New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-07-25
NETWORK IN SLICES.
slice VII. MoRr Apocr GAMBLING Housrs

gradually reduced scale until you reach the Five Point
ne,roceuar. with its tallow candle stuck in bottle
IL pine table surrounded by grinning ebony iaccs min
yed with white ones ike the on checker-board
when the fsht RACES hottest These shops may gene
rally be found in top gsrrets back cellars, up blind
alleys and in all sorts Of unexpected places II your
rockets want cleaning out, however, and you do not
readily stumble over OF these dens give the hrst
wetchman sou meet dollar tell him your wants ana
YOU viii be soon provided To gain admission here no
ceremony Is necessary Walk IN without emoarrass-
ueut-vou are sure OF being welcome-that 4, pro
vded Won bring a reasonable amount OF cash with you
Without this YOU would be ike Grmalkin without
claws IN a place where the thermometer seldom gets
below spirits boil
The room Is small dmly GIFTED and meanly furnish
ed and around the table gathered group OF men
In whom all the higher and nooer attributes OF human
~ are wanting and whose fierce eyes and savage faces
are lii up with the diaboca expression OF Intense
and utter selhshness Not redeeuins ray Of suPe
ror intelligence or feeling CLEANS athwart those
hateful and revolving countenances The believer IN
human nature has here his oen creed put TO the
severest test There is not a in the company who
does not appear capable OF every crime and the only
evidence Of humanity Is an expression Of superoruia
cunning rendering them as dangerous OF executing
their schemes against society reckless IN conceving
them.
Gambling is the synthesis OF crime-and includes
within itself the spirit Of fraud then, robbery and
murder The protested gambler ia the most enor-
nous pest ever engendered by a monstrous society
and the neophyte or the weladvanced disciple ia dan
gerous and sbhorrent In the exact degree OF his pro
gress toward the finished sportsman. To the gambler
such other crimes as seduction l5ernism and swind.
Ing are mere amusement and lesureplay. All alice
tons and noble instincts, all honor and just ambition
in him are extinguished by frocous insanity for
money as insa,.able and ungoyernable IS the dc
sres of maniac the fury Of beast Men who have
fallen under the control OF this horrd vice should IN
questonsbly be treated the most dangerous OF mad
men, and should be securely confined out Of the reach
OF society
In order TO decoy victims into their snares the gam.
blers have regular system Of police established upon
all newcomers to the City, whose business it 10 10
watch the arrivals at the hotels and ascertain who
among them are likely subjects to be operated upon.
The spies employed in this business are often men Of
considerable address and make asshy gentee appear.
snce very impressive and taking with greenhorns.-
The principal means OF leading strangers into the trsp
are an introduction TO the innumersble houses Of i'll
fame the inmates Of all Of which connected with
one or the other OF the gambling houses. The decoy
knows how 10 make himself agreeable to the stranger
points out the various curosies Of the City, supplies
him with information respecting the various localities
tells him where the PostOfhce, the Exchange, the
Custom. House, sc &C can be iound-and makes him
self useful in variety Of ways AZ evening they adj
journ to the bar-fortify themselves with ulep-snd
by the time it is scientifically mbibed Mr. GREENHoRS
Is ripe for anything. walk is proposed and in the
course of lounge In the Battery a saunter up Broad
way the City gentleman meets a female acquaintance
spendidly dressed and uncOmmonly socisble-and
descending. Mr. GREESHoRN is at once introduced
and the lady politely invites both gentlemen to call
round in the course Of the evening and her The
countryman Is delighted with such unusual exhibi.
ton Of hospitality. and begins to thinks NewYork a
eee the cu,est place anywhere this side Of shutdown.
Once fdry in the harots den, and bis tate is sealed
Bewldered with the sirangeness Of all he sees and
hears overcome By aatery and attentions he does not
refuse a glass Of champagne which is drugged with
small quantity Of morphine just enough 10 inspire self
confidence and audacity and the spy finds difficulty
in leading a willing victim to the gambling house,
where he is scientifically plucked and left 70 make his
way to his hotel ruined, miserable man.
Going still another step downward in researches,
we come upon the penny poker dens Of the thieves
and groes of the Five Points and other similar local.
ties These are indescribsbly hlthy and abominsble
holes into which with healthy lungs might pene-
trate with about as much safety he would 60 down
well with an air damp the bottom. Here the various
grades OF small thieves and pckpockets may be seen
huddled together over dark table shutting pack OF
greasy and WORKOUT cards drinking vlainous brandy
and hre.new whlsky-swearIng. quarre.ins, sighting.
and making the reeking air thick with olasphemy-
! In these dens men and women are Unfortunately
mingled-and such men but more especially suen
women The Enemy Of Mankind could not possibly
desire more htting and accomplished instruments 10
perform al his dirtest JOBS upon earth Here the
striking characteristics OF gambling house GROCERY
and brothel are brought N the strongest relief Who
ever glances at one OF these mas indehby stamp
ed upon his brain picture Of human degradation
which the most vivid Imagination would attempt IN vain
10 conceive In going about the City IN preparing 10
discharge task such we have undertaken and e@
ploring the mysteries Of these vsrtaoe internal re-
gioas one no longer wonders at the amount and ire
quency Of crime. he only Is astonished that II Is not
an hundred times great
We have limited thar the gambling houses OF al
grades were well known 70 the Police, and We now re-
peat that there not o,er nor policeman N me
City who does n know one OF more OF these places
and has his possession positive evidence Of ihe'
true character Wen then why are they not suppress
ed and their keepers punished according 10 aw son
and fair nv good friend II we could answer that
question that the people could see exactly IS i Is
We could revogtonize society and reform the world
We may say in general terms, that al these establish
menis contain or control rolsiae whole end aim and
means Of ofice holders and politicians There is,
doubtless an immense amount OF private bribery Of
orsTs BY the keepers OF these and other unlswfa IS
adjustments. But tie grea, thing Is votes 60 long AZ
the party in poWs. can rnsinAln the ascendensy by
w.nking =; hundred and fifty notorious gambling
houses keeping dark about ffteen hundred public
brothss sni licensing two thousand superaaous grog
CERES long shA. look in vain for any thorough
radical and all embracing system Of municipal reform
commended for the benefit Of the people and carried
on, in complete good faith and honor.
q How would the reader now Ike 70 be
taken 10 the Tlsatsri" We reserve this ior
tie next Si..