The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-02-20
CLOSE DOWN TIA
JUANA RESORTS
IN VICE DRIVE
Rich American Exploit
ers Are Not Disturbed
lspeeIaI to rhe DaIIy w0rkerl

NSPeSldl 10 ne Datiy WorkeF)
TIA JUANA, Mexico, Feb. is - A
general exodus of attendants and en-
ployes of this city's world-famous vice
district was in progress all today.
The suicides of two American girls,
Clyde and Audrey Peteet, who to-
gether with their parents snuffed out
their lives in a gas-filled room ten
days ago as the result of criminal at
tacks upon them in Tia Juana, pre-
cipitated this sensational cleanup
Every person here without visible
means of support or who have been
attached to the so and more saloons,
cafes, and dens to be closed, will be
out of the village by nightfall, accord
ing to the declarations of government
officials. A hundred girls, demi-
mondes who danced and drank for
percentage checks, weary looking
women with the rouge scraped from
their faces in last-minute efforts to
approach responsibility; orchestral
players Juggling their silenced Jazz
horns, bartenders, blackjack dealers,
tray boys, swampers, dope fiends, bro
ken soldiers Of fortune, bums,-seldom
has such a picture of the lowest levels
on which our social system rests been
presented to public gaze.
Respectable" Exploiters of Vice
Undisturbed.
Meanwhile the rich Americans who
controlled this city and who have
grown enormously wealthy are not
even mentioned in connection with the
suicides. Several years ago there was
a struggle between two groups of
Californians, one of them a we'll
known gambler and former race track
promoter, for possession of the con-
cessions here. In the conflict several
persons were beaten up, and thous-
ands of dollars spent in bribing Next
can officials.
The tremendous income from these
resorts has blocked action on the
numerous protests which at various
times have been made by women's and
civic organizations of southern Cali
fornia. 1t is known that large sums
have been spent by the Tia Juana ring
on the subsidy of politicians, both
Mexican and American, to prevent in
reference with the open and fragrant
traffic in vice. What has existed here
is merely a frank expression Of the
alliance between the public authorities
and their party tools that exists less
openly in every city of any size.
Charges Police Chief Attacked Her.
SAN DIEGO, Cal, Feb. 17-At the
hearing before Coroner Kelly upon
the Peteet suicides, immigration In
spector H. B. Hanna reeounted the
frantic appeals of Peteet that Ameri.
can officers help to rescue his daugh-
ter Clyde who was drugged and held
prisoner for over IL hours in Tia
Juana. During this time she was as
saulted by her abductor, fought off an
attempt of another hanger-on to at
tack her, and then was assaulted by
third man after having been drugged.
Audrey, her sister, who was 10 years
old, told American officers that when
she came to her senses after having
been drugged and carried away, she
was being assaulted by Zenadois
Llanos. Llanos was the chief of po-
lice in Tia Juana. He has since been
deposed and is being held for trial
across the border. Llanos has admit
ted that he was with the two girls on
their visit to Tia Juana. He claims
in a public statement to be innocent
of the attack.