, 1874-11-15

THE GAMBLERS AND THE POLICE.
One Of the most disgraceful features Of the
Government in the City Of Chicago is the tolera-
of gamblers who now infest tho city. Never in
the history of this city has the business CT gam
bling been go extensively carried on as now, and
never have the gamblers 80 openly 1aunted their
trade as during the last year. There ia no excuse
for this. This crime Of gambling is not
committed in secret The name and
person Of every gambler in Chicago are
known to tho police. It is not saying too
much to assert that Superintendent Rehm and
Deputy-Superntendent Hickey are personally
acquainted with every gambler doing buslneRa
in this city. These two officers know the 1oca-
ton Of every gambling-house, know who are its
proprietors, know who are its dealers and other
operators, and know personally all about them
and their business. We venture to say that, If
Capt. Buckley WAS authorized, he could,
in one week, enter twenty notorious gam
bling dens on Clark street alone, arrest
tho inmates, aud furnish proof sufficient to
convict forty professionals. While this fact
is notorious, while within five minutes walk OF
the Police headquarters score Of these estab-
Gahments arc in full operation every day aud
night,-why is it that the police never move one
Mr. Waahburn was Superintendent of Police
he made himself obnoxious to the whole gam
! bling fraternity by his unremitting warfare
upon their nefalious business. When tho
Peoples Reform party came into power,
the first act Of the Reformers was to dismiss
Washburn and put Rehm in his place. change
of men did not change the Law, and it is as much
Mr. Rehm's duty to prosecute gamblers, to arrest
them, and furnish evidence for their conviction,
as it was Washburn's. Why has he not done his
duty in this respect? Is he restrained in 80
doing By any order Of tho Police Commissioners
II he is, let him produce that order and yindicate
himself and the whole police force from the in
evitablo conclusion that the gamblers are under
the protection OF the police.
In January, 1872, the Legislature of Illinois
passed new act for the punishment Of persons
keeping gaming houses. The law was most
searching and sweeping in its provisions; SO
much SO that there we're some doubts as to its
constitutionaty. It went into force in July 1872
and under that act gambler Was indicted and
convicted. The case was taken to the Supreme
Court, and that tribunal affirmed the constltu-
tionaGty Of the law. The District-Attorney then
| said that under that law he could effectualjy
IL all ~
! Here is the Law:
Whoever Keeps common gam1ng-house, or in anv
building, booth, yard, garden. by him or lis agent
used nrd occupied procures permits any pe1son to
frequent, or to como together to play for money or
other valuable thing, at auy game keeps, suffers
70 be EeFt any tables or other apparatus, for the
purpose OF playing At any game or sport for money
other valuable thing, sha upon conviction, for the
hrss ofense be fined net less than $780, and for the
second ocnse bo fined not less than $500 and he i'm
prsoned in the County Jail not ers than s1 months
ana for the third oense shall be fined not less than
$s1e and be imprisoned In the Penitentiary not less
| than two years nor more than five years.
Under this law the old trouble OF proving who
was tho 'keeper Of the gaming~house Was re-
moved. The Court ruled that any person acting
or officiating AZ dealer or otherwise as or for the
proprietor. OF who was running the game vas in
legal contemplation the 81 keeper" and could be
convicted Of keeping the gaming that it
| was not necessary to prove that he owned the
| tables, or was a proprietor or lessee; whoever
auperintended, managed, OF directed the game,
or sold the chips. OF otherwise oiciated, thereby
made himself the ''keeper," and could be pun
isled IS such.
There is no difficulty, therefore. in the Law,
That is ample. Nor can there be any difficulty in
tho way Of evidence. Nike Mcdonald is noto-
r1ousiy the proprietor Of several gambling
houses. He makes no disguise OF it, and
| openly aro8s himself professional gambler,