National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1872-11-26
GAMBLING.
THE ROBBERS ON SEVENTH STREET

Fatal Dcluslons Of the IGHorant md Super
stItious-stHrvinR Mother- and Children
Robbed OF Their Hnrd-Earncd Money
The SchooIma-ter- In Vice and Deprav-
Hy.
The triple-mAlled hand Of the law has been laid
upon the regular gaming establishments Of this
city with such force a. to almost wholly break
them up. Faro banks In Washington are said to
he few and far between, and business In them IL
prosecuted with all the safeguards and secrecy
that gamblers can throw around them, and TIL
a well-judging community deems to he adylsa BILE
and right, although there are many who think
that gambling houses should he licensed, using
the main argument that some men have natural
and acquired passions for games extra-haEard-
ous, and they will play somewhere and somehow
In violation Of the law.
But while the city guardians are 40 careful Of
the morality aud welI-helnR Of grown and re-
1ponsbe citizens, what shall he said NJ the
wEAENEss or STATUTES
which permits a shameless fraud, shameless
vice, and q shameless robbery TO he carried on
day after day and week after week, right on pub
lie thoroughfares In the open daylight, and under
the very noses Of the Officers OF the law
Yesterday a reporter OF the REPUBLICAN WIS.,
lted the
OAhhINu HklI4
located on Seventh street, No. 9lT, AMI carried on
by men whose antecedents are unknown to this
country, men who have no earthly interests In
Washington, and who are here Tor the sole pur-
pose Of prosecuting their profession as public
robhen. Behind long counter seven or eight
NJ these seli-lmported wretches were stAndin .
holding billiard cues In their hands, and behind
them, fastened to a rack on the walt were sew
eral thousands Of cheap photographs Of every
thing good In heaven, vile on the earth, and
illmy In the "WAtera under the earth" Pictures
Of saints and angels; pictures Of all the Indel-
cate fancles Of heather painters anl sculptnrs;
pictures OF Josie Mansfield AMI all the lona Grim
Son train OF American and European courteEAnS;
pictures Of the proprietora amt other thieves, Of
actors, politicians and ministers, and all OF them
Of the modest description AMI cheapest hnish,
purchased originally, without doubt, by the cord,
and at merely a nominal cost. within the store
and before these
GENTLEMEN OP TuE Gus
stood fully three hundred persons, nlneteen
/ twenteths Of whom were stout, stalwart cOlOred
men, reeklng with tobacco Juice, and mlngllng
amid the vile fumes OF twO-cent cigars the hOr-
rible "lmprecationa OF dlcers" about their ILL.,
luck. The following sign over the photograph
stared them In the face; "Your choice for 30
cents. You see what you buy and get what you
nay for" The "cholce" consists Of a selection OF
me OF the pictures for which the victim pays
dfty cents cash down, and on which there can.
| not he less than forty cents prOnt. Here and
Il there among all the thousands OF these photo
Il graphs few, precious few, are scattered which
,all for prizes ranging from one dollar up to ten.
| Thousands Of them are sold every day, and when
one happens to he picked out that hears prize,
ZACH Of the seven or eight sellers shout out the
| tact tn the top OF their voices, and by varying
L
seem to the unwAry Just seven times as much as
It's.
THE VICTIMS.
As stated above, the vast majority Of the vic
Tins whom these people rob are ignorant labor
ing men, whose superstltiOus hopes are worked
upon In every way to induce them To fool their
money away. II Ia a safe estimate to say that
there are, on an average, three hundred In that
gambling Institution from morning TIL late at
night Their hAri-earned money, all they can
beg and borrow, and all they can get by pawnnR
little yAnAblea Ia carried to this store and freely
parted with. On their way to market they stop
and gamble away what should purchase food and
,lOthes for home. On their way to pay little
lebts they stop to risk part In the vain hope OF
getting more, and nnally lose II all.
IL IT GAMBLISG5
/ 1t IL nothing more nor less than the lowest aud
most depnyed form Of gambling. Some might
call II lottery, or attempt To dignity II a. gift
| enterprise, hut all along that shop one can hear
EIth every brealh, "Sam M hat Won nnsr,er
FOR a larger ann. az the case NAV he, mai yon,va
ITaWn a miami y am tsEe II y say. sam nsnd q,
Won one better that n IA a prize" And thsn the,
bet two three. i've ami even ten 10 one tbal
| ,Ianl. srs drawn ami In m.ny other ,,.y. IN,
m he game 4, IntensIded
pEps,yTry rus ERsrIr.
The proprIetorS Of this den became In thIs way
| teachers ~ LenrayItv and ampnshIe "a the Isx
| a. cnrrun,ors N ynnth 4, far nn,hi,g slss II
| Ave. the vo,ng tssrfnI Ie.sons In cameo a
| ,h.nrc II nromotes an prdpe Ies,re tnr gettIns