No, sir –no front page stories about cupcake stores and other squishy-soft news items like those found in today’s Morning Journal; these news stories from the early years of the 20th Century always seem to be loaded with all sorts of outrageous happenings and criminal mischief, culminating in paddy wagons loaded with Lorainites bound for the hoosegow.
A good example is the large chunk of articles shown above from the front page of the March 2, 1905 Lorain Times-Herald. Being a huge Jack Webb fan, I was naturally interested in the lead story with the heading, DRAGNET SCOOPS IN MANY MORE OFFENDERS.
“Lorain’s crusade against vice proceeds with added momentum as the days and nights go by,” the article began. “Last evening some five or more ‘joints’ were raided and as a result a score or more offenders were raked into the police net.
“Last night’s prizes were on a somewhat higher order – as such things go – than those of the previous evening. The famous Snyder house disgorged a couple of prosperous looking middle-aged damsels upon whose backs were garments that the proudest aristocrat in town could scarcely afford to wear.
“Barnes’ notorious dive was shut up when the officers bobbed in that immediate vicinity. It takes more than a dark front and a locked door, however, to scare out the blue-coats when trouble is afoot. Entrance was effected through a rear door and three or more of the naughty ones were corralled and hauled in to the calaboose.”
The article is somewhat outrageous (by today’s standards) in its reporting of the court proceedings, especially in its description of the women being charged. “Maud Gray, whose peaked face and squinty eyes have many times faced a police judge, was up on the charge of running a dive,” it noted.
"Silks and fine satin arrayed the comely form of the next girl up. Her name was given as Mamie Van Till and she pleaded guilty to the charge of being an inmate to a house of ill-fame. A fine of $15 and costs was assessed.
“Others in the same boat and tagged with the same fine were Anna Jones, a timid one, Rubie La Well, a corpulent blonde, Bessie Williams, uninteresting relic of better days, Anna Myers, a woman, Anna Marshall, Any More? – each $15 and costs.
“Viola Stewart, an old habitue, with blondined blond tresses, formed the first hitch in the proceedings. She claimed to have been “only” working for Mrs. Barnes and entered a plea of not guilty.
“In the “Green Front” establishment run by Rudy Richards, at 114 West Erie avenue, Anna Johnson was captured. She protested innocence, however, and will be tried later.”
Ah, but leave us draw the curtain of charity on those unhappy proceedings and move on to another crime, albeit one you don’t hear too much about these days: stealing chickens.
Under the heading POLICE ARE AFTER CHICKEN THIEVES, the article notes, “Chicken thieves have been operating in the South Lorain district for some time and many people have had their hen roosts robbed. One night, about a week ago, thieves visited the premises of Dan Danewich, who keeps a boarding house on the steel plant premises, and stole from his shed 31 chickens and two ducks.”
Gee, it was always kinda funny when Snuffy Smith was doing it in the comics!
Elsewhere on the page, there's an article about a car crashing into a horse-drawn street car, with the result that the cab driver ended up airborne (for either 20 or 200 feet). The description is pretty colorful, as the article notes, “Horses sprawling on their ears, a hack on its back and a driver, under the ungentle boosts of a street car dash board, flying through the air towards a soft spot near the curb gave to Broadway, between Sixth and Seventh avenues, somewhat the appearance of a two ring circus at half-past eight this morning.”
There’s also an article about the Sherman House, one of the ‘worst resorts in the city,’ going out of business thanks to the ongoing campaign against vice, as well as the account of an Austrian being extradited from Johnstown, Pa., to face charges of running out on some debts he ran up in South Lorain.
Just another day in Lorain, Ohio – March 2, 1905.
Gosh, they had quite a way with words, didn't they! I love these stories.
ReplyDeleteI bet Bessie was furious about her description - "an uninteresting relic of better days"! I'm picturing a Mae West type whipping her frock out of the detectives hands and defiantly marching to the paddy wagon.
ReplyDeleteAt least they (and you) played the bawdy house story over the chicken thieves story. Painted ladies are more fascinating than poultry, then and now.
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