The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-04-04
MAG1sTERIAI. VIEW OF vAMP1RIsM.


MAGISTERIAL VIEW OF VAMPIRISM.
Newark, n. j., apparently aspires to be the
ntodel city of America in those respects at least
lin which the cities of the plains were so unhap-
PLY deficient that their very names have come
Ito signify impudicity They brought upon
themselves perpetual picking in brine one hun
bred per cent. strong, which probably was no
more than they deserved; and Newark, warned
ii may be by their fate, has set out to become
the depurated exemplary city of this continent.
Something has been heard from time to time
OF the spasm of municipal propriety with which
this New Jersey metropolis has been leading
her painted faces to the hydrant and washing
them into drab responsibility. But this, 1t
seems, was not sufficient. Paint was too plentl-
full and the temptation to use it too great; and
now plan is to be tried suggested by Police
Magistrate Boettner. He has bestowed the
name of vampire on female residents OF tran
sients who are considered to denigrate the good
name of the city; and he describes the sngmata
by which they may be recognized at glance
The vampire, as he describes her, is woman who
flirts on the streets, bleaches her hair camou-
flages her face, DISCUSSES herself with clothes
and gives wrong names. But, at tins astute
cadi points out, it passes her art to alter her
eyes, her dimples or the general contour OF her
face These establish her identity; and he
would therefore photograph all suspects and
keep their pictures in a vampire gallery, IN
order that the second-offender flirter, bleacher
rouger NAV be identified as an incorrigible
and made to feel the heavy hand of the law.
Undoubtedly the refor1ner- police magistrate
has the highest motives; but is he wise in ven
turning to define the speciesf Does he not thus
open a door of easy escape for offenders who
might. for example, blacken instead of bleach
their hairg Our courts and statutes have wise
lv refused to say what constitutes fraud, for the
excellent reason that immunity would thus be
given to offences which were not covered by the
definition And is it not narrow and enron
eous assumption that vampirism is confined to
the fair and fIaxen type of feminity, to poly
cllrornatic cheeks and lint white locks? A poet
of wide experience, wanderer in many lands,
has made his definition of vampire as inclusive
as possible However she may be named, the
ONLY essentials, as he saw it, were "a rag, a
bone and a hank Of hair That is to say, any
ogseous framework crowned with flamentous
ibers Of any color and clothed in anything that
ran be called a garment is as close desc1p-
ton OF vampire as he considers it expedient
to make.
While fully sympathetic, therefore, with the
aim Of this excellent jurist and appreciative of
his efforts to protect his sex from wiles and
guiIes, allurrnents and entangling alliances,
there will be feeling that more experienced
and sagacious judge would have been less spe-
cifc in his Characterization. For a rule to be
of general application must be general in its
statements and judicial finding or obiter die.
turn is much like a league Of nations in this,
that the less there is OF it the fewer loopholes
II leaves and the more effective it will be to the
end in view.
Il.