The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-07-13
GAMBLING OF THE POOR.
Prevalence of Pelicy PInyins-NIethods and
History of. the Swindle-The Principal
Dealers.

Prevalence of Policy PIayins-NIethods and
History of. the swindle-The Principal
Dealers.
Policy gambling, which has become
so extensive in New York city that hun
dreds of dealers-191 Of whom are
known to the police-are engaged in It,
is still carried on with entire immunity.
The practice of some of the captains OF
police has been to send one of their men
dressed in citizens clothes to the re-
puted policy dealers, the officer to pur-
chase ticket aud then to arrest the man
who sold it. This system had it's seri.
GUS drawbacks. The magistrate before
whom the dealer was brought told the
officer that in his estimation it was o
small piece of business for member of
the police force to be engaged in. The
dealer was often able to detect the de-
tective either through friends infor-
nation or by his own observation. The
most discouraging drawback is the late
order forbidding police officers to enter
public place for the purpose of MAX
ing an arrest in citizens clothes. An
other system has been lately adopted in
hopes of breaking up the pernicious
practice of gambling. Private persons
have been engaged by the captains of
police to purchase policy tickets and
then make complaint, but owing to the
lack of funds to pay these persons for
their services the system has not been
pushed with much vigor. 1t is hoped
by the captains that an appropriation
will be made from the police fund for
this purpose.
Policy gambling was invented by petty
dealers in lottery tick cts, to ensnare the
poor. 1t is founded on the regular
drawings of lotteries made i'll other
States, and the vender is himself the
banker. For instance, out of seventy
| five numbers put in the lottery wheel,
| twelve are drawn out. The poor, who
| out of their meager earnings cannot
afford to purchase an expensive ticket,
go to dealer in policy aud bet him ten,
| twenty cents, or u dollar for the scale
can be enlarged or reduced at pleasure)
against five times the amount that six or
any other specified number will be
among those drawn. The banker takes
the offer, notes it on his book, and gives
the player a memorandum of the bet
upon slip of paper until the drawing
of the lottery, upon which rests the de-
cision Of the wager. These bits of paper are
called "policy clips" If the chosen
number comes out and the dealer is
chit" he loses the amount of the wager
min s the amount paid for the slip,
which is the bet of the player. The
banker holds "the stakes" and there
are six chances to one against the player.
If, more sanguine in his disposition, the
player wishes to take q greater risk in
| tha hn,,a Of rat hn hot T.,
his cents or his dollars that No will
not only be among those drawn, but
will be in a certain station, say the
third, fourth or last one drawn from the
wheel. By this system the chances
against the player are enhanced i'm
mensely, and the banker promises re-
turn of sixty for one if the player wins.
This mode of gambling is called playing
"station numbers" because their sta
ton in the slip is indicated, and the sys-
tenn first mentioned is called playing
"day numbers" because it is sufficient
for the player if his numbers are any.
where in the days drawings. Policy
players have invented "borses," ""gigs,
"whips," "saddles," and "cross gigs, y
but these are elaborate combinations,
and would occupy much space for de.
scription.
Previous to 1882 this kind of gamb-
ling was little in vogue, but lottery tick
cts were bought largely. When the leg
islature of 1882 abolished lotteries il
New York, policy playing was largely ex
tended, and was seized upon with avidi-
ty both by bankers and players to avoid
the penalties of the statute against lot
teries. Among the men who became
most notorious in this business were Ba
ker, Judah, Webber, Cole, Petty, ant
the Simmons brothers, the most exten
sive dealers in the city. The immense
profits and the rapidly accumulatine
fortunes which these dealers were secur
ing aroused the cupidity Of horde O.
spectators. Enticed by the facilities
which policy playing offered for tn,
qualification of their passion for gam
bling, new players became infatuated
and were drawn into the net, and at the
present time it embraces within its fata
influences, in addition to thousands O
the poor white population, nearly all th'
colored people. The results are read
lily perceived. The deluded victims
unable to satisfy their desire for gam
bling from their legitimate earnings, be
gin pilfering from their employers
Step by step they sink deeper into Grim
and are ruined, while the promoters O
their guilt appear in courts and main
ain lawyers to defend and officials t.
protect them.