Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-17
Measure Aims to Wipe Out City
"Red Light" District.
NO OBJECTION IN SENATE
Upper Branch Enacts Legislation
Without Dissenting Vote.
NOW GOES TO THE HOUSE
Bill Declares Disreputable Places to
Be Nuisance and Provides for
Permanent Injunctions. :.

The Senate today passed the Kenyon
bill. aimed to wipe out the red light"
districts and disreputable houses in the
National Capital.
No objection was raised to its con-
| sideration or to it's passage. and there
was no discussion. Senator Curtis of
Kansas. chairman Of the subcommittee
on the Senate District committee.
which investigated local underworld
conditions. simply rose in his place
soon after the Senate met today and
asked for it's passage And it was
passed. The measure now goes to the
House.
house is declared to be nuisance and
whoever shall erect, establish. continue.
MAINTAIN. use. own, occupy or release
any such house is guilty of maintaining
a nuisance.
To abate the nuisance, the bill author
ICES any citizen of the District Of Column
bia, in addition to the Attorney General
OF the United States. or the United States
attorney for the District. to ask the Dis
trict Supreme Court for a permanent writ
of injunction against the place Temporary
injunctions, closing such places, may be
granted by the court when the suit is
bropght. upon proper evidence in the way
of ah1davits or oral testimony.
Must Continue Prosecutions.
Once having brought suit for a perma-
nent Injunction. q citizen is not to be al
lowed to drop it without the consent of
prosecuting officials. the bill providing:
That the action. when brought. shall
be triable at the first term Of court.
after due and timely service of the notice
has been given, and In such action evil
dence of the general reputation of the
place shall be admissible for the pur-
pose Of proving the existence of said
nuisance. IL the complaint is filed by
q citizen, 1T shall not be dismissed, ex-
cept upon a sworn statement made by
the complainant and his attorney, setting
forth the reasons why the action should
be dismissed and the dismissal approx ed
by the attorney of the United States for
the District of Columbia or the Attorney
General Of the United States in writing
or in open court.
IF the court is Of the opinion that
the action ought not to be dismissed. it
may direct the attorney Of the United
States for the District of Columbia to
prosecute said action to Judgment. and
II the action is continued more than
one term of court. any citizen of the
the United States for the District of
Columbia may be- ,zabstituted for the
complaining patty ard prosecute said
action to Judgment. IS
III the action Is brought by a citf-
zen. and the court finds there was no
Reasonable ground or cause for said
action. the costs may be taxed to such
Citizen" sh<s-
=, Penalty Made Severe
For VIOLATIONS of the injunction5a per-
son may be punished. for cone1fhpt Of
court. by hnssof not less thanspoOO nor
more thast $4e1e. or by imprisonment in
the District jail for not less Than three
NOR more THAI six months, or by both
fine ana imprisonment
whichever permanent injunction is is
sued after a criminal prosecution. the sale
OF the property and its closing for any
use for a year Is to be ordered by the
court. The owner. however. may file a
bond for the faithful performance of the
terms Of the Injunction and thus have the
property released. When permanent
injunction IL issued against a piece OF
property. a tax of $500 is to be assessed
against the property. to be paid within
three months.
An amendment recommended by the
Senate District committee and adopted
today by the Senate would enable the
United States attorney or other attorney
representing the prosecution to grant i'm
munity to any witness called to- testify
in behalf of the prosecution.