The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-10-19
WOMEN OF Street
PAY POLICEMEN
DenizenS of Underworld De-
clare They Are Given Po-
lice Protection.
THEY "PLAY THE RACES"
WOMEN MUST PAY UP OR BE
SENT TO JAIL.

Though permitted daily and nightly to
ply their unlawful vocation by the grace
OF American party policemen, women OF
the half world say that it is only after
dividing the wages of shame with these
so-called guardians of the public peace
and morals g
A woman of the demimonde, an inmate
OF house IN the business district which
pays protection" money to American
party policemen on that beat, stated last
night that the many women of her class
III the city were between 1.-The devil and
the deep sea While they were allowed
to carry on their nefaFiouS business, the
extortien of the policemen had become so
great that the women of the street espe-
eiaily, sometimes were in a Quandary as
TO where the next meal was coming from.
The earnings of their crime against the
law were going into the pockets of police
men sworn to uphold the law
These policemen have a cute way of
getting their bride or protection money"
said this woman of the town. 'Of course
they don't come right out and demand the
money, but then II is made perfectly
plain that if they don't get the money
well land in jail. A faVorite way of
theirs in making the 'shakedown' is to
first find out the condition of our purses
and then ask if we haven't a few dollars
to play on the races All the girls I'M
derstand what that means. If we don't
come through with the coin to play the
races we re very liable to 1lu0 ourselves
under arrest There is no need to say
that every woman approached who has
the money digs up before she will run
the risk OF getting on the wrong side of
the cop.
Now, we don't object to giving the
cops all the drinks they want when they
come into the place. but we do object to
giving up most of what we earn
About this registration business? Yes,
they rounded us up all right. Every wo-
ma Of rha Vva told no she would
have to register whether she voted or not.
These policemen told us that we could
expect no mercy at all unless we regis
tered. 1t is pretty safe bet to say that
none Of the girls refused to register after
they had a little talk with the cops
Even though we were compelled to reg
lister, there are many of us who have our
own opinions as to how Wen vote.
: -Of course the women. of our class who
are located in house don't have to dig UP
so much as those who work on the
streets. I've got a friend who has beat
that takes in one block on Main street,
one block on, Third South and block on
State street. In making the round she
tells me that often in one night she is
stopped by three policemen, one on each
beat, and told that she must give up
part Of what she makes or to jail she
must 20. Now, you see, this makes IT
pretty hard on her. She is willing TO
give up half of her earnings, but she
hates to pay graft to three policemen in
one night.
you can lust bet it's a shame the way
these policemen treat some of the girls
The poor girl that doesn't have the money
to meet their extOrtionate demands is
arrested and thrown IN Jail, while the one
that makes the money is the one that
finds favor with the bluecoats If she
has paid her protection money, she
doesn't need 20 have any fear of arrest.
That policeman doesn't see her at ALL The
hush money has made him blind. Again,
it's a safe bet to say that many of the
girls know where the sporty diamond
rings some Of the cops wear came from.