The Detroit times., 1913-09-19
OF RESORTS Are
LEAVING CITY
Plan to Continue Present Mode
Of Life Despite Orders Of the
Police
SOME SAY THEY'LL MOVE
TO NEW LOCATIONS
Real Work of Gillespie's Crusade
Will Come After Closing
Date, October Is

Police Commissioner Gillespie's
hardest problem In mis- crusade
against organized vice In Detroit will
come after the abolition Of the red
light district, Oct. Is. Many OF the
keepers OF the disorderly houses
threaten to move to new locations
and attempt to operate In defiance OF
the police. Many Of them own houses
In the central district and they will
endeavor to run ''rooming houses,
which the police will have q dimcult
time suppressing.
Few inmates of the resorts are pre-
pairing to leave the city, according to
their own statements. They still hope
the commissioners crusade will
blow over" and for this reason very
few will leave until he actually closes
up the dens. The owners Of the
places are also urging their present
tenants TO stay until the police move
to put them out. The property own
ers, some Of them prominent business
men, are collecting enormous rents
from keepers Of disorderly houses. and
they are loath to see this source OF
revenue cut OF.
Oct. 10, will attempt to open an
knowledge Of the police" said one
keeper The police say that 1t will
be an easy matter TO rout us out, no
matter where we 60. They know bet
ter than that. At the present time
there are disorderly houses operating
In Detroit without knowledge Of the
police. Plenty Of landlords are will
Ing TO take q chance. ON getting In
wrong with the police As long a. they
can collect big rents"
A few keepers say they Will obey
the mandate Of the police commission
er and get out Of the business forever
Not few OF the inmates talk of going
back home and reforming. but the
big majority declare they will stay In
Detroit.
Commissioner Gillespie has threat
ened to raid disorderly houses where
the inmates show no disposition to
move. For this reason every day is
moving day" In the tenderloin now.
but few are preparing to move" be-
fore the middle of next month.
When the police put me out Of
business l will be dead broke said
a keeper who has been In Detroit II
years. Il spent . pile Of money re-
pairing ana decorating the house that
/ leased for two years at $3.50 q
month. l told the landlord that l
wanted to conduct fashionable
rooming house here after Oct. IL, but
he wouldn't come down one cent on
the rent. Il would have to do some
business to make $3.50 q month out of
rooming house.
Commissioners Gillespie il a good
fellow, and | think he will do Just
what he says, but / feel sorry for
what will happen to him before he
gets through. / think he was showed
into this crusade and now he has to
go through with 1t. As long az all
the disorderly houses are in the cen.
trail district the police can watch
things pretty closely. but when they
scatter and try to operate on the sly
then Gillespie will have his hands
full"
Gillespie says there will be no
grand "wind-up'' In the wee district
on the night Of Oct. IA. The commits
sion says the houses will close quietly
and that he will have force OF men
In the district to see that there are
no unusual disturbances either In the
houses or on the streets.
Recently the police discovered q dis
orderly house on Lillibridgest., Fair.
view. and closed 1t up.
The meeting Of the committee that
Is considering the problem of caring
for the inmates when the resorts
close did not meet Thursday noon, as
scheduled, but will get together early
next week.