then kicked mercilessly out into the
street to be piloted to their homes by
some Samaritan into whose hands tney
fell. or to be arrested, imprisoned ana
sentenced to the chain gang If they
first fell into the hands of patrolman
whose duty compels him to prevent
these victims wandering farther south
to more crowded thoroughfares
Appeal to The Herald
Finally in desperation, having little
faith in a turn for the better, the better
class of residents of this district Satur-
day last appealed to The Herald to
take steps to close these resorts, ana
this paper began the preparation OIL a
protest directed to the board of police
commissioners, calling attention to these
''blind pigs and praying that they be
put out of existence.
Yesterday this protest was given cir
culation. and it is an eloquent testi-
nonial to the business and truthfulness
of the statements contained in 1t When
if is understood that the desperate
stabbing ARRAY of last evening, which
doubtless will result fatally for the VIC.
tim, was actually in progress in one OF
the very resorts protested against at
itself was being circulated and signed
within a block of the place.
The protest received more than elgnty
SIGNATURES yesterday and last evening,
and three times that number could De
secured for it today if the protestants
did not feel that things had gone 10
such point that further delay Wouio
be likely to result in further murder.
The signers of the protest INCLUDE
MANY of the most influential residents
of the Second, Third and Eighth wards
a large percentage of the signers oeing
members of the Spanish Presbyterian
church.
The protest follows:
Enter Vigorous Protest
LOS ANGELES, March s. 1909.-To
the Honorable the Board of Police COM
nissioners. We, the undersigned resi-
dents of Los Angeles, living in the Sec
ond. Third and Eighth wards, herepy
respectfully, but emphatically, protest
against the existence OF certain low,
vicious grog shops, or bling pigs, run
under the guise of restaurants, located
at various points along San Fernando,
Buena Vista, Main and other streets III
the district adjacent to the Plaza.
'Our reasons for so protesting are
that many of our Mexican brothers are
constantly being debauched at these
places, WIleTS IllSy diC SCI FSN VIZ
LIQUOR and encouraged to spend their
scant savings. These unfortunates are
frequently robbed of their money ana
encouraged to drink to such an excess
as to cause their arrest and imprison-
ment.
LAS a result of the existence of these
places of debauchery, scores of worthy
families, including many needy chill
dren, are deprived of the financial sup
port which they should and would, re-
ceive but for the fact that their money
is taken from them in all manner of
unscrupulous ways, their confidence be-
ing imposed upon by American and
Italian harpies whom they are told.
thew can trust, and their unsopnlstl-
Gated minds are no match FOR the own
ers of these vicious resorts.
eve, therefore, in the name of hui
mainly and Justice, protest against this
imposition upon our countrymen, and
call upon you to suppress these places.
which, we understand, are illegal and
which are conducted openly before the
patrolmen and other officials of the
police department.
(Signed)
81 Gutierrez de Lara, APO w. Fourth
street.
"Crescencio M. Ramirez, 1915 John st.
''Blas Zmaro, San Fernando ST.
Jesus Gonzales.
"Margarito del Villar.
Eugene Diaz.
IL. Limon, 7O2 San Fernando st.
"Eustacio Juarez.
Jesus H. Gonzalez.
"Austeo Cantu, 56S Gallardo st.