Chicago Tribune
HEALY JOINS IN WAR ON VICE
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Prosecutor Goes after Owners of Property Used Improperly
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SENDS WARNING NOTICES.
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Law and Order League to Scour Entire City.
Arthur Burrage Farwell and the Chicago Law and Order league have received offers of powerful aid in the league’s crusade against owners of property used for improper purposes, and are taking in the entire city in the new campaign.
State’s Attorney John J. Healy has volunteered his services and offers to prosecute all cases where sufficient evidence is submitted by the league. He has sent out several hundred blanks, which will be presented to owners of property complained against. If the warning contained in the notice is not heeded prosecution by the state’s attorney will follow.
Notice Warns Property Owners.
The blank notice to the owner reads as follows:
Complaint has been made that persons residing in certain premises — to wit (house, flat, room) numbered and known as — — street, Chicago, Cook county, Ill., are maintaining and keeping as a house of ill fame or place for the practice of prostitution or lewdness in the said premises, and that on the date hereof the said premises are so maintained and kept by the persons inhabiting or residing in the same.
This communication is to give notice to you as owner of lessor of said premises that said premises are kept and maintained as a house of ill fame or a place for the practice of prostitution or lewdness as above set forth and that as such owner or lessor you are by law held liable for said unlawful use of said premises under and by virtue of the provisions of section 57, chapter 38, Hurd’s Revised Statutes of the State of Illinois, and you are hereby notified and required to immediately cease the use of said premises for said unlawful purposes.
League to Scour City.
Mr. Farwell declares he has evidence against fifty property owners.
"This crusade had been going on for a long time, but it has not been known publicly, as we wished to work in secrecy." he said last night. "We will go ahead and scour the entire city, the segregated district, so-called, as well as every other portion.
"We have discovered disorderly houses and flats in Michigan avenue south of Twenty-second street, in Hubbard court, in Ontario and Erie streets, and in Van Buren street on the west side. We have not found evidence against any place in Kenwood or Hyde Park.
"This segregation is only a farce. The vice extends throughout the city. There are 1,100 of these women in the so-called Twenty-second street levee, I am told by a police officer. The same man tells me there are 1,200 of the women just south of Twenty-second street, or outside of the segregated area.
"Regardless of who owns the property, whether he or he is rich, socially or otherwise prominent, we will proceed if we find his or her property is being used for immoral purposes."
Hunt Active in Hyde Park
Inspector Nicholas Hunt yesterday sent out notices to all the police officers under his jurisdiction to keep a watch for the settlement of the "undesirables" from the Douglas neighborhood in his district. He anticipates the migration of many vicious characters from Thirty-first street to the southern end of the city.
