New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-03-16
PRICE FOUR CENTS.
GAMBLING and PANEL HOUSES

WHO KEEP TIEM-STARTLING INVESTIGATIONS
BY TRIBUNE REPoRTRRs-PANEL THIEvING
--MERCER-ST. At NIGHT-ARREsT OF THE
notwithstanding THE sCENRs IN A PANEL
DOUsE-THE GAME or KESo-How GAM
BLEHS ARE ROBBED-THE POLICE LAWS AND
REGULATIONS.
10 IS now about two years and half since
the respectable citizens OF New-York were startled
ann Mortified by the recals OF Wator-st life which,
the iunment Of painful duty. the Metropolitan Press
were compelled to lay before them. The appeal which
Tue Press then made 10 the public assist IN suppress
ihg such monstrous evil made in vain Largo
sums OF money subscribed 10 help In the la
boTious work OF reforming that Infamous locality Earn
esthearted men threw themselves body and soul into
that struggle with niqty and vice. and as Water
st. and its purlieus still are there has undoubtedly been
large OF reform inaugurated there Strange
to say the leaders Of that army Of vicious men and
women are now nearly all dead or In prison.
and many Of the women who kept the notorious
houses Of prostitution have been persuaded to reform or
abandon their life OF infamy. But It would OPP
pear that as Of old the eye Of respectaby has been
unable TO discover the beam In itself while shrinkingy
contemplating the mote in the eyes Of Its poorer and less
educated neighbors. Uptown there is ample opportu
nifty for the pouring out OF burst Of virtuous ndgna
ton from Canals TO Fortysecondst such as fell upon
unhappy Water5t. Within stones throw OF the dwell
ngs OF wealthy and highlyrespectable persons there
are dens equally nasty and injurious as those
which infest Water-st., and patronlzed by men
Of comparative respectabllity. No street, however
fashionable not of the avenues where the de OF
New York society loves TO eongTgate can boast that H
free from gamblngbOuses and houses OF prostitution
How many blng-hOuses there are, and what ~ tho
amount OF money annually lost and won In then II s
impossible to say but certain statistics, carefully col
ected by trustworthy men from trustworthy sources
disclose the startling fact that Aerc are nearb 1900
prostitutes In New-Y0rk City; that over $40 0o0oO0 l.
invested in of prostitution, and that the annual
Income Of these people is SsOo0ca0 year. There
Is every grade OF both OF these classes OF houses, and
their business IL carried with openness and free
dom from interference the part OF the police which
Is perfectly astounding. Among the worstand tho most
dangerous OF them are the common gambling-houses
where they play keno, aud the houses OF prostitution
known as panelhouSes; for 70 Is in these places that
young men, committing sin, led into the com
mission of another. In them they rhessly robbed,
and only too frequently tempted TO rob others to
make GOOD their loss There the most stringent laws
against these establishments, bat they arc seldom
carried out In fact It openly asserted by numbers
who profess 70 know that the Police regularly receive
sums Of money not to report these houses to the author
ties.
Two members OF THE TRIBUNE stan have been lately
engaged in making investigations into these matters,
and for the Information OF the police authores-that Is
II they are really Of the existence Of these den
they have collected of their combining them
selves to those gambling saloons and panel houses which
are in the immediate vicinity OF police headquarters
houses which should therefore be far easier for tue police
than for them to discover.