Vagrancy Laws and the Expulsion of 'Undesirables'
Two women appearing in police court are fined and banished from the city under the guise of public morals.
No time was wasted in police court yesterday afternoon on the case of Lena Smith, colored, and Babe Bartlett, white, both notorious women of the underworld. After a brief summary of facts in the case, Judge Arntson fined the women $50 each, ordered them out of town, and told them that if they ever appeared before him again the fine would be $100. The women were accused of stealing a suit of clothes and about $80 in money.
“Judge Arntson fined the women $50 each, ordered them out of town, and told them that if they ever appeared before him again the fine would be $100.”
This reflects the era's practice of 'banishment' as a standard policing tool for controlling marginalized populations and enforcing local moral codes, a practice that highlights the lack of due process for those categorized as 'notorious.'
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