"A savage hand-to-hand struggle took place, in which furniture was
broken, the policeman badly injured and two of the volunteers
knocked out. Armstrong was finally subdued, however, by the
jiu-jitsu method, in which Duffey is an expert, and was lodged in
the Central Station, together with the woman.
"According to her statement, the man, Armstrong, had not only been
guilty of grossly immoral practices with her, but had also been
trying to force her to share with him the proceeds of her life of
shame, thus making out against him a clear case under the Mann
White-Slave Traffic law. She has material evidence of this
fact--money which he had given her, to finance her till she could
begin bringing in revenue to him, and also his name and address,
written by his own hand. A significant fact is that the address
given by this white slaver is Socialist headquarters, in Chicago.
The police are now working on the theory that the entire Socialist
organization is honeycombed with this traffic, and that the
Socialist movement is only a blind to cover a wholesale
distribution of women for immoral purposes. Drastic Federal action
against the Socialist Party is now being considered.
"Still further and more sensational facts are expected to develop
at the preliminary hearing, which will take place tomorrow morning.
In case Armstrong is bound over to the Grand Jury, and convicted,
he may get a heavy fine and as much as five years in a Federal
penitentiary. He is described as being a surly, low type, reticent
and vindictive, of vicious characteristics and mentally defective.
The local Socialists have already taken up arms in his defense, as
was to be expected.
"Interest is added to the case by the fact that Armstrong is known
to be the man who, at the time of the recent automobile accident to
Miss Catherine Flint--daughter of Isaac Flint, of Englewood,
N. J.--gave the alarm. A theory is now being formed that he
was, in some way, involved in a plot with Miss Flint's chauffeur to
wreck the machine and share a big reward for rescuing the girl. The
plot, however, evidently miscarried, for the chauffeur was killed,
and Armstrong, after giving the alarm, feared to divulge his
identity but fled in disguise.
"Public interest is greatly aroused in this matter. And if, as now
seems positively certain, this arrest and forthcoming conviction
break up the vicious white-slave gang for some time operating in
Rochester and Ontario Beach, the public will have a still greater
debt of gratitude toward the Purity League, the Vice Squad and the
untiring efforts and bravery of Sergeant Duffey."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account