Chicago Tribune
U.S. IN CHARGE OF WAR ON
VICE; POLICE GIVE AID
Six Test Cases to Decide Fate of Resorts Inside Deadline
The federal government is directly behind the present wholesale vice cleanup in Chicago and is guiding and controlling the attack. This fact became known yesterday when Lieut. W. H. Schoemaker, in charge of the morals squad, took offices in Hinton G. Clabaugh’s suite in the federal building.
Mr. Clabaugh also admitted that the crusade had been brought about by the federal order promulgated Jun. 17, under section 13 of the selective draft act which gives the federal government power to establish zones. The secretary of the navy and the secretary of war, he admitted, are directly behind the action.
Strict enforcement of the order means that a zone with a radius of five miles, with the Northwestern railroad station as its center, and bounded by Thirty-fifth street on the south, Irving Park boulevard on the north, and Kenton avenue on the west, will be swept clean of vice. The Northwestern station is, by the order, held a "naval post" because of the restrooms and headquarters for the jackies maintained there.
Resorts Breed Disease
The campaign is to blot out and destroy breeding places of disease in Chicago which have become a menace to the health of boys in the army and navy. One individual underworld rendezvous, which has made a business of enticing boys from Great Lakes, by the confessions of the boys themselves, originated twenty-five cases of serious disease, it is claimed.
With this menace recognized the cleanup was ordered to stamp out the infected areas and give the young men physical and moral protection. Six test cases are to be brought following the hundreds of arrests made, and on them will hang the fate of all those taken.
Test Cases Selected
Four of these are:
NEW CENTRAL HOTEL, 35 South Clark street, Joseh Farris proprietor. Mrs. Dolly Farris, his wife, and Abe Lobell, clerk, arrested and held under $2,500 bonds. Farris and Decatur Johnson, bellboy, being sought on warrants.
APARTMENT, 119 West Illinois street. Sadie Cumming and Florence Brown arrested, held under $2,500 bond each; taken to county jail.
APARTMENT, 10 West Grand avenue. Florence Wallace and Helen Ferguson arrested, held under $2,500 bond each; taken to count jail.
APARTMENT. 644 North Clark street. Martin Schultz and his wife, Anna, arrested; held under $2,500 bond each; Schultz recently figured in "dope" case and his wife in charges of selling liquor to soldiers.
The penalty, according to government officials, is one year in jail and a fine of $1,000. Charles F. Clyne, U.S. District Attorney, personally took charge of the prosecutions selected the cases to be taken up first, and is prepared to follow out the official orders from Washington.
Women Sent to Jail.
When two or three dozen men and women were order to jail last night there was weeping and wailing and hysterics in the federal building. Government investigators report that in some of the doubtful hotels investigated it was found that "fake baggage" was kept in the offices to be "loaned" to visitors to make them appear as "regular hotel guests."
In one or two of the raids men were taken, it was said last night, who figure prominently in business and have good social connections. It was said that a couple of these men live in the Gold Coast district and will be compelled to act as witnesses.
