The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-03-15


 and Aacke, who will remain on cocaine work" The force that will now try to minimize the evil in Birmingham, Cor Judge Lane admits frankly that it cannot be abolished, will be composed of officers Daly, Warren, Moser, Garner. Brown, Alexander, Christian and McGill. Chief Eagan will take charge of the 'disor derry house" squad in person.
 "The social evil is beyond the control of the police and detective departments at the present time because of the great area of Birmingham, and the women for merly segregated in limited area have spread out throughout the vast residential sections of Greater Birmingham said Commissioner A. Q. Lane, following his conference with Mrs. Wilson Searight and Acting Chief Martin Eagan. However I have given orders to Captain Eagan to in crease the force of detectives and we are going to fight the disorderly houses to the limit of our resources. We can minimize this evil by hard work and the cooperation of all the citizens, but we can't abolish it or keep it in any thing like the control the police formerly eXerted when only small area needed supervision. We are certainly doing our
 
 plexing problem"
 Acting Chief Martin Eagan was loath to admit that the evil was beyond his control. He stated, however, that he was going to increase the number of officers detailed on that work at once. and that he would personally take d hand in a "clean-up" campaign.
 "fes. l am going to put on more officers to watch the disorderly houses said Captain Eagan. This Is done on the orders of Judge Lane. You Il have to go to Judge Lane for an interview on vice conditions, but will say that the problem is now doubly difficult in Birmingham because of the spread of the former habitues of the segre gated area in the residen- tial sections.
 "These women when raided claim they have reformed and are operating respectable rooming houses. They will complain to the commissioners of po- lice oppression. They also frequent the theatres. moving picture shows. res taurants and cafes. We arrest all the known" women on charges of vag- rancy just as often as we can but they always escape conviction by pro- ducfng licenses as manicurists or some other occupation. They are certainly giving us a lot of trouble"
 Mrs Wilson Searight following the
 
 tain Eagan stated most emphatically that conditions were now in better shape than they ever had been in Bir- mingham.
 "lt is detrimental to the fair name of BirminGham,' said Mrs. Searight, "to say that vice conditions in this city are deplorable. They are not Conditions are better at the present time than they have been in the last seven years. Only calamity howlers are saying that conditions are bad"
 l Steve Wiggins, head of the detective 1 department, stated that off and on De- i tectives Jones and Crump had work ed on disorderly houses and had found practically the same difficulties as the police officers.
 "1 have no regular detectives on dis orderly house work said Mr. Wiggins, although Officers Jones and Crump off and on keep lookout on them. I have | received no instructions to place men on this phase of police work and there fore am making no special effort in | that direction. It is very hard to keep | track of the disorderly houses as they are spread all over the city and as l soon as one is broken up the occu- pants promptly move into another part of the city. It is a very perplexing problem