New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-10
Strand Waiter and Four
Women Accused by Com
mittee of Twelve
Is ARRESTED IN
HARLEM BLACK BELT
Cleanup of Negro Re-
sorts Begun to Protect
White Girls

Detectives or vice hunt raided the
Strand Roof Garden last night and ar
rested four women and man. AT the
same time another body entered the
Harlem black belt" and arrested thir-
teen negroes, said to be the leaders in
the resorts which have been known to
exist there for some time.
Armed with warrants obtained through
evidence collected by the Committee of
Twelve, the police went about their
work in thorough, methodical fash
ion, and by midnight had arrested most
Of those whom they had started out to
get.
Sleuths Pose as Millionaires
The committee was assisted by two
detectives of the District Attorney
Office, Albert Schwartz and William p.
Perlmutter, who posed as millionaires
while they were maxine their investi-
cations. They were aided in the ar
rests By police squad of plainclothes
men under Inspector Daily and Captain
Underhill
Posting men at each door, the police
took The elevator TO the cabaret. As
Inspector Days bulky form appeared
in the place, word was quickly passed
around that "A raid was being made.
The dancing ceased for the moment,
and some Of the women became ex-
cited. None was allowed to leave, and
the police quickly found five Of the six
persons sought. One girl wanted was
not there.
The prisoners, charged with keeping
and maintaining disorderly houses,
were taken to the Tombs.
Those arrested were: Howard Trim,
captain o. walters. of 4i0 East l56th
Street; Belle Serviss, 242 West Forty
ninth Street; Grace Horton. 1850 Am
sterdam Avenue; Ruth Minor, 242 West
Forty-ninth Street. The evidence
against Trim is said by the committee
of twelve to show that the roof garden,
instituted as a place where working
girls might spend an evening in lnno-
cent amusement, has turned into some
thing entirely different, since its found
ers turned IL over to the company which
now runs 10.
Later, another woman, known to be a
frequenter OF the resort-Helen Bel
mont. OF ( West l09th Street-vas ar
rested mt her home.
Descend on Black Belt
Detectives under Inspector Ryan
swept into the Harlem black belt last
night and began to serve sixteen war
rants which had been obtained against
negro men and women resident there
on the charge of keeping resorts OF III
repute.
The Strand Roof WAS opened in the
fall Of 1914, with the backing Of sew
eral WEALTHY women, as place where
the working girls Of the city might
find entertainment free of the unpleas-
ant features that are usually attached
to public dance halls. Miss Anne Nor
gan. Miss Elsie De Wolfe, Miss Elisa
beth Marbury and Mrs. William X.
Vanderbilt were the managers. It was
closed by them following the Eugenia
Kelly case. The present management
reopened the place after it was closed
for a long time.
Among those arrested and locked up
in the Tombs for hearing to-day were
John Conner, 50 West 135th Street;
James HAYES, f42 West 131st Street;
Mrs. Mary Straine, SO West 195th
Street: Mrs. Ora Thompson, 1874 West
143d Street: Mrs. Jennie Smith, 1874
West 143d Street: Mrs. Ruth Gleason,
pa West 136th Street; Mrs. Lynette
Blair. 119I West 13Sth Street; Mrs.
Jennie Stoddard, 100 West l43d Street,
and Mrs. Mary Hodges, $50 Lenox Ave
nue..
This is only the beginning of our
cleanup work" Mrs. William Grant
Brown. head Of the Committee Of
Twelve. said last night at will save
dozens of our white girls. What has
been going on in this district is awful;
The police have said that they could
rot close the resorts. The commit
tee is very glad to have been allowed to
assist"
Another force of detectives raided the
establishment known as the Astoria
House. at 134th STREET and Seventh Ave
nue.. and took Gene Ruffen and Mary
Hodgins into custody on the charge OF
conducting a disorderly house