The Sun and the New York herald., 1920-04-19
VICE RAIDERS
3OOIN NET
IN BRIDGEPORT
Big Force of Burns Men
Batters Entrance Into %
Infamous Resorts.
PANIC In UNDERWORLD
Mayor Wilson Ignores Reg
ular Police, Who Are SuS-
pected of Alliance.
VICIOUS FOLK LEAVE CITY
Toll Paid by Women, Gam
blers and Crooks to Ring
of Crime Protectors.
VICIOUS FOLK LEAVE CITY

b. c S!aF Correspondent Of THE- srN AND
New YoRK HERALD
BRIDGEPORT. April 1S.--An exodus Of
large proportions has begun in Bridge
port as a result Of the vice raids here
last night. when Burns detectives, act
ing under the authority OF Mayor Cliff
ford p. Wilson who also is Lieutenant
Governor of Connecticut, raided twen-
ty-two disreputable resorts and ar
rested more tkan 800 men and women.
Fearing that the detectives might
again swoop down upon the dives,
those who escaped the dragnet have
been piling all day onto trains for New
York, Boston and Philadelphia, leaving
behind them not only their easy pick
ings," but in many instances their per-
sonal belongings and property. 1t was
said tonight that there are not now
one-thrd as many disreputable char
acters in Bridgeport as there were yes
terday before the raids began.
Mayor Wilson. in conjunction with
the Board on Police Commissioners,
went over the heads of the police in
ordering the raids, and there were
many rumors afloat to-day regarding
his next action. 1t is generally pre-
dicted that it will very closely concern
the police, but he has not yet given
any inkling of what he intends to do.
He held n long conference this after
noon with j. c. Stanley, head Of the
Board of Police Commissioners, but the
result was not made public.
Vice Handled as a Business.
The Burns detectives declared to-hight
that their investigation has shown that
vice in Bridgeport has been handled ss
a big paying proposition. with women OF
the streets, gamblers and other charac-
ters paying tolls to the men on the
inside, and In some instances, TO the
authorities. for protection.
The most startled men In all OF
Bridgeport we're the ESQ policemen, be-
cause from Supt. John H. Redgate
down they knew nothing whatever Of
the raids until the Burns operatives be-
gan knocking down the doors of
gambling houses and disreputable resorts
under the direction of Allen o. Meyers,
chief operative OF the Burns Agency:
William Marvin, general manager, and
John MacDonough.
Tho Burns men Rad received wide
powers from the Mayor and the Com
missioner of Police. Hero is one para
graph OF letter. signed by Commits
siorsr J. c. Stanley. which every raider
carried in his pocket:
Police officials and officers are to az
sist him In the performance of his par
ticular duty when called upon to do so,
and any officer in the city of Bridgeport,
no matter what his rank. who may in
terfere with the above officer in the per-
formance Of his duty Is hereby sus-
pended"
Each Of the Burns operatives wore un-
der the lapel of his coat the badge of a
special deputy sheriff, and none of them
was interfered with by the regular
Bridgeport police. They battered down
doors. subdued frightened inmates and
frequenters of the resorts with guns or
with their fists, and in many instances
uniformed policemen stood BY watching, !
without lending a hand to either side.
Burns Men Accuse Police.
The Burns men said they learned that
some twelve or fifteen of the city's DO |;
lice have been paid for protection and
also that so per cent. of the earnings Of |
women in the resorts was taken from
them by members of the "vico ring" |
The raiders said tonight that they |
not only found gambling dens in full !
blast with crooked roulette wheels !
marked cards and loaded dice, but that !
they found also apparatus for manufac- !
turing these things.
Mayor Wilson said to-day that he be- |
lieved the raids were a good step to. !
ward cleaning the city, but, he added |
that the only reason twice as s-any /
places were not raided was that he |
found 1t impossible to get enough de-
tectives TO do the work. /;
For some time have not liked the
manner In which vice ran loose in this |
city," said the Mayor. "I do not like |
to say that It was organized but there !
was condition which felt must i
do away with. Ny orders were disre- |
garded and | was compelled 10 act
without the knowledge of the police, the
of whom I believe are honest
I think Bridgeport will have a better
reputation In the future
One of the reasons why the Arayor
decided to go over the heads OF the
police was that no attention was paid tn
an anonymous letter giving the names OF
uty 0vyners NJ disrpntta hla rocort,