Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-10-04
Warrants by Hundreds is
Answer to Reformers'
Demands.
MAYF0RCEANE ELECTION
Many Hurrying From the City
segregation as a Harri-
so Solution.

Chicago. Oct. "A referendum on
segregating disorderly places of the
city into one district looms as a possi-
bility in the opinion of Mayor Harri-
son as a result of sweeping investi-
CATION of vice conditions and the is
suance of many warrants for resort
keepers and others by the states at
torney. So sweeping has the deter
mination of States Attorney Way-(
man become that many inmates and
resort keepers are fleeing from the
city.
UNDER BLUE LAW.
Warrants for 1876 alleged divekeep-
ers were sworn out late yesterday in
Municipal Judge Jacob H. Hopkins
court. More warrants will be issued
today
Owners and agents OF property in
which houses Of prostitution are run
ming will also be arrested within the
week.
Chicago will be raked from exclu-
sive Edgewater to the more prosaic
strand" in South Chicago and from
Oak Park to the lake.
The city is to be under a strict blue
law" rule and the effacement of all
Misrepresentation gambling and sa-
loon regulation violations-is TO be a
repetition of New York's famous mu-
nicipal cleanup"
1t is States Attorney John e. w
Wayman's answer to the reform ele-
ment of the city. Smarting under the
imputations cast upon his administra-
! tion regarding vice" prosecutions, the
states attorney has passed the buck"
to the police and the reformers by
starting proceedings which he intends
shall include every divekeepeF and ev-
cry owner and agent of property where
alleged disorderly resorts are situated
Il will go as far as the courts will
go. and the courts. l have no doubt,
will go as far as the public will sus-
tain them" is Mr.. Wayman's ultima
tum.
WILL go LIMIT.
To ego the limit" the states attor-
ney will hold a levee from 8 to 10
o'clock each morning at his Office in
the criminal court building Each man
or woman who has knowledge OF the
name of a keeper of house Of pros
titution or the name OF the owner or
agent of the building will be heard.
| 10
plants to be filed in the municipal
court, and the states attorney agrees
to prosecute.
I The state law under which the pros
, ecutions are to be brought appears un-
der the heading "disorderly conduct"
1t reads:
, Whoever keeps or maintains a
house of ill fame or shall keep a COM
mon. ill-governed and disorderly house
to the encouragement Of idleness, gam
| ing, drinking or other misbehavior
shall be fined not exceeding 5000"
A similar penalty is fixed for agents
. and owners Of buildings occupied by
: the disorderly resorts.
Z There was pandemonium In the "red
d light" districts when the police began
: serving warrants The work was not
{ started until after darkness had fallen.
. 1t was near midnight when the full
import OF the states attorneys order
l was realized by the divekeepers. With
4 the grand jury adjourned they had felt
/. secure from molestation.
= Electric pianos tangled away their
J. tunes up until l O'Clock and then things
e in both the north and south side levee
districts were paralyzed Numerous
divekeepers and inmates who escaped
arrest prepared to leave the city be
fore morning, fearing that the next
! batch OF warrants may include their
( names.
+ BLOW UNEXPECTED.
: The blow to the vice districts fell un.
s announced. For two weeks States At
n torneS Wayman had been battling ad-
e mittedly TO head on" the runaway
l. September grand jury, which was bent
upon investigating vice. Carl A. Wal
n dron, attorney for the Committee Of
y fifteen" Miss Virginia Brooks and nu-
merous Others had made charges re-
q fiecting IN the prosecutors sincerity.
y The states attorney declared the
= jury could not investigate viee-that
: II was a city problem, not state one
n He said the only way he could proceed
was by information filed in the courts
S based on previous investigation.
J. To show his sincerity the states at
y torney is said to have had the 1876
), warrants drawn up and shown to the
e grand jury. That was last Monday
With these warrants as proof of his
h sincerity the jury and Mr. wayman
d reached an amicable understanding
md the jury adjourned.