Police Promise Quick Results In Hill Vice Clean-Up Drive

BLACK BUZZ NEWS SERVICE
Robinson & Saunders Archives
The James S. Robinson Project
Pittsburgh PA
October 26, 2010

The article titled Police Promise Quick Results In Hill Vice Clean-Up Drive appeared in The Pittsburgh Courier on June 8, 1946.

Police Promise Quick Results
In Hill Vice Clean-Up Drive

Superintendent of Police Harvey Scott, told the Courier Wednesday the people will soon be able to see some definite action from the police department in cooperation with the citizens' move to " rid the Hill District of wide open vice dens, " which was brought forcibly to the attention of Superintendent Scott and Mayor David L. Lawrence in a hearing Tuesday afternoon.
Representing an aroused public which has become aware of the dire need for immediate curtailment of the rapidly-increasing number of social problems affecting the youth of the community, a group of religious leaders, educators and members of the Parent Teacher Association asked the Mayor and Police department for aid in the "clean-up campaign."
The Rev. Cornell E. Talley, pastor of Central Baptist Church, and George W. Culberson, principal of A. Leo Weil School, served as spokesman for the group which requested: (1) an effective curfew law; (2) more police protection, with beat patrolman at certain sore-spots;" (3) continued campaigns against numbers rackets; (4) closing of houses selling liquor without license; (5) punishment of dealers selling cigarettes and alcohol to teenagers.
MUST PROTECT YOUTH
The Rev. Mr. Talley said: The alarming rate of juvenile delinquency, we admit is due to a great extent to parental neglect, but we know there are some things we cannot do. We have come to you because we are aware of the fact that you have the authority to protect our youth against such conditions.
"We want police in the district to stop some of the wide open gambling; to stop the sale of liquor to boys and girls and to close the numerous rendezvous which encourage youth to lead degenerate lives."
FACTS CITED
Citing the appalling facts about the high rate of delinquency and rapid spread of social diseases, Mr. Culberson told the Mayor: "We need policemen patrolling these streets. We need a curfew law which is effective. We are not proud of the record which shows that 50 per cent of the children in the Hill District come from broken homes, but there are people in the community who do care. This group here represents thousands of the citizens who are willing to cooperate fully with you and the city administration to alleviate some of the degenerating influences which have sent fifty seven out of every thousand children in the Third and Fifth Wards to Juvenile Court during 1945.
Mrs Walter Petty, a member of the Herron Hill Junior High School PTA said police are needed particularly on Herron Avenue. She said, Herron Avenue is one of the worst sore spots in the community. Many of the students of the junior high school have to pass in front of all of those taverns going to and from school.
Mayor Lawrence said he didn't know of there was a law limiting the number of beer gardens in a city block. He said, however, that the prevalence of taprooms in the area was improper" and promised to investigate the matter.
Among the community representatives at the conference were:
J. Allen Figurel, principal of Letache School; Dr. Louis Kolassey, principal of Miller Elementary School; Dr. John Mogart, principal of Herron Hill Junior High School; the Rev. Charles Foggie, pastor of Wesley Center AMEZ Church; Thomas Daly, political leader; James S. Robinson, director of Hill City Municipality.

Blogger Black Buzz notes that many of the bars on Herron Avenue, and throughout the Hill District were owned by Jewish Americans who did not live in said Hill District. Blogger Black Buzz also states that these same Jewish Tavern or Bar owners would not tolerate the number of nuisance bars in their own respective neighborhoods in such communities as Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, Oakland, Highland Park section of the City of Pittsburgh.
Further all of the ministers in the above article lived in the Hill District. Most of today's ministers of Hill District Church Congregations live in such places as North Hills, Penn Hills, Churchill, East Liberty, Wilkins Twp., the South Hills, Bethel Park, Monroeville, Wexford, and other places. So how can these AWOL ministers feel a true connectedness to people in said Hill?
* Rev Talley is the father of my friend George Talley who played the bass fiddle in the Herron Hill Junior High School Orchestra, and they lived on Iowa Street in the Upper Hill.
*Rev. Foggie married my Centre Avenue YMCA swimming teammate ( Milton Swann's) mother, and she was related to one of my other swimming teammates at the Centre Avenue YMCA, and Herron Hill Junior High School (Morris Fountain Jr.). Morris's father, Morris Fountain Sr. owned the famous Fountain Funeral Home on Centre Avenue. Morris Fountain Sr., and Morris Fountain Jr were outstanding swimmers on the Schenley High School swim team.
* Dr. John Morgart was my principal at Herron Hill Junior High School, and he was later replaced by the late Jodie Harris who lived on Ewart Drive in the Hill District.