The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1909-03-27
CHIEF AUSTGEN
NOW ON WARPATH
Superintendent of Police Is De-
termed to Break Up Crowd of Girls
Whose Corrupting and Immoral
Influences Have Made the City
Stand Aghast.

Today 1e-year-old Tillie Krebs, the
sixth of a crowd of 16-year-old girls.
was arrested by the Hammond police
in the crusade which has been start
ed by Chief of Police Austgen to elm
mate the corrupting influence, from the
community. of number of girls whose
depravity and RIGHTEOUSNESS has made
the whole community stand aghast.
There are two other girls who will be
arrested on the slightest provocation
and not until they are finally on their
way to Indianapolis will the community
be free from their degrading influence.
Public should Know.
Chief of Police Austgen is of the
opinion that it is right and proper the
facts should be laid bare so that the
people of Hammond, the fathers and
mothers of other young girs. may
know how they came to be started on
the downward path. He is also of the
opinion that it will point out the
places of amusement, where these
young girls are started on the road to
ruin and will result in their begin more
closely regulated.
manded to tell her whole story to
reporter for THE TIMES. and so terrible
were the details of it's recital that only
a small portio-. of it is printable.
Tillie Krebs' story is as follows: 'I
live with my stepfather. William Hits,
a driver on a lumber wagon, and my
mother in 1921 Wenworth avenue, Chi
cago Heights. I am employed as do
nestle
I hrst came to Hammond with my
mother. who was with a party of lodge
women who gave a picnic at Kinders
grove. over on Wolf lake. I met sever
al young men during the day who
were drinking and having a big time
and in the evening one Of them was re-
sponsibIe for my downfall. The man
who is responsible for the first false
step was a Hammond man, who I un-
derstand has since left the city.
Meets Bad Girls.
After that I frequently came to
Hammond and met Annie Smith, Lizzie
Morak and Minnie Dodge. In company
with these girls 1 made dates with the
boys we picked up on the street cor
ners and we had some gay times.
Last Saturday I came over to Ham |
there Is roller skating going on. There
! met a young man, whose name |
do not know, and he suggested that we |
go to the theater that evening
Il met him at the Four Corners and |
we went to a theater. After the show |
he suggested that we go over to a |
wine room in West Hammond. There |
we had no difficulty in gaining en-
gether.
I'VE stayed in that wine room all !
that night and in the meantime my /
mother thought 1 was over in Hammond /
visiting friends.
When asked if any of the other girls /
had ever gone over to West Hammond |
Miss Krebs laughed. and said that a |
few weeks ago she. together with Liz !
zie Morak and Minnie Dodge and three |
fellows. went to the wine room and re-
mained there during the night.
Short Skirts No Bar.
The 16-year-old girl told of other |
occasions when she came over to Ham |
mond to attend dances and went out I
with young men. She said that fact
that she wore short skirts did not bar i
her from the dance.
As Tnlie Krebs talked she kept con-
tinually looking at her fingers, which /
were stained with the nicotine from
cigarettes When the fact that she
smoked cigarettes was noted by people
in the station. she laughed and admit
ted that she was a victim of the habit
which is characteristic Of dissolute wo-
men.
As the girls parents live in Chicago
Heights. it was thought best to notify
them. II they decide 10 take her home
they viii be notified that should she
appear in Hammond again she will be
arrested and sent to the school for
girls at Indianapolis.
w YoU ARE busy. TrRw ~, rca