The Penn's Grove record., 1916-03-03
DECLARES CITY
is VICE-RIDDEN
Mrs. Vasta Says Appalling Con-
ditiOns of immortality Exist
POLICE DENY HER STORY
Truant Officer Charges Children Are
Enticed Into Houses BY Men and
States She Saw Two Dragging.
One Child Into a Saloon.

Especial Trenton Correspondence
Trerton.-Declaring that appalling
conditions of vice and immortality
exist in Trenton, and East Trenton
in particular, Mrs. Adele R. Vasta,
truant officer of the local schools,
holds the police department largely
responsible, declaring she receives no
operation from the source Mrs.
Vasta says she finds that many young
girls, ranging in ages from IL to 10
years, are being led into lives of
shame and disgrace because the police
maintain an attitude of indifference
in dealing with the men who are re-
sponsible for this alleged condition.
The heads of the police department,
on the other hand, denounce Mrs.
Vasta as a publicity seeker, a trou-
BILE maker and an unreliable investi-
gator of social conditions A recent
occurrence, which is primarily respon-
sible for the open rupture between
the official of the school board and the
police, serves to unco er a horryfing
state of depravity existing in East
Trenton, if contentious of Mrs. Vasta
are well founded.
Mrs. Vasta claims that her atten-
ton was drawn to the prevalency of
vice in East Trenton through her
work as a truant officer. Young girls
school children. in fact-she claims
are harbored in some saloons in that
section and in substantiation of her
claim recites an experience of which
she says she was an eye witness.
While proceeding to her home one
evening last week, Mrs. Vasta de-
clares that she say a young girl be-
ing forcibly dragged into a saloon on
Berry Street by two men, despite her
vigorous protestations. Mrs. Vasta
AYERS that she advised the first police
man she met of the incident and
pointed out the saloon to him. Jaw,
] can't help that" was the only re-
joinder she says she received.
Some time ago Mrs. Vasta investi-
gated rumors that a set of men in
East Trenton were taking little girls
to their homes. Through more thor
ough investigation she ascertained the
names of the men and located several
of the children who, she alleges attend
local schools.
Mrs. Vasta reported the matter ia
Judge Geraghty who turned the COM
plant over tt Captain of Detectives
Clancy for investigation. According
to Mrs. Vasta, the officers assigned to
the case made the securing of any
tangible evidence impossible by mis-
managing the investigation. One Off
Ger, she contends, took two of the
older girls to the police station and
after questioning them, declared there
was no basis for action. By this pro-
cedure, Mrs. Vasta contends, the cul-
prits were aided because they were
tipped off" by the girls.
Mrs. Vasta also declares that she
has been unable to secure the proper
cooperation from the prosecutors
office and dishearteningly admits that
"she is tired and sick of the utter in
competency of the officials who are
charged with the protection of the
public morals"
When questioned regarding Mrs.
Vasta's u~pbraidment of the police de-
partment, Director of Public Safety
La Barre ridiculed the charges. de.
claring that the police officials were
always ready and willing to aid the
truant officer in her work. He held
Mr.. Vasta culpable for here own
troubles because of her indefinite re-
ports and the erroneous facts which
she generally presented to the police
for Investigation. Mr.. La Barre is
sued this statement:
Mrs. Vasta has been in nv office
on different occasions asking that
nave her appointed as a special police
officer, and insists that she be given
power to make arrests. l have plain
ly told her that l would not recon-
mend her appointment as a special
police officer. I have ! hesitancv in
making my reasons known. I regard
Mrs. Vasta as a m extremely an
xious to achieve notoriety for herself.
regardless of the means EMPLOYED or
the truth of the facts ascertained. 7
do not consider her altogether a safe
woman to be entrusted with anv
police powers. However, my instruc-
tons to the police department have
been to give her all the aid necessary
when ever so requested by her"
Captain Clancy, no Mrs. Vasta as
serts. was extremely angry because
she lid not first notAy him of the
East Trenton episode, was equally en-
phatic that the police always aided
the truant officer whenever she re.
quested them to do so.
Gunners to Wear White.
The House passed the bill spon.
e4rol hr II0ursoIr -