Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-06
IMMORTALITY CHARGE BY
PASTOR AGAINST ATLANTA
DENOUNCED AS ISLANDER
Chief and Noted Ministers Refuse to
Believe DR.. S. Z. Batten Was So
llclted by Nineteen Women in a
Stroll Down Main Thoronghfare

Statements credited to DR.. Samuel
Zane Batten. chairman Of the Phila-
delphia Baptist Social Service Com
mission, that during a recent visit 10
Atlanta he had been solicited by wom-
en- nineteen times on single street
and a companion al times, and that
Atlanta is more immoral and wicked
than San Francisco in its wickedest
days, drew forth vigorous denials from
city officials and ministers Wednss-
day.
The statements credited to DR.. Bat
ten are characterized as Hes and a
SANDER on the city by ministers who
claim they have made personal
investigations OF the conditions
since the Tenderloin district was
abolished. They declare that his as
sertions are absurd. and that Atlanta
is more free from the street evil than
any city its size iE tn United States.
Chief Of Police Jams L. Beavers,
whose vice crusS,.s, eliminating in
the exodus OF the scarlet women, at
tracted the attention OF the entire
country, Indignantly declared that. il
Or. Batten made the statements, he
said something that was not true
Beavers Offers $500 Prize.
81 will give six months salary
$1,000" Chief Beavers said. TO any
reliable man who will go out on the
streets OF Atlanta and be solicited 10
times by women in a night, whether
It be the same woman or 10 different
women. as DR.. Batten said he was.
The assertion Is absurd and prepos-
ferrous, as any fair minded man
knows
Ministers Of DR.. Bar rs own de-
domination are as indik 1T over his
asso tons as are the officials,
decls in that the statemel \ are lies
and , snder on the city
My opinion is that DR.. Batten IS
talking through his hat" declared Or,
John E. White. pastor OF the Sec
ond Baptist Church " heard him
make practically the same statements
in St, Louis last week and took him
sharply to task. I told him I did no-
believe a word he was saying. ! think
DR. Batten Is afflicted with an over
vivid Imagination. He probably saw
one woman on the streets at a COM
paratively late hour and Imagined
that because she was on the streets
she was soliciting
Or. White Has Investigated.
81 have personally investigated va
rious reports Of soliciting that have
come 10 nv attention and have not
been able 10 find that any Of them
are based on actual occurrences.
have walked the streets Of Atlanta a.
all hours Of the day and the might
and in all portions ~ the city trying
TO determine whether the scarlet
women had really left the city
Il find that. although they may still
be here in small numbers, they are
certainly not roaming the streets
have never yet been solicited tor I'm
moral purposs, in all my WahderIhss
about the city Such statements as
DR.. Batten NAH s are absurd
DR. Charles W. Daniel. pastor OF the
First Paptist Church, characterized
the statements credited 20 DR.. BatleA
as part Of a systematic effort to dis
credi. the work of the men who nave
driven vice ont Of Atlanta. and ae,
cIared The statements are Hes ana
SANDER.
Could Not Happen Here.
Il can not believe that DIT. Battenl
made such statements, Dr. Danles
sid "but if he did make them. or Z
sr,-ona else made them. they are lies
and a sland,- on the city. such thinss
As he asserts happened could not
happen in Atlanta. The city today
is more moral and there is less wee
than in any other city IN the couh-
DR. W p. Lovejoy presiding elder
of a. Methodist church. also charac-
ferized the statements made by Dr.
.sThe assertions Of DR. Batten that