Rock Island Argus., 1915-01-01
Woman May be Equally
Responsible With Her
Male Companion.
ILLINOIS CASE CITED
Department of Justice Asks ST.
preme Court to Prevent Use
of Law for BIackmaII.

Washington, D. c., Jan. THE de-
partment of justice has asked the SUI
preme court to put a stop TO the use
of the Mann white slave act for .pur-
poses OF blacBmail
In a brief filed with the court the
government seeks to fix upon women
transported from one state to another,
in violation of the Mann act, joint re-
sponsibility with the man.
If the departments contention is
upheld. women involved in the cases
viii be Just as careful as men 70 pre-
vent them frcm coming to the atten-
ton of the federal authorities. Such
condition would effectuany prevent
the use of the Mann act as a weapon
for blackmail on the part of women
who commit violations.
Brief in Clara Hottie Case.
The government brief is in the case
against Clara Hottie, who was trans
ported from Darlington, H. to Mil
waukee, Wis. for immoral purposes.
The United States district court for
the eastern district of Wisconsin held
that the statues involved did not per
nit woman who was the subject of
unlawful transportation, though
guilty participator, to be indicted as
a conspirator with the persons who
caused. her 20 be transported.
1t is on this point alone that the
governments appeal is made. the de-
partment of justice laying down the
proposition that the violation OF the
Mann act was accomplished as a re-
suit of a conspiracy between the man
involved and Clara Holte, for which
the two may be indicted aud punished
alike.
viii Decrease "sIave" Cases?
The application of the principle thus
advanced would result, it is believed,
in a remarkable decrease in the num-
Der of white slave cases brought by
United States district attorneys. 1t
often has been charged that the gov
ernments agents in the past have
drawn heavily upon disappointed and
jealous women for evidence by which
it was hoped TO convict violators of
the Mann act.
This alleged reliance upon women
violators has caused a great deal of
dissatisfaction with the Mann act. 1t
has been openly charged that the ef-
feet OF the law as now enforced is 10
put the government in partnership
with blackmailers, for it Is by threat
ening to go to see the district attorney
that scheming women have succeeded
in sweating down their victims in
scores of instances, according to foes
OF the Mann act.
McReynoIds Saw Evil.
Attorney General McReynolds never
expressed himself publicly upon this
subject, but it was widely believed
that he found the enforcement of the
Mann act in many instances distaste-
full to him. Apparently his successor,
Mr.. Gregory, shares this adherence
of the collaboration of scheming wo-
men and special agents of the depart
ment of justice in working up white
slave cases.
Push Miss Cope Case.
Chicago, III, Jan. 1-District Attor-
neg Charles f. Clyne announced yes
terday that the government viii push
to a speedy trial the cases OF Colonel
Charles Alexander, grocer, banker,
and steel magnate of Providence, r.
l., and Miss Jessie E. Cope of Los An
geles
Indictments against both Colonel
Alexander and Miss Cope were re-
turned by the federal grand jury dur
ing the day. Colonel Alexander is
charged with violation of the Mann
act by transporting Miss Cone from
Los Angeles to Chicago and New Or
leans. Miss Cope is charged with at
tempting TO bribe Hinton G. Clabaugh,
chief of the local bureau of investisa-
tion, by offering 70 split $4,000 with
him if he succeeded in extorting this
amount from Colonel Alexander