The Detroit times., 1913-10-17
POLICE READY
TO DEAL WITH
FLATS MENACE
Arrests Will Follow Any At
tempts to Evade Gillespie's
Vice Order
SCORE OF PLACES UNDER
CLOSE SURVEILLANCE
Moving Van Ordinance Aids OF.
ficers In Keeping Tab on For.
mer TenderlOin Residents

The moving van ordinance. recently
passed by the common council, IL
proving q great help to the police do
partment in preventing resorts. closed
by Commissioner Gillespie's order,
from scattering to other parts Of the
city. The ordinance compels the
moving van companies to file writ
ten report with the police department
on every trip van makes with house
hold goods. BY keeping close tab on
the van reports. the police can easily
trace the movements OF the few dive
keepers attempting to move their fur
niture out of the former tenderloin
district TO new locations.
So far the police have knowledge OF
at least 20 flats that have been
rented or purchased outright by wom-
en- OF doubtful character. These
the first intimatioA Of any attempt to
disregard the commissioners elimina
ton order, will result In arrests.
Where the. flats" are rented. 1t win
be possible for the police to take ac-
ton against the owners as well as tho
occupants.
Several of the former residents OF
the Champlain-st. district, have Sc.
cured quarters on Columbia and Eliz.
abeth-sts. In one instance a woman
Is reported to have paid $4,000 for a
house and another $4,000. They an
nounce their intention of running re-
spectacle rooming houses In the new
locations.
Wednesday afternoon the old vice
district was practically deserted.
Many Of the houses were curtainless
and vacant. Moving vans stood in
front of one or two. Detectives Nc
Carly and Holland, members OF the
vice squad. made complete survey
OF the district Wednesday, and dis
covered no attempts being made to
evade Commissioner Gillespie's clos.
ing order, The detectives estimate
that at least $50 women Of the ten.
derloin have left Detroit. Many
packed up the belongings and got out
of town. yesterday.
Madam Rowland's notorious
place at No. 223 Brush-st, Is closed
for the first time In many years. The
boast was made, when Commissioners
Gillespie first announced his policy of
elimination. that he would never sue.
| coed IN closing the Rowland woman's
place. The commissioner declared
that she would he driven out with the
rest OF the dive-keepers, and she was
She owns the property that has been
used as a resort.
| A former police commissioner un-
dertook TO close the "madam's" place
| The shades were drawn in the house
| for few days, and then the place
was thrown wide open again. No ex.
| PLANTATION OF her unchallenged defiance
OF the police order was ever heard.
| The madam" now announces that
she intends TO obey Commissioner GIL
! lespie's edict to the letter. In fact
1 she intends TO leave the city shortly
for Philadelphia. Return 10 Detroit
Wen, possibly. some time In the fu
| ture.
1--WE expect to have our hands full
! for a time to prevent the opening OF
fats in the downtown section and
1 in the uptown residential sections
said Capt. Robert Palmer, chief Of de-
/ tectives. 'It will be necessary to en-
ercise constant vigilance to prevent
evil places from fourishing In new
! locations, but we have plenty of law
! to back up the department In this
fight, and 1t is simply case OF keep
Ing at the job
1.-THE elimination OF the tenderloin