Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1920-02-24
VICE DEN RA|DED.
ON LAST SATURDAY
by Representatives Of the Sheriffs Of
flee. City Police Department, and
the Department Of Justice.
FOUND THE JOY "UNREFINED"
George Hicks and Wife (Colored) and
Several Other Persons are. Con-
sequenily, "In Bad" All Around.

Turn out de lights an shet de do "
said George Hicks (colored) when rep
resentatives Of the sheriff's office, de-
partment OF justice and the city of
Deming burst into, the disorderly house
conducted by the negro north of the
railroad tracks In, what was formerly
know. as "the restricted district" In
spite of the precaution, Hicks and his
worthy spouse languish in the county
prison.
And Hicks has yet 10 settle with
Uncle Sam who probably will charge
him and his wife with the illegal sale
Of narcotics. At least he is being held
together with Mildred Hawkins (col-
Ored), an inmate of his place who was
taken in the net Saturday night, and
Abner Smith (white), denizen of the
resort arrested last night. IL was the
hardest kind Of i'll luck that took ~
Chavez TO the Hicks place last Satur-
day night with his jitney and, It Is
alleged, pint Of White Mule whlskey
under the seat Chavez was ar
raigned this afternoon before U. $.
Commissioner Il. Y. McKeyes and was
bound over to the T. s. grand Jury un.
der bond OF $3.50. Two Mexican girls
were arrested In the raid of Saturday
night and were tEied this afternoon in
the jusdce court Of G. G. Rogers Both
are charged with being inmates Of II
Gisorlerly house.
one of the girls, Elisio Martinez will
he investigated by the special agent of
the department of justice here for de.
portation proceedings.
Hicks and his wife pleaded guilty to
conducting house of prostitution and
were each fined $50 and costs and Civ
on 60 days In JAIL the Jail sentence he.
ing suspended during good behavior.
They are still In Jail. The Martinez
woman and Maria Garcia, her com
paion pleaded not guilty t6 charge
of prostitution but after due trial were
adjudgcd guilty and fined $50 and
cost each with 60 days I'm jail, the jail
sentence being suspended. The Garcln
wOman's fine was reduced to $50 at
the instance of friends aud on payment
was liberated.
When the officers broke into the
Hicks place, they found things going
big. Besides the inmates there were
possibly score or more of patients Of
the Public Health Service hospital at
Camp Cody and possibly some soldiers
from Columbus The electric piano
was doing its best and the joy was,
10 say the least, "unrefined," with lots
of cheering drinks and suspicion of
hop. The place was built originally
for the purpose for which it was
lafn,s ttgn1 ttTifI N lo fAta
and long hall leading therefrom with
doors to right and left The kitchen
was In a separate building. The build
ing is typical of several in the same vi
cinity and was constructed in that dark
age when Deming legaliZed just such
places and reduced taxes from the rev.
enue collected Even then Deming was
called clean" But that was before
Uncle Sam became missionary and
sent out his agents TO break up the
business Of many respectable citizens
by the simple process of sending the
highet-ups TO prison and scattering
the unfortmates from whom the blood
money was wrung The tribe had we'll
nigh disappeared from Deming, but
Hicks and few of his sympathizers
VIGOROUSLY survived and they are al
ways ready TO reassert themselves If
but slightly encouraged.
When the Public Health Service took
over the old base hospital at Camp
Cody, Hicks and his ilk felt in luck,
for here were victims easily influenced
by crude vice owing 10 infirmitles
Business picked right up and it is al
legged that LEVIED women and grafters
are making this sort Of Mecca.
Bootlegging was dangerous but remun-
erbtiye. Jltney drivers joined the vic
ions combination and have been en-
gagged in hauling patients to and from
the dens Of iniquity. Their signalling
can he observed the vicinity Of the
hospital after nightfall. Also, the de-
partment of justice agent here hints
very broadly that some respectable
Deming citizens are either engaged In
the unholy traffice or are sympathiz
ing with the law breakers. At least
bond seems very easy for those arrest
ed to secure. 1t is thought that there
are one or two other places in the city, !
but nothing as raw" as the Hicks
joint.
The officers who made the raid Sat
urlay night did not disturb the men
from the hospital feeling that their
condition of mind and body required
more adequate protection for them.
In fact the raid Saturday night is the
first Of series beginning general
clean up OF the city in cooperation with
the efforts OF the hospital authorities
to suppress threatened wave Of vice
that, when well started, is hard indeed
TO suppress IL Is thought that the raid
of Saturday night has nipped in the
bud what looked like the beginning Of
an organization designed to traffic In
all kinds OF crude vice, pandering- TO
the distempered passions Of men whose
hlood is afire with the terrible effects /
Of tuberculosis. Allowed their own
will. Il is readily seen that, with 1900
men in the hospital the revenues Of
unrestricted vice would be very large.