The Detroit times., 1912-09-11
MODERN JOAN OF ARC IN
POLITICS CLEANS UP VICE
RIDDEN AND CORRUPT CITY
Virginia Brooks Threatened to
Reform West Hammond or
Wipe it Off Map
IT is STILL ON THE MAP
But is is a Chastened and Sub
dued Town as Result
of Crusade
Ry lpAH MeeLoNE elesoN.

WEST HAMMOND. H.. Sept. 10
They call Virginia Brooks West Ham
monds Joan OF Arc" II ever a town
needed lighting heroine, West Ham
mond does: and IL ever a girl deserved
the title of the French warrior maid,
Miss Brooks does.
Just a girl with the look in her
brown eyes that one might have seen
in those OF the real Joan, when she
heard the voices that bade her SO
forth and battle even to the death
that Is Virginia Brooks, who, for over
two years has been lighting. single
handed, the forces OF evil in vice
ridden city.
The last few days have seen the
fruit OF her labors. After being baf-
fed at every turn, scoffed at, ridi-
culed and threatened by the crooks.
divekeepers and politicians of West
Hammond. and ignored by state ana
federal authorities, she Is all at once
the big figure in tremendous expose
OF vice and crime.
Everybody Is interested now. The
United States marshal and district at
torhey are on the job. So are the
state. county and city attorneys, and
Chicago detectives are lending their
aid. The newspapers are taking the
matter seriously. There is no doubt
about it-West Hammond is going to
be cleaned up.
The biggest step in the regenera-
tion Of West Hammond was the recent
exposure Of the House of Mystery"
and the arrest of Henry Foss, keeper
OF this dive, on murder charge.
Strange stories have been told of
people meeting their death in this
place, and their bodies being snug
gled through an underground tunnel
To cemetery across the state line.
Certain II Is that John Messmaker
died there recently. apparently of
poison, and Foss Is accused OF killing
him. And frankie Ford, alias Ethel
Parker, an inmate OF the place. also
accused, has made a startling confes-
sion, so pages long, detailing numer.
ous crimes perpetrated In West Ham
mond Joints"
The confession was obtained under
most unusual circumstances: Miss
Brooks, together with the assistant
u. s. district attorney. deputy u. s.
marshals, and other officials and Mrs.
John +. Bass, Chicago society won.
an, seized the Ford woman, and
drove her around for a whole
afternoon to evade the spies and
things the-West- Hammond
rfng, wnfre the Woman told her story.
Several more arrests are expected
soon.
Miss Brooks first impulse. she ad
nlts. was selfish, Her father, dying
several years ago, left her and her
mother ia lots in West Hammond a
town OF 5000 people, near the Indiana
state line. The family lived in Chi
cago. Rents were decreasing, assess
ments increasing, and she could not
sell the property. so Miss Brooks
went TO see what was the matter
She found there was one saloon fol
every 10 voters, and nearly every sa
loon was an adjunct TO house of IN
fame. She moved in and started tc
clean up the town.
She complained to the town ofi
cials, and that did no good. She start
ed weekly paper and denounced tn,
whole clan She learned to speal
Polish, and went around maxim,
speeches In the Polish district. Sh,
agitated, agitated. agitated, agitated
for the enforcement OF the Law.
The chief OF police insisted tha
-evcrythIng was closed up tight" II,
teek Miss Brooks around himself. t
show her, True. the front doors wer,
all locked Later that same nigh
Miss Brooks went around with a pri
vale detective and found the bacl
fors All open.
SHE vent into politics In earneS;
She forreh the nomination and eiet
ton OF new mayor But his hand
neFe tied by the system. She KEEP
o.. however, until the shock OF re
<>nt revelations has forced an avail