Chicago Tribune
FIRST VICE ZONE INDICTMENT
HITS FARRIS AND WIFE
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Owner of New Central Hotel Named in a True Bill.
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The first indictments under the "government’s "vice zone" law were returned yesterday. Joseph Farris and his wife, Mathilda, owners of the New Central Hotel, 35 South Clark Street, being named. This hotel was the first to be raided, and has long been spoken of as "protected."
The indictments were returned before Federal Judge Carpenter of the United States District court, in the absence of Judge Landis, who has been recently handling the criminal docket.
Hendricks In Again
Jacob Hendricks, former Aurora constable, is also named on the list of true bills. Jacob, apparently spent the most of his time of late getting into or out of trouble. The indictment charges him with using the mails to conduct a lottery, but he has been arrested since then on a charge of concealing liquor to evade the internal revenue tax.
Much of Hendrick’s annoyance and some of his arrests came from alleged anti-American utterances. During the heydey of the attacks by the Republican, Thompson city hall organ, upon the draft he was "roughly handled" in Aurora for his activities as a circulator of that sheet.
Among other indictments are:
These on the List.
Florence White, former postmistress, Franklin Park, charging theft of $1,020 from the mails; Frank Rafferty, Bruno Benucci, and James W. Boyle, theft of army goods from cars; William J. Brusek, John Ripel, James H. Coleman, Block Payne, F. W. Riffe, and Robert Lewis, theft from the mails; Walter E. Goulding, forging postal money orders; Francis Giroalo, mailing obscene matter; Randolph Johnson, Benjamin Levin, and Clarence M. Andgren, draft evasion; Edward C. Wooddell and Arthur Vitez, using the mails to defraud; Hattie Burdette, selling liquor to soldiers and sailors in uniform.
Military Guard Perils Saloons.
Yesterday three employés of the quartermaster’s depot filed an affidavit with the department of justice charging that John Libussiwski, proprietor of the saloon at Thirty-ninth street and Ashland avenue, had refused to sell them soup, and when they explained that they were employés of the quartermaster’s depot had said, "Damn the United States government."
Col. A. D. Kniskern, the depot quartermaster, has hesitated about asking that the saloons be closed in the central manufacturing and stockyards district. He has said that if the saloon-keepers didn’t sell liquor to soldiers he would meet them half way.
Company M of the Fortieth infantry is now doing guard duty at the depot. More troops are expected when the new warehouses are completed.
Saloons at Cicero may be affected by bringing infantry companies from Fort Sheridan to guard the goods stored at the Hawthorne racetrack.
Federal officers yesterday raided the homes of Cordelia Butler in the 4900 block of Wabash avenue; Miss Bert Evans, in Jackson boulevard; and Mrs. Rose Luke in Ogden avenue. Investigators for the Committee of Fifteen presented evidence to the department of Justice that liquor was begin sold at these houses without a government license, Supt. Thrasher of the committee said last night. The women are held to the United States commissioner.
