New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-26
WOODS ORDERS
POLICECLEAN-UP
OF |TR0TTERIES'
Kelly Case Spurs Sleuths
to Overhaul Records of
Dancing Men.

Police Commissioner Woods yester-
day took official notice Of the Eugenia
Kelly case by ordering a special in
vestigation into the condition obtain
ing in the tango resorts and cabarets OF
the Tenderloin.
Last night Inspector Dwyer went
through the district in evening clothes
to glance over conditions, while mem
bers OF his personal staff began looking
up the records of the more prominent
Of the dancing men. with an idea of
finding out how many of them had
criminal careers and what their means
Of living are.
For the most part these men have no
visible means Of support, though it is
common knowledge in the Tenderloin
that many Of them live of the earn
ings of women and from money OBJ
tanned from young women Of means,
married and unmarried, who frequent
what the Tenderloin calls "the trot-
teries."
Tango Managers in Panic.
The managers of the larger OF the
tango palaces were in conference last
night. and about midnight the man.
ager of one of the most notorious OIL
them called at the West Sixty seventh
Street station 10 see Inspector D"yer'
The latter was not IN.
+. =. I'd nnSEG0
the 2 o'clock closing law must be
strictly adhered to and the practice OF
screening up at that hour abandoned
for the time at least. Under this plan
the tango resorts put up the curtains
AT > o'clock, the time speclned IN their
licenses for closing. and dlmmed the
lights in front. Men on guard at the
front door passed upon candidates Tor
entrance, and those known or LOOKING
good were permitted 10 enter TO trot
and drink until daybreak.
The peace of mind of the proprietors
was not increased by rumor that
deputy commissioners had been on tour
in the district during the evening.
The same rumor declared Inspector
DIVER had been called to account for
conditions. This. however, probably
had its birth in the announcement by
Commissioner Woods that he had asked
for report on conditions.
Acting Mayor McAneny also took
hand in the matter by calling upon
Police Headquarters for the record OF
Val OFarreil. the detective in the
Kelly case whose "ork exposed the
wide open conditions, while he was
member of the department.
OFarrell. learning Of this, countered
on the Acting Mayor. Dy challenging
him TO tour the Tenderloin with him
and view the dives for himself. The
message was delivered TO Secretary
Rousseau. .,,.
commissioner Woods Is not willing
70 admit that conditions IN the Tender
loin are as bad as O'Farrell charged
in his statement published IN ne
Tribune yesterday morning, though ne
does not deny that the Kelly case dld
show up an amazing state OF analrs.
~ believe Broadway" he said. is In
hotter condition than IL has been IN
some time, but II matters are as the
Kellv case indicates, that is, If those
conditions exist generally. a special in
yestigation will be made TO end the
Lure.
There is no personal crusade on.
Rv that mean that no individual Is
in mind and that a drive is being MADE
at no one person
MIR. McAneny in a statement issued
lao in the afternoon denied that con-
d;tions have changed since Mayor
Mitchell went on his vacation. II IS
On odd coincidence, but Mr. Mitchell
made his first big stroke for fame
wbcn acting as Mayor in the absence of
Wsvor Gaynor after he had been shot
Al later date, when the Gaynor
administration was attacked by Mag
istrate Corrigan. It was O'Farrell that
produced the evidence with which the
magistrate backed up his charges
Here is Mr.. McAnenys formal state
ment: -,
Continued on page le, column