Judge Pronounces Sentence

The Daily Register, January 30, 1905

Judge Pronounces Sentence of Twenty-Five Dollars Fine on Keepers of Disorderly Houses Who Were Indicted by the Last Grand Jury.

Six landladies of as many houses of ill fame, operating within the limits of the city of Marietta, were arraigned in the Court of Common Pleas, today, to answer to indictments returned by the recent grand jury.  Their names are:  Katherine Rhand, alias Lucy Lee, Anna Slack, Blanche Wells, Rose McCool, alias Agnes Martin, Mary Pratt, alias Mary Schneider, and Angenora Robinson.

Each of them pleaded guilty to the indictment, after which, Prosecutor Sheldon stated that they had been called before the grand jury on the last day of the session after their names had been handed to him by two of the jurors.  He went on to state that the city administration has formed an ordinance whereby a district physician shall examine the inmates of such houses at least twice each week, assessing a tax of one dollar per inmate for each visit, virtually making a license fee of eight dollars per month for each inmate of the various houses in the city.

In passing on the case Judge Jones stated that the statutes of Ohio in no way permit of such a license.  The mayor of the city of Marietta has no right to license any person to break the laws.  He thought it out of place for such cases to be brought into his court when the laws provide that the local courts can handle them.  He further said that if the people see fit to elect to office a mayor who will wink at the laws instead of enforcing them they should take the consequences.

He said he recognized the fact that the prisoners have been in a way, imposed upon by the license or examination fee law, and this being their first appearance in his court he was lenient with them, assessing a fine of twenty-five dollars and coasts in each case.  All of the fines were paid and the prisoners were discharged.