, 1879-07-20
PO0L-ROOMS.
The Gang Set Free by Justice
Prindiville.
Rush of Clerks and Boys to the
Old Stand.
How the Swindlers Make Their Money
Ont of the Public.

Uut OF Lis 7 uuQcs
Last Monday the propretors OF the notorious
poo1-rooms lining thoroughfare designated By
the bows ~ as stGamblers' alley" were ar
rested bv Can't McGarrigle, Chief Of the Detect
i've force, on charge Of keeping common gam
ing-bouses, and citizens were led to believe that
at last these infamous dens were to be closed
ND, and at least one stain upon Chicago's fair
name wiped out
The parties arrested were A.. Fox, William
Reilly, Hannum. and Judd, Gus Blum. and q
party named Murphy. They we're brought be-
fore Justice Summerfe1d Tuesday morning, and
a continuance Was granted, their bali being xed
ar $500. Through the kindness OF Mr. II e.
Mcdonald the gentlemen we're set at liberty,
and Immediately assumed charge Of their re-
spectire establishments.
When brought up for the second time q
change Of venue to Justice Prindiville vas ap-
piled for and granted. and yesterday morning
before this Justice.
Z 4 heavy tine, at least, was expected By most
Of the citizens who were interested in the exter-
minatlon OF these 1epers, but, to the surprise Of
all, the men we're at one discharged.'
NOW FOR THE t"wuY AND WHEREFORE"
The charge brought was that OF "keeping
common gaming house." but Justice Prindiville
ia ID =. find that the poo!-rooms came within
1he.statute's definition Of a .tcommon gaming
house, +" md ruled that the charge brought could
not be sustained.
The statute bearing on this point is as follows:
Whoever keeps common ginning house, or in
any building, booth, yard garden. po:t, OF noat
BY him or his agent. used aud occupied. procnres
or permits any Dersnns to frequent OF to come
Eether to play for money or other valuable things.
u any game. OF EceDs or suffers 10 be krpt any ta
bles o:lcr appar1tus, for ne purpos. OF PLAYING
at any game or epo-t for money or other y4lu able
thing. or knowingly rents anv suci place for sucn
purposes. shall upon conviction. for the lrst Of
fense tc fined not less than 500, and for the sec
oud ohenEe be fined not less than $500, and be
months, and tor the third otense shall be fined net
less than $780, and be imprisoned in the Pensten-
t'arv not leas than rwo years nor more than i've
years-
Nov, II there IS any one SO obtuse as not to
see that this statute
COVERS roo1rRooMs EXACTLY,
be would be immensely benefited BY common
school education
4 pool~soom is place where men conere-
gate to plav for money, and it also
contains the necessary apparatus ft,r this play.
hence 1t is covered by the statute, and,
prorretors are liable to i}.r ex.ent Of the pun
!shmeut prescribed and should bare been held,
the Justice tn the contrary notwit bstand,ng.
Since the arrest Monday there has been
noticeable fa1iu! oft in tho attendance ut these
robbers roosts- The charges AGAINST tue pro-
prietors were known, also The right the olicr
have to pull gamblins-housc. atad the clerks,
odire-boEs, and The like, from whom these
places draw their sustenance, were Tor the time
being Kept away through fear.
SEE THE RESULT or THIS DISCHARGE
yesterday morning. a reporter visited the
poo1-roons yesterday afternoon, and, instead of
finding only the p'ckrockets and thugs, whose
wont it is to exist in these deus, tue places We're
found full to oyerfowing with their old patrons,
the proprietor, presiding at the desk, smiling
from the triumph which they felt at their
escape and accepting the congratulations OF
their harnacles uud hangers-oo with an air
which plainly SAID, s. told you so.''
But the end is not vet 4 rumor that the men
would be arrested on a
CHARGE OF FRAUD AND swINDL1NG
found currency, and TIE TRIBUNE man pro-
ceeded to follow up the trail, and to endeayor
to discover now these new charges we're to be
when man nas been "bilked ,: in one OF these
holes he is reluctant to testify in court to that
effect.
These facts bare been fully established: That
there is a man IN, the employ of a. For {what's
in nancy who travels round the country aud
tc1cgraphs the results OF races aud sporting
events to his worthy employer. It has heen
found thai these dispatches are often, if not
invariably, received some time previous to their
publication on the bu1letin-board 10 the pool
rooms. In the meantime the caopers' Of the
house are stalking money on sure thing, and
the unsuspecting poo}-buTers are deliberately
6wind]ed in this manner. This is but one OF
the manr schemes for wholesale frand practic-
ed by Ltse robbers.
The reporter met gentleman Yesterday who
is known to be "on the inside" aud endeayored
to CLEAN few points OF Information from him
regarding the crookedness. It was only after a
solemn promise had been exacted from the man
of pencils tiiat no names should be revealed,
thai any information was offered. This gentle
man said tllat lie well knew that the booksellers
1iwars received the returns in advance Of their
publication, but that the auctioneers, instead of
tho pruprietors, took advantage of this The
auc:ioneer has friend on the outside who has
the money. and, when q sure thing is to be had.
a sign passes between the two, lew meaning
less words are uttered, and the auctionecr shouts
out an offer in his friends name. Ii this is
taken up, Of course the friend wins, and a per-
centage reaches the pocket Of the auctioucer
for his valuable services
In the course Of MS walks about the "alley"
yesterday afternoon the reporter picked up
MANY POINTS REGARDING TIE "cnooKED-
Ness"
The tria1 and discharge formed the popular
topic Of ofconversation, and many and varied were
the opinions expressed concerning the ma1tcr.
IL is not to be wondered at that there were many
schemes suggested whereby the pool men might
bhl1A4( AIAA faLASA1s <AAA d AEH VI IuEhc
are given:
There is 4 set Of rules governing bets, which
etc posted in conspicuous spot in these places,
aud ''Rule 1V.'' reads as follows: ssWhen two |
or more clups are named as winners, and one |
1als to play, the negative always wins the bet''
Now, suppose that games are announced at Chi /!
cago, Syracuse, and Providence. Some one, ,sson |
the inside" learns, through n private dispatch
sent on the morning Of the day. that it is rain
ing in Providence He knows that there will BE- |
no game, and be repairs to the pool-room and |
bets, say teD to SIX. that three winners cannot |
be named. Some sanguine sucker takes him NJ, |
and of course the =. S. gets left, as according |
to "Ru'e w." be has nut named the Three |
winners, and consequently is 50 much out.
Another clear steal is effected when games |
arc PLAYED at White Stocking Park. II one ac-
quainted with all the employees OF these pool
rooms will take occasion to look along the top
TOW Of seats directly at the foot Of Washington
street, he will invariably find one Of these persons
seated there. Watch him. When an inung
closes he jumps up, passes word to boy on |
the outside OF ihr feuce% and the boy off like
the wind. In this manner the report reaches
the pool-rooms long before the messenger bor,
sent from the reporters stand in the grounds,
brings in his report 1t is needless to sag that
1n&%- 1nN ohm ,,rt1 -kr1 %h.%