The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1909-04-09
HAMMOND
is HORRIF|ED
Chief of Police Had no Of
ficers Present or Arrests
Would Have Been
Made.

So scandalized are the people of
Hammond and many of the members
of the camp of Modern woodmen of
America in Hammond over the nude
dance of Ruth Donaldson. a Chicago
young woman, before several hundred
men and boys at their smoker last
wednesday night that the committee,
which was responsible for the affair,
met behind closed doors last evening
to see what could be done to cause
subsistence of the storm Of disapprov-
al which has been heaping itself noun
tain high on their heads and which
has split the lodge in twain.
RENT OWN SCANDAL.
The order itself has been rent as
under over the matter While there
are a few members who try to laugh
away the affairs, the vast majority of
them take the position that the Mod
ern Woodmen of America has been dis
graced beyond measure by the orgy
which for excesses approached the
widest abandonment of the red-light
district in Chicago
The COMMITTEES, which was Indirectly
Responsible for the indescribable
hooche- cooche dance, which made mar
ried men md sbeardless youths blush for
shame, is composed of Walter Hoffman.
A. o. Mitchell, John Holmquist and
Edward Schottler. 1t may be said to
the credit ofs most of the members of
this committee that they did not sus-
pect at the time they made arrange
ments for the dance that it would de-
velop into an orgy, at which men sat
with beer bottles in their hands and
their faces distorted with evil.
They were prepared to have a rich
and racy time of it, that is certain.
When the tickets were sold it was with
the understanding that the purchaser
would get a full measure of excitement
for it, and many of those who attend
ed knew just what they were going to
see
HALL WAS CROWDED.
The measure OF Hammond's morality
may be taken when it is known that
the Woodmans hall was crowded dto
the very limit with men and boys. who
were eager for the big show.
The program began with a couple OF
boxing bouts. That started the blood
of the young men to tingling and ther
a young woman came out and SANG
some spicy songs"
One or two men in the rear Of the
hall quietly slipped out. Some of the
more prominent members of the or
der looked at each other doubtfully
as much as to ask what it was al
about
Most of the crowd seemed immense
ly pleased with the performance. Al
the songs bordered on the question:
BILE one of the prominent members o
the order got up and made an effor
to leave the hall. He was jeered AM
roasted until he finally found refug
In his seat The show went on.
DID ALL SHE DARED.
After the first girl had done all sh
dared to do another creature came ou
in a Salome costume and started t
dance While she wore a Salome cost
ume, her dance was nothing more 0
less than the most vulgar production 0
the hooche- -cooche.
The experience of the man who ha
attempted to leave was a warning t
the others, and some of them burie
their faces in their hands to avoi
seeing the female. The show went OF
however, and the crude. vulgar, moral
" perverted element in the audienc
shouted for further excesses
What developed later consists Q
details that are absolutely imprint
able The show went to the vilest lin
it's in answer to the appeals of tn
men and boys. Pandemonium reigne
An announcement was made by a men
ber of the committee that met wit
wild yells of approval. No one made
move to stop the proceedings. A co
lection Of hatful Of money .amountinir
to $40 in silver. was taken up for Il
abandoned creature and the shameless
shocking. scene that followed cann
be described
DAY OF RECKONING.
BY this time the disgust of the m;
jority of the people in the audien
began to manifest itself. and today Il
whirlwind of disapproval threatens Il
body with destruction. The time
reckoning came today and the affair HI
become a scandal.
Walter Hoffman, in speaking of Il