The Detroit times., 1917-09-21
Our Prosecuting Officer,
After Many Years, Takes OFF
His Coat and Goes To Work

Prosecuting Attorney Jasnowsh APP
pears TO have looked around in his office
for a peg. after many years, and decided
20 take off his coat and go to work.
First he has found there is in Detroit
contrary to general belief and contrary
10 what we had reason to believe IN
view Of announcements from our COM
missioner Of police, just as much Of an
underworld and just as much vice as
there ever was.
He has found a condition which Ponce
Commissioner Couzens could have RENE
died if he had not, for some reason
abandoned his intention, as announced
TO resort to law which makes It a punish
able offense for owners OF property 10
lease it for unlawful purposes-for the
maintenance of scarlet house or gam
bling den or both.
Police Commissioner Couzens sought
TO secure the cooperation of the prop
erty owners. and threatened TO invoke
the abatement act, but he failed IN the
former attempt and seems 70 nave gotten
cold feet in the other.
The police commissioner, doubtless
was somewhat surprised to find that he
had threatened those whom we refer 70
&c our first and biggest citizens when
the dollar sign does service as the meas
uring stick.
The commissioner found that property
leased to prostitutes as market places Tor
the souls Of women, is owned by some OF
our largest estates, associated with big
interests and, in some instances, WELD
ing powerful influence in the community
over somebody else.
Prosecuting Attorney Jasnowsk. hay
ing taken of his coat and having found
a peg in his Office TO hang It on, after
many years, has established that vice
fourishes, that we have a vice ring, that
the town is overrun with scarlet women
and the crooks they foster. and NOBODY
is TO BLAME FOR THIS CONDITION
BUT THE POLICE COMMISSIONER
OF DETROIT, from whom the enemies
of organized vice-The Times Included
expected great things.
He has had the abatement law 10
remedy the condition; in that law he has
held the solution of the vice problem IN
the underworld but ne has FAILED TO
USE 1T.
He said publicly that he WOULD use
1t, but has never said publicly why he did
NOT use it.
Furthermore
Prosecutor Jasnowsd having taken off
his coat, after all these years, has dis
covered the police commissioner own
department in league with the under
world
Two of its members are known TO have
made it their business to protect the
vice dens by tipping them off to con
templated raids.
The prosecutor, upon taking of his
coat, after all these years, finds further
that there existed a $4,000 slush fund
with which the tenderloin paid for its
protection, and he finds, further, that
prominent business men (whose names,
of course are not mentioned) were in
volved in this conspiracy.
The end is not yet and We may learn
among other things, the names Of these
prominent business men.
We may live to see the abatement Law
invoked and Commissioner Couzens'
threat made good.
We hope so. We have always given
him credit for good purposes.
There are great possibilities in store.
There are lot of men in Detroit who
have held their heads pretty high, but
who are just now trembling in their
boots.
All of which goes to prove that results
can be achieved and great power for
good enlisted, when prosecuting attor-
ney, even after many years, takes off MS
coat and goes TO work
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