The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-11-14
One Of Them Sentenced to Eighteen
Months in Prison for Writing
About the Police De-
partment.
QUEER MORALITY LAWS
Any Woman or Girl Ia Liable to be
Called Upon to Undergo an
Examination of
Character.

[By Karl H. Won Wingand, Berlin
Correspondent of the United Press.l
BERLIN, Nov. 1.-THE trial and
sentencing in Hainz of DR.. Hirsch, a
editor to eighteen months
Imprisonment on the charge of hav
ing libelled Police Assistant" Frau !
DR.. Schapiro and the Chief of Police
of Mainz, and the suspension and i'm
prisonment pending trial, of six mem
bers of Berlin's police force assigned
to look after the morals of the Ger
man capital, has attracted much at
tention to the "Sittenpolezei" or
Morals Police"
There are police institutions in Lon
don and Paris somewhat similar to
the "Sittens Polezei' and the latter
might to some extent be compared to
the "vice Squad" of New York and
the chinatown Detail of San Fran
cisco, but with scope and authority
which would quickly cause an incipi
ent revolution in any American city.
The social evil in German cities
is leaalized institution and general
ly regarded as necessary evil. Once
on that path and a womans only es-
cape from white slavery" is to leave
the country, as she must report week
ly to the police. The police on the one
hand, make reform practically I'M
possible, but on the other, stretch
forth protecting arm and see that
the white slaves" are not subjected
| to extortion and robbed
DR.. Hirsch was charged with hav-
| ing libelled the woman Police Assist
ant" DR.. Schapiro and the Chief of
the Mainz police, in an article in his
paper in which he accused them OF
improper conduct in connection with
the "Sittenpolezei' activity, among
other things that the overzealousness
and officiousness of Frau Schapiro on
the one hand was driving girls into
white slavery" and on the other
that she was closing her eyes to con
ditions that existed and where her
official capacity might we'll be exer
cised
The trial developed that Frau
Schapiro was veritable dragon OF
morals, was the terror Of the young
women and had upset half the femi
nine part Of Mainz by her activity.
Under the morals law of Ger
many, girl or woman who Is suspect
ed of having left the path of rectitudt
may be ordered to report to the police
for examination. Envy, JEALOUSY ant
. malicious gossip has played many
role that has resulted in an innocen
girl or woman getting such police
summons and all the shame and hu
initiation and disgrace that goes will
it.
: In the Malnz trial one witness ties
4 titled that Frau Schrapiro had force
J. herself into her home and insisted VI
n on reading her correspondence to Sc
i If she did not have a love affair. Al
. other girl testified that she had re
v ceived morals" summons after haN
/ ing been seen walking in the wood
9 with a friend. 1t also game out tina
o anonymous letters accusing youn
7 women of improperly, We're frequen
q ly received and led to surveillance.
q Frauline Meta Gmund, the daugI
"a ter of the foreman Of Mainz new
v paper, told of being Summoned to r
!. port to the police because she ha
g been seen talking to a girl who VIZ
n a suspect A police official testifit
n that suspicion had been directed
=. the girl because he had heard son
10 officers of the garrison mention h
!. name, and that he had been directt
by Frau Schapiro to get acquaintt
II with the girl and ascertain her habit
;s Another young woman told on Il
" witness stand how she was arrest
% one evening while walking with "
9 man friend, taken before Frau Scha
iro, who accused her of having be-
: seen talking to men,, and compel
her to undergo an examination. +
q suspicion against her was grour
Is less. Still another witness receiv
& summons after having gone to t
i loom of an officer in the garrison
d get book which he had promised
Il loan her. The officer took the sta
q and made vigorous defense of t
n young woman, declaring she was
y his room but moment. Another Sc
4 that Frau Schapiro had attempted
z rent a room at her home for you
( woman who was to Spy" upon "
Il ness.
& The verdict finding Dr. Hirsch g
4 ty and the severe sentence aroused
n storm of indignation in the social
y press. "yorwarts,' the influential C
q trail organ of the social-democra
q party, declares the revelations of
y Mainz trial of the forcible compuls
3 of girls to prove that they are abe
b reproach is one of the coarsest {
b most unprincipled insults that can
4 heaped upon an innocent young
n man