Imperial Valley press., 1920-01-26

silver cashing in for the crowd.
The Hotel De Luxe. Los Angeles
rooming house, The Russell house and
several smaller places.
Justice of the Peace Isaac Mayfeld
issued 175 warrants, nine of them
search warrants and 166 for individuals.
Most of the warrants were for John and
Mary Doe.
Nine Search Warrants
| This morning District Attorney
Simon issued a warrant charging Bob
Davis, of the King Cotton hotel in I'm.
perial with knowingly having a house
where gambling games We're carried
| on.
Search warrants We're issued for the
l following: CaleXico-John Lofts negro
cabaret. Las Palmas rooming house,
Angeles room house, Hotel De Luxe.
mperial-Shortarm Edwards and Sill
Stewards cabaret, on east side; King
i Cotton hotel. Ell Centro-Nalley Cafe
and Gene Hudson's place. The officers
We're instructed to search for gambling
! paraphenalia, narcotics and liquor un-
! der the search warrants.
Holtville and Brawley were given a
|
torney who states that his investigators
had trailed officers in both towns for
hours at time and found them to be
very efficient in running prostitutes out
OF town.
Prostitution Conditions Rotten
After the raid the district attorney
issued the following statement:
About a month ago my attention
was directed to the alleged gambling
and commercialized prostitution thru
out the county. l caused thorough in
Investigation to be made, which has re-
| suited in the raids of last night, under
the direction Of Sheriff Applestill and
and myself.
Il find conditions in Holtville and
| Brawley to be good. and the cities clean,
| the city marshals Of those two cities not
| permitting gambling or prostitution to
| get a foot hold.
Conditions in Calexico. Ell Centre
and Imperial along the lines of gamb-
| ling and commercialized prostitution
| are rotten to the extreme, and wide
| open gambling houses have been per-
mitted to run in those cities, and the po-
| lice of those three cities have either
been unable Or have utterly failed, to
do their duty. This investigation has re-
vealed official corruption and graft
| among some of the police of the Valley.
an dthis evidence in my possession will
be laid before the grand jury at its
meeting next Monday.
Il want to go on record right now
| that those conditions shall not exist so
| long as l am district attorney; that the
people of this country are entitled to a
| decent community to live in in order
that their sons and daughters may be
protected"
Officers Ignorant
Even the officers were unaware of
what was being planned. Chiefs Of the
police in Imperial, Ell Centre and Calex
leo were entirely ignorant even when
the raids were in progress.
Members of the Gheriff's force were
not informed until ten minutes before
the raids were ordered Of what was 60
ing to take place and when they were
told of their destination, SO close was
the cloak of secrecy thrown about the
entire affair.
ut was necessary to go above the
heads of the local officers" said the dis
trict attorney this morning, because
they were either inefficient or crooked"
Act on Evidence
In answering tho charge il the dis
trict attorney and the sheriff were
aware that gambling was going on
why were tho raids not instituted long
ago. Mr.. Simon said;
''The district attorneys Office cannot
act until evidence is placed before it. It
is not the duty of the Office to independ-
emily gather evidence unless complaints
are made. 1t is likewise not the duty
of the Office to maintain a constant sup
ervision over police officers. The sheriff
is not entrusted with the policing of
cities, where there are local police
forces which are supposed to maintain
law and order. Citizens of the Valley,
who are l believe members Of the Com
mittee Of 100 placed certain evidence
before me and this Office Immediately
secured Los Angeles Officers who have
secured \ mass Of evidence which will
go before the grand jury.
Cost Nothing
'The investigations have not cost pa
triotic citizens one cent, individually all
expense has been borne by the county
am astounded at the lawbreaking
which has been going on under the very
noses OF the local police officers"
The secrecy with which the raids
were planned was nearly absolute. 1t
was not such however that tho news.
papers did not know what was going on
for vague hints have been dropped sew.
eral times during the past three weeks.
The Committee OF 100. as it is now
known, has been very active during
the preliminary work, in aiding the in
vestigators i'm securing evidence.
Grand Jury Convenes
The grand jury convened today to
hear evidence presented by the district
attorney and several Of the investiga-
tors. j. III. Hermon Is foreman and l..
II. Sergeant is secretary.
Mr.. Simon and other witnesses were
before the jury q large share Of the af
ternoon.
IL 4. said that II will be almost i'm
possible for a large number Of those ar