THE "VICE SQUAD."

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3517, 1 July 1920, Page 7

THE "VICE SQUAD."

CHANGES OF POLICE BLACKMAIL. WOMAN'S HARROWING PERSECUTION. The Rev. Josiah Straton, pastor of the fashionable Calvary Baptist Church in Now York, lias become one of the chief figures in a controversy between the police and the Public Prosecutor on the vicious conditions of New York City. In a widely advertised sermon, Mr Straton told in graphic detail of visits by himself and friends to well-known dancing halls and cabarets, frequented by women of the underworld, where liquor flowed freely despite the Prohibition restrictions.

Mr Straton-'s description of existing conditions, and his allegations of police protection purchased ;on a basis of monthly payment, made, he says, on information gathered from women. caused a great stir, coming during the white heat of a controversy already threatening to shake the present Tammany Hall city administration to its foundations. The pastor's charges that in Hie few dancing hails he visited he found mor-c young men and women, than in all the churches in. Xew York are calculated to focus the attention of other clergy on these conditions. Nothing approaching the outspoken charges of Mr Straton has been heard from a New York pulpit since the sermans many years ago of Dr. Charles H. Parkhurst, which resulted in itii investigation of the New York Police Department and the conviction of many men high in its organisation. Mr Straton condemned in scathingterms modern dances, the dress styles of women, and the practices of the socalled hostesses at the dancing halls, whom he charged with being aetually procurers for wealthy patrons willing to pay. He said that he had no diflv

culty in places, whilfflKie"' visited in evening' clothes guidance of a, chauffeur, who. afl|p as sponsor with the doorman, arranging that the clergyman's party yshould be entertained "properly." %.t one place Mr Straton said the bill ?sor one round of seven Scotch whiskies served to his party was nearly ||| of which women who had joined the table at the suggestion of the waiter -admitted they would receive a share. As a result of the sermon. Inspector Dominick (Henry, a close friend of the Chief Commissioner of Police, has been indicted by a grand jury for neglect of duty. Inspector Henry ds one of the most prominent figures in the New York police force. He is charged with knowingly permitting 100 disorderly houses to be maintained in his district. In support of the contention that these houses paid for immunity from police interference, the Public Prosecutor has offered evidence showing that Inspector Henry, whose salary is £9OO, deposited more than £IO.OOO with a Wall street firm of brokers recently to gamble on the Stock Exchange. Even more painful is the impression created by the arrest of two detectives serving on the so-called -''vice squad," which had been conducting a series of raids on supposedly disorderly houses. The detectives are charged with perjury. The case against them is based on the evidence of Mrs Lillian |F. Love, wife of a stockbroker. With her husband, Mrs Love occupied a flat in :i fashionable section of the metropolis. Her experiences have been of the most harrowing nature. She was waiting with a friend for the arrival of her husband for dinner when detectives burst into the flat and accused her of obtaining a house of ill-fame. When her husband arrived the detectives informed him that his wife was an immoral women, and pointed to a 20dol. (£5) bank note on the table as proof of their charge. Despite the protests

of the husband, .Mi's Love, who is about to become a mother, was arrested. After her release two days later she returned home, to find that the two policemen were stationed outside the door. Her persecution was carried to such a point that her husband declared that he was unable to obtain admittance to his own flat, and wa s obliged to migrate with his wife across the river and rent another flat in Jersey City.