National Republican., 1877-01-31
THE DISTRICT U COLUMBIA INFESTED
WITH POLICY THIEVES.

seventy-five Of their Dens in the City Of
washington-Haf Million Dollars Stolen
Yearly from tn, wretched victins-An
Organized system OF Impovsrishing Plum
der-How Policy is Playcd-Somo OF the
Most Noted Establishments.
Among the man, swindlng games which
have thrivcd In this dty under o negligent police
administration "polcy" has been most success.
fully operated.
"Playing policy isthe form Of gambling hest
known and most ppular among the poorer
classes OF the people, Every year the poor OF the
city are robbed OF several hundred thousand
dollars by the policy dealers. There are many per
sons In good circumstances who "play policy"
and love the excitement Of the game. The par.
tieular features that recommend 1t to the poor
is that II don't require much capital TO play, and
there arc chances OF winning several hundred to
one on every cent invested.
WHAT roLIcY rs.
POLICY is sort Of perpetual lottery. The
humber or nuPssrs Tse % aTaMnSs Tn arc sG pred
Gated upon the drawings OF some Legitimate
concern, such as the Kentucky lottery. Tho frst
the lottery are teleytaphed over the country and
,orm nrG the drawings o. the policy shops: The
cording to the position Of the number drawn.
There are many combinations IN policy. A
ptftVH inhy N nuuUcT rs tne INST Iuht Will
be drawn. or, in other words, bet that It will be
the first drawn, and II II so happens, he will
realize large amount il the number happens
wins small amount, There are combinations
In numbers also. When person buys three
IN the drawng he has ossa theP thaPPsH PsSmnt NJ Of Of
the bliss Of policy player and realizes largely.
POLICY SHOPS.
No Inducements are offered to pollcy.players
other than the small chance Of winning. The
what attracts the players to the shops. No nne
suppers or free drinks arc dispensed so as 10 at
tract trade, as is done In the gded Faro palaces,
localities, In the midst Of the poverty which they
aid so much in producing.
They are situated in alleys or in tho
rear OF small business placcs-cigar shops, barber
shops and the like. II requires little capital to
ht up one Of the establishments. A rough counter
Suiietined, sip or eSecs.book S an and one or two Two
stools are all the furniture that Is required, and
constitute the paraphernalia OF the establish
ment.
are we'll organized. There are a few managers
who control all OF tho places. Zach shop is
an.asts @ @ ali tfs business Of Z the place and re-.
ceiyes fifteen per cent. OF the gross receipts and
has his rent paid. There Is no more pernlclous or
Re posr S III.
there Is . mania for playing II, which keeps them
always poor, and tempis them 70 theft in order to
They dream over the figures, and even resort to
"conjurlng"to bring luck. Saturday afternoons
ns ' dhnsS Seni 81 policy
degradation, waiting to hear the returns. Some OF
them rely so implicitly upon their dreams or
with their market baskets, expecting to realize
enough to go TO market. They always return
home with their baskets empty.
rnE RECEIPTS.
Some Of the policy shops do a business that
80, 10, 1a,V La
seventy Ave of these places and their average re-
eeipts VIII amount to go per day each, making a
total Of 81 800 day, or more than 500 900 year
people who can least afford Il. The vice is most
impoverlshIng and demoralizing.
urIsH Hilton, Of the arm Of Hilton 4 Co. his
hrm controls about twenty shops, and its members
have grown rich out Of It's poverty stricken vic.
Tins.
POLICE RAIDS.
Last September general attack was made by
the police upon these places. Some Jr the most
I ali tSe x court to an appeal to tSe
stands.
will never be called. During the nve weeks that
they were closed thousands Of dollars were spent
in their efforts to e,ade the law.
To-day there are more shops than ever. The
raid upon two places In the "Divlsion" last Sat.
urday night was a small scare, and the writers
a shop Is so small that II can easily be moved
from place to place, and in this way the writers
Oiten elude the police.
THE LOTTERIES AND roLIcY.
The policy drawings are based upon the daily
drawings Of the Kentucky State Lottery al
COyingt0n. The "policy men" are entirely inde
pendent OF the lottery and their business lessons
The receipts Of the lotteries. Policy offers to the
WIN he ne Sepy az M tne %
however small or large, and realizing In the same
ratio. Bets Of all kinds can be made with policy
tl,aN la a. l.lIx a..
bling than lottery The lottery men, realizing
that their business was being greatly Injured by
their satellites, a. The gambler, few years ago at
an agent, who was kept informed beforehand O
the numbers to be drawn. This man kept several
duced Others to buy policy" sips containing
The numbers were bought in every conceivable
| they were losing heavily every day. Hilton AMI
| his partners were sharp enough to see how thing
I were standing; and, without saying word the,
| own game They noticed one morning the mum
hers bought by the ''strikers'' for the "lottcty'
other cities. To every i've dollars invested b,
invested hve hundred dollars in "lo.tsry" on tn
| same numbers. The lottery men began to los
heavily, and one day refused to pay the prizes
| The matter was taken into court, where It wa
decided that II was not legal debt, and ther
| the night WAS ended.
| roLIcy MEN IRRESPONSIBLE.
| The policy mon are wholly irresponsible. Some
| times they make up the drawings to suit then
selves bulletning th0se numbers which have bee
sold the least. When by some chance they I'm
that they have lost heavily they close their shop
/ move their scanty furniture and when the winner
| come with their slips thinking that they hav
made big "hits" they ind the establishment
closed up.
| "CArrERs."
| Jhepoiicy writer's are a hashy lot OF men, wit
well CREASED hair and gorgeous paste diamond
"Cappers are employed TO rope players into the
dens. These men generally negroes, make gres
| representations about their winnings, and preten
| to have dreams which disclose to them luck
| numbers. Some OF their poor victims become
| crazed with the passion for policy that they real
| have dreams Of numbers. They will play on thei
| numbers for six months, even deprlvlng then
| selves of food In order TO have the means wit
| which to play. Every day they CONFIDENTIAL
| expect to make "hit, " which will pay larg
| sum.
Below Is given the location of some Of the mos
| important establishments In the District.
| HILTON co.
| The headquarters Of Hilton y Co., Is at the co
| nor Of Fifteenth and streets. This 1rm Ia II
| authorized Washington agency of the two Kel
| lucky lotteries. Here the books and money
| the writer's are kept and received, and the "hit
| money Is paid ont. Much more money rs receive
than Is ever paid out.
| JosEPH RAWLINGS.
In tine same building Is 4 policy shop JOsep
| RnwlnEs II the reputsd proprietor RawlInl
| has a 1aTge and Vesnaeta hIa bita nat roma a.