New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-08-17
THE POLICY SWINDLERS
ORGANIZATION AND MANNER or CoYDTJcr.
ING THE FRAUD.
WHO SIMMONS AND COMPANY ARR-THRIR ANTE
CEDENTS AND CONNECTIONS IN THIS cry
THEIR RELATIONS TO FORMER Policy N.Y., !,

Frs. r.. .
The arrest Of one Of The firm OF Simuo,,
Co., and tho seizure Of their place Of business or ,
berry, give great hope that tho extensive swipdllp
operations OF the may yet brokon up tb,s
the police show no disposition 10 prosecute the ra.c
engaged in It, The time fixed for the trial OF soyer,
policy who rebelled against tho authority a,
Simmons & CO. u drawing near, and the FIVE hundred
dealers in this city anxious to IL Simmons @,
can condemn az their pleasure and command Judea.
to do their bidding though they Owned The courts a.
| completely they do the police.
VINO SIMMONS a co. ARE
Outside Of the ring there very few even o. policy
dealers, who know the men who form the company Of
which the three brothers Simmons arc ostensiby tia
heads and many OF tho "dealers" and "writers" ara
ignorant OF the individuality OF the three brothers s
mona Co. manage their Affairs with a great deal %
privacy. and far possible keep in aDent DO
| hind the scenes.
| Zachariah Ephraim Simmons and his brothers William
L. and Chester Simmons confidential cleik Of Ben
jamn Wood when he chief manager Of the loterie
When Wood retired from the business, Zachariah Sim
succeeded him, and gave each Of his two broth
large amount of the stock. williauf L. Simmons he
made manager, and Chester superintendent OF tho
business Zlchariah simmons, In the few years during
which he has presided the wheel Of fortune 10 him.
misfortune TO others, has accumulated vast wealth lie
now resides at No. 355 West Twenty-thrdst. drink
| a
His money gained the lotteries, and /. Is said that
no spends 1t lavIshly A dealer remarked. "H you
ever fall in with him, and he is interested in you hen
use money like dirt"
william l.. Simmons stands second TO his brother
Zacharah In point OF authority, and through him
OF the business with city officials il done. He seldom
walks alone, generally having trail OF bodyguards be
hind him. These gentlemen Of pugisic fame, and
among their own GLASS called heeers." being sup
posed at the bidding Of their master to keep mans
heels and trace him long the masters pur
pose This the second brother rc and lives 10 good
style at No. l27 MadisOn-ave
Chester f. simmons was the superintendent at thu
late headquarters No. 272 Bowery seized recently.
He sticks closely 10 business and could have been found
any day at his post watching the movements OF his
clerks Very little known Of him, and he Is not 70
garded IA of much Importance outside OF his executive
position.
The man to whom most nOtOriety il attached in con.
nection with Simmons Co.. after the two brothers hst
named is william Cook. He is the adopted son ds
Bowery tObacconist, and made his d;bW In p0lticalm
as Sixth Ward repeater He found to be an adept.
and was promoted from the ranks 10 the position or
manager of the "repeaters" He went about from poll
to poll introducing and vouching for Illegal voters
Some years ago elected Inspector OF ELECTIONS IN
the Sixth ward and at the election hundreds vi men
were rushed down from the Eighth Ward ana across
from the Tenth Ward 20 vote Bilys" poiingplsee
His success in this business brought him to the notice OF
Iobn Morrissey who placed him in the firm Of Simmons
& Co to represent the great gamblers interest He was
at that time acquainted with superintendent helso ana
when Kelso was appointed superintendent Cook became
n constant visitor at the Mulberryst. oibee. Every
morning Cook chats with Keso on Mulberyst. and IN
the afternoon the two drive together in Cooks park
phaetOn. Cook lives on Thompsonst below Amty' IN
very select style, and it is said, IL worth $1,000
Another notorious member OF the CO." Il Mr.. Andrew
shehan his familiars call him sandy" To this man
history attaches When the fight between Tammany and
the Young Democracy was at its hight. Tweed found
that Andy Shehan could be bought over to Tammany.
and he bought him. shehan had been prize-fghter.
aud Tweed feared personal violence at Albany, and in
addition to buying him away from tile Young Democracy.
the 81 Boss" engaged him special "bodyguard"
Tweed went Albany and Shehan went too; Tweed put
up at the Deayan, and in an ante-room adjoining this
great politicians bedroom slept the puglisto Shehan.
Tweed never during ght between the rival factions
walked the streets OF Albany New-York without his
hired bravo. 80 nervous and cowardly had he become
that when matters had been amicaby arranged be
tween Tammany and its rivals Tweed still kept con
stantly with him the pugilist Shehan. shehan had
served his master faithfully and when Tweed had
further Of protector he placed as the Sachems
sentative in the firm OF Simmons & Co.
These the Policy Managers, and there need be little
wonder at the ease with which they make parsans @
tools of prominent officials
As published in THE TRIBUNE of late date the raid
recently made by superintendent Kelso was merely 70
procure the incarceration OF or two refractory
dealers, and, by holding commitments over them. "a
fighten the into absolute submission TO any order
which Simmons & Co. chose to dictate Before ordering
the RAID William L. Simmons notified to one OF tie def
policy that unless he consented to obey certain
orders which had been issued he would suffer arrest and
imprisonment The dealer threatened to give the police
information of the whole system of robbery. and thui
break up the entire business and visited the superin
info afio
enable him to seize every policy gamDlngroom in the
city including the headquarters No 273 Bowery aud
the two branches of the main Office at no 10 Anst and
No 81 Libertyst but his proposition was not hecdeo
SHAM RAID.
Shortly after this the police raid ordered by william
T. Simmons was made and nearly every policy 10
the city was seized Among those not visited by the po
lice were the headquarters of the lottery business ana
principal office OF simmons & CO., No. 272 Bowery the
branch Office the receipt of the books and money u
downtown agents, No II Annst, and the principal
branch Office No. 81 Liberty-st The once al winch Jus
circulars" at the time OF this raid, were printing was
not included In the list OF seizures Especia "
Simmons & Co. informed In time 10 close 'ne'ro
fces but the men who had deed the managers were ar
rested admitted to bail, and now await trial one VI
the men arrested placed at the bar Of the cour.
| General Sessions and IL Is . fact, known To nan
hundred persons that "Biy" Cook the repeater S'"cA
owner in the lotteries sat in the Office or the
torney ready to aid In the prosecution and sec9 V"'
conviction OF the policy until the Indictment was
pronounced irregul and quashed Simmons & 90 ~ere
ANNOYED at the failure TO secure hasty conviction ny
this means they still hope to carry their Jobs into ell
feet but the outcry against them 50 loud and the eh
posures which now and then greet them are 80 damaging
that is Just possible they may shrk urther puon'
and allow their victims TO escape.
| THE POLICY GAME.
The alabama and Kentucky Lotteries" are the names
OF the policy games from which simmons * Co. nave 10
rived their wealth and through these two lotteries hey
still rob those foolish engough TO put their money ~ne"
no adequate return for it need be expected The Ana
hama Lottery is the one receiving the greater amount
| I'll, ,,a,rorage II was chartered by the Alabana