1914-12-26

“The police morality squad has ignited another fuse – and many are destined to be burned or singed in the forthcoming explosion, according to statements made by officials this morning.”

          Hamilton Spectator.   December 18, 1914.

          Readers of the Hamilton Spectator would surely have widened their eyes, and interest, in a story which appeared on December 18, 1914 in the manner quoted above.

          A young lady, Vera Hamburg, had arrested quietly in several days before the article appeared on an unspecified charge.

While in custody, Miss Hamburg made some statements to the police:

“She is alleged to have given the minions of the law some highly interesting information.

“As a result of this little chat, Deputy Chief Whatley last evening invited Mrs. Olive Lowrey, 20 years of age, 146 James street north, and Annie Murphy, 20 years of age, 52 Vine street, to call at his office.

“They called, gave needed information and were arrested on nominal charges of vagrancy. Later in the evening, the Hamburg girl and the two arrested last night were remanded until tomorrow.” ¹

¹ “Police Take Action in the Hamburg Case : Court Cases to Follow Drugging of Girl : Two Women Placed Under Arrest Last Night : Several Summonses Issued by the Police Today”

Hamilton Spectator. December 18, 1914.

The circumstances of Vera Hamburg were made public for the first time as follows :

“The drugging of Miss Hamburg in a Chinese restaurant brought about a police investigation. An official of the department told the Spectator today that it had been learned that this restaurant was a resort where young men and young girls could meet and arrange engagements.

“The police probed still further, and learned, they claim, that taxicabs were called to the restaurant at all hours of the day and night, and that many merry joy rides were arranged in the restaurant. Two hotels outside the city are alleged to have been the objective points of many of these joy rides.” ¹

Although summonses had been issued, the names of those hotelkeepers and taxi cab owners, were not made public. The police said that some of the summonses had yet to be served and they did not want those charged to first learn of their situation through the newspapers.

The charges were made public. The taxi-cab owners were charged “with allowing unseemly conduct in their vehicles, this being an infraction of the cab bylaw.”¹ As for the hotel proprietors they were “charged with a breach of the hotel act, namely, that they allowed young men and young women to register at their hotels and man and wife, when they knew that they were not wedded.”¹

The original charge that Miss Hamburg faced was the charge of vagrancy but that charge was withdrawn, possibly as a result of the information that she gave the police. Also, Miss Hamburg’s father, a resident of the United States, had communicated with Police Magistrate Jelfs via a long-distance telephone communication. The father had asked if the charge against his daughter would be withdrawn if he came to Hamilton and took her home with me. Magistrate Jelfs agreed to that with the proviso that Miss Hamburg could not leave the city until her duty as a material witness in the upcoming cases against the taxi cab owners and hotel-keepers were completed.

There was more than the usual interest in the proceedings of Hamilton Police court on Saturday December 19, 1914 when Olive Lowery and Annie Murphy appeared to face their vagrancy charges;

“Both were in tears, giving way before the words of the magistrate. The two girls were attired in expensive furs of the latest pattern.

“Both girls pleaded guilty to patronizing fast resorts and associating with strange men. On Monday, along with Vera Hamburg, they will testify against two hotelmen and several taxicab company proprietors.

“The police hope to secure through this case, the removal of the worst dens of iniquity that has existed here.”²

² “Police Promise Big Sensation Monday : Hotelmen, Taxicab Men and Others Will Be Charges With Committing Offences Against Morality, and Girls Will Give Evidence”

Hamilton Herald.  December 19, 1914.

Magistrate Jelfs decided to drop the charges against Olive Lowery and Annie Murphy, as he had done with Vera Hamburg. The girls were allowed to go with their husbands on condition that they return to court to give testimony in the cases against the taxicab owners and hotel proprietors involved in the matter.

The Hamilton Police Court room was packed to the doors on Monday December 21, 1914:

“”Men stood on tables in the corridor to catch a stray word. Only one of the promised charges was dealt with. Otto Obernesser, proprietor of the Melbourne hotel, Dundas, was charged with ‘allowing notorious and well-known bad characters to be in the premises of his hotel.’ ”³

³ “Girls Told Court of Their Escapades : Otto Obernesser, Melbourne Hotel, Dundas, Accused of ‘Allowing Well Known Bad Characters’ To be in His Hotel,’ Pleaded Not Guilty.”

Hamilton Herald.   December 21, 1914.

The Spectator reporter also at the police court that morning commented on the crowding and on the arrival of Vera Hamburg into the court room:

“The court room was jammed to the eaves with men and boys sensationally inclined, and when the Hamburg woman was brought in from the women’s detention room she had to run the gauntlet of a hundred penetrating stares.”⁴

⁴ “Joy Rides to Dundas Told Of By Women : Hotelman From There Is Prosecuted By Police”

Hamilton Spectator.  December 21, 1914.

The Hamilton Herald carried a transcript of much of the pertinent testimony, with the witnesses questioned by Crown Attorney Washington for the prosecution and Attorney C. W. Bell for the defense :

“ ‘I know the Melbourne hotel very well. The last time I was there was a couple of months ago. I first went there less than a year ago,’ said Vera Hamburg, the first witness, evidently having difficulty with her dates.

“ Mr. Washington – ‘How did you happen to go there? Were you invited?’

“Witness was told she need not answer this.

“Mr. Washington – ‘How often have you been there?

“Witness – ‘Two or three times I have been in his rooms.’

“Mr. Washington – ‘Whose rooms?’

“Witness – ‘Mr. Obernesser’s”

“Mr. Bell – “You mean in Mr. Obernesser’s rented rooms, don’t you?’

“Witness – ‘Yes.’

“Mr. Washington – ‘Did you go alone or with a party?’

“Witness – ‘In a party of five or six. Sometimes we started from Moore’s café, sometimes from hotels.”

“Moore’s café is on King William street.

“Mr. Bell didn’t think it was important ‘where’ she started from, but the magistrate ruled that everything must come out which could be brought out.

“Mr. Washington – ‘What did you do and where did you go when you got to the hotel?’

“Witness – ‘We went into the parlor.’

“Mr. Washington – ‘What was going on in the parlor?’

“Witness – ‘Drinking.’

“Mr. Washington – ‘What happened next ?’

“Witness – ‘I can’t tell what happened very clearly, but I remember Mr. Obernsesser rented rooms to me two or three times. She added that she had been there with men and that they didn’t register.’

“Mr. Washington – ‘Did you ever stay overnight?’

“Witness – ‘No. It is a couple of months since I was there.’

“Mr. Washington – ‘Were you not there a week ago?’

“Witness – ‘No; but I was pretty near there. I have not been there since Mr. Obernsesser and I had an argument.’

“The witness with her costly furs wrapped closely about her, and her pale face showing no trace of emotion then stepped down from the box.

“Annie Murphy, another girl, who claimed to have been with Vera Hamburg, when the latter was turned out of the hotel two months ago, then took the stand.

“Mr. Washington – ‘When were you there last?’

“Witness – ‘Last Saturday night, with a party of five. There were two of us girls, two men and the driver of the car. We sat in the parlor, played the piano, had drinks.

“Mr. Washington – ‘And then?’

“Witness – ‘We hired rooms, I don’t remember who did it. None of us stayed overnight.

“Mr. Washington – ‘How long is it since you had a room out there?’

“Witness – ‘Six weeks ago.’

“Mr. Bell – ‘What did you have to drink? Were you able to take care of yourself.’

“Witness – ‘I only had a couple of John Collins.

“Mr. Bell – ‘Do you wear a wedding ring?’

“Witness – ‘Yes.’

“Olive Lowery, dressed in the very latest fashion, then took the stand. She smiled as she took the witness box.

“Mr. Washington – ‘Were you ever out to this hotel?’

“Witness – ‘Oh yes. I have been out there in motor cars, playing the piano, having drinks and renting rooms. I was there two weeks ago for the last time.’

“Mr. Bell – ‘Do you wear a wedding ring?’

“Witness (smiling) –‘Oh, sometimes.’

“Mr. Bell – ‘Did you ever wear it out there?’

“Witness – ‘Rather not.’

“Mr. Bell – ‘Have you been talking over this evidence with Deputy Chief Whatley?’

“Witness – ‘Yes.’

“Magistrate – ‘I object; you seem to bring out the impression that the deputy frightened her to saying this.’

“Mr. Bell – ‘That was not a fair way, to get her in a corner and scare her.’

“F. R. Martin took Mr. Washington’s place at this point.

“Mr. Martin to witness – ‘Were you scared?’

“Witness – ‘He threatened me; yes.”

“This phase of the case was then terminated.” ³

Deputy Chief Whatley would later vehemently deny that he threatened or intimidated Miss Murphy in any way:

“Deputy Chief Whatley, the man behind the police crusade against immorality, declares that the witnesses in the Obernesser case were not only not threatened, but exceptionally well treated, and they said so themselves.

“ ‘I was very careful with these witnesses when they called on me, and at no time were they intimidated They told their stories freely and willingly, and when the interview was at an end, I asked them if they thought they had not been treated fairly. They replied that they thought they had been treated very well. The statement was made in the presence of two constables,’ said the deputy chief. The constables were Chamberlain and Crocker.”

^4.1 “Well Treated : Deputy Chief Denies that the Witnesses Were Threatened.

Hamilton Spectator. December 22, 1914

The next witness was Chief Clark of the Dundas Police department. Chief Clark testified that he had been making a careful study of the taxicab traffic in Dundas.

Chief Clark said that he had become suspicious when cabs were seen waiting outside the hotels long after midnight:

“Two weeks ago, he waited until a party came out of the Melbourne hotel at nearly one o’clock. One of the girls was so ‘full’ she had to be helped. The number of the cab was 1612. ‘It was a busy night for Dundas,’ he said.”³

The final witness of the day was Constable Chamberlain of the Hamilton Police department who told of watching taxicabs, loaded with men and women, leave Moore’s café on King William street. The numbers of some of these cabs were the same as those given by the Dundas police chief.

At this point, Vera Hamburg’s father appeared in the police court. He promised to look after his daughter and was granted permission to take her with him back to the family home in Schenectady, New York State.

Before Magistrate Jelfs dismissed Vera from the court room, he had some words to wisdom for her:

“ ‘And let me give you some good advice. If you ever have a hankering for any more of these so-called good times, don’t come to Canada, and particularly do not come to Hamilton, Ontario. If you do, I’ll put you in a reformatory.’

“Vera threaded her way through the throng of back benchers and left the court room. It’s her last day in Hamilton – the city where she has had an eventful, if not an envious, career.”⁴

At the police court on December 24, 1914, Otto Obernesser, proprietor of the Melbourne hotel in Dundas, plead guilty of the charge “of allowing notoriously bad characters to be on his hotel premises.”⁵

^{5 “}Police to Continue The Clean Up Work : Deputy Chief Whatley Stated That Case Disposed Of Today Was Only the Beginning of Crusade Against Vice in This City”

Hamilton Herald     December 24, 1914

The guilty plea was registered but the magistrate indicated that the fine would not be imposed until the day after Christmas.

On December 26, 1914, Obernesser was again at the Hamilton police court where a fine of thirty dollars was imposed on him.

After court, Deputy Chief Whatley told one of the reporters that the case against Obernesser was a test case, and that there would be more charges against others to be laid in the new year.