Imperial Valley press., 1920-01-28
SUPPORT IS
PLEDGED FOR
BIG COUNTY
CLEAN Up
Committee of One Hundred
Pledge Themselves to Back
County Officers in Vice Crus-
ade. Money Raised to Carry
on Campaign.

The meeting called by the Committee
of One Hundred at the Central Union
high school auditorium last evening,
for the purpose of protesting against
existing vice conditions was attended
by hundreds of citizens from all parts
of the Valley.
DIR. w. 0. Johnson, farm advisor, pre-
sided. In opening the session DIR. John
son briefly expressed the purpose of
the meeting and stated that nomina-
tions for chairman were in order. l..
j. Thomas of Imperial was. selected.
Mr.. Thomas created a laugh by say
ing that his selection as chairman was
no doubt due to the fact that Imperial
deserved recognition because of the
vast population it had added to the en-
virons of Ell Centro-referring to those
in Jail.
The chairman called upon Dan Oak
ley of Holtville. Mr.. Oakley said he
was certainly glad that Holtville was
not as bad as CaleXico, that Holtville
could be better, and he was going to
see that it was improved He wanted
a law passed that would make it un-
necessary for citizens to endanger
their lives by facing armed ruffians
such as they captured and disarmed
Saturday night.
Mr.. Patchell of Calipatria talked on
the necessity of public and moral sup
port of conscientious officers upon
whom devolved the onerous duty Of
arresting criminals who We're more
than in all his travels he never saw
diseased than criminal He asserted
Ill n,fs
to the population than Imperial valley.
Ira Harris rancher Of Imperial,
spoke from the standpoint of a farmer
and told of the effect the Imperial
dives had on the young men who work
ed. They We're continually broke after
visiting town. He accused the drys of
going to sleep every time they won a
fight while the vets We're continually
active. He said the prosecution should
extend to the very limit, no matter
whom it involved.
I'll. B. Griffin of Brawley eXulted in
the clean bill of health given by the
district attorneys investigation and
said it was simply and solely because
they had good marshal, a good pO-
lice commissioner and good city
judge. He stood for full enforcement
of the laws, no matter who was impli.
Gated.
DR.. Johnson gave some detailed
facts, intimating that the most revolt
ing practices We're found in Calipatria,
Imperial and CaleXico, practices impos-
sible to describe in print, involving per-
verted practices between men and boys,
between white men and negro women
and between negro men, Hindus, Japs.
MeXicans and white women. He said
there were eight houses of prostitution
in CaleXico and several rooming houses
where boys and girls went as man and
wife. He asserted that the evidence
would close the places up for a year
and that this would certainly be done.
He named the Owl Cafe in Imperial as
a resort of the lowest character and
said that the King Cotton hotel. Bot
Davis place. was one of the lowest
dives ever permitted to exist anywhere
He also said that the Imperial officers,
chief of police and his deputies had
been seen time and again in these
places He also told of one of the de
tectives being solicited on the street
one of the girls on one occasion jump
ing on the running board of the cal
and asking the men to visit her.
In El Centro it was found that open
gambling existed across the track ano
that practices in the houses of pros
titution were as bad there as else
where Many youths from white r
Centre families were known to visit
these places.
DIR. Johnson gave these figures:
Total arrests made, 16S; womer
charged as prostitutes, "a; men charged
with pandering for prostitutes, as; mer
charged with gambling. 43; proprietors
of houses of i'll fame, 16. The remain
der were visitors in the places raided
Fifty-five slot machines and world OF
tables, chips and other evidences are In
the possession Of the officers =
J. r. Collins, colored, made a fine