New-York tribune., 1881-11-07
.poLICY SHOPS AND THE POLICE.


THE GAMBLERS AND THEIR HAUNIS.
EFFORTS MADE TO BREAK UP THE PLACEs-Drff
Guilty OF OBTAINING GOOD EvIDENCE-THE
DEALERS ALWAYS SUSPICIOUS OF STRANGERS
A TALK WITH POLICE CAPTAIN.
Six hundred policy shops are in full blast ID thiS
city Policy aourishes in defiance OF law IN inc
Fifth, Seventh, Eigbsh, Ninth Tenth Eleventh
Thirteenth Fourteenth. Seventeenth Eighteenth,
Twenty first and Twenty-ninth Precincts Ihere
are also few shops in the Nineteenth and Twenty
second Precincts and one in The Thlrty-hrst
Morrisania and fremont also have their share. The
small cost of a policy ticket, 20 cents, enables
man TO gamble whose purse is very slender indeed.
Naturally the handsome revenues made by the pro-
pretors of the shops are derived almost wholly
from the poorest classes. The shops are as well
known to the police as the liquor stores OF thelr
precinct and with the exception of spasmodc RAIDS
are unmolested in their illegal traffic. The police
of the precnct are well known by sight to the
gamblers, and on their approach even in civilians
dress every sign of gambling disappears, and the
innocent officer who on entering desires to buy
policy ticket for evidence is politely informed that
he has made mistake and must go elsewhere to
gamble.
Captain lyman, Of the Oak Street Police Station,
was asked by TRIBUNE reporter what obstacles ne
cnct lie said the principal disadvantage he
labored under was the want of money wherewlth
to obtain evidence There was appropriation for
the police to spend for this purpose. On the assur
ance of Police Commissioners French and Mason
that any money spent by police captains for this
purpose should be refunded, Captain lyman SAID
he had spent $50 out of bis own pocket This
money has yet to be paid TO him.
at is very hard to get evidence against policy
shops in this precinct" continued the captain.
I" There from nineteen 20 twenty-three shops,
and the prOpretors are very shy. 10 get evidence
employ old policy players. broken down
gamblers who would not be suspected OF being IN
the employ of the police. We have one man whose
father kept policy shop, ana VINO mas beeh
familiar with policy from boyhoOd. Notwlthstand-
ing the precautlon of using such men, they are not
always successful in their search for evidence
Seven men sent the other day at different
times 10 the same place. but the proprietor
wouldn't furnish them with policy slips or take
their money"
What does it cost tn employ man to get evil
dencep
The lowest pay is 80 cents, ana when yo9 use I.
man all day securing the precinct for evidence II
costs a dollar Then the policy slips cost ~ TO 40
cents 1t is necessary tO employ these Old gamblers
for all OF the eighty policemen I'D the Prechcl are
known to the policy men, ana they couid not buy y
policy slip. Besides If they were not recognized
| they would probably give themselves away BY
show ing their ignorance of the game. II | shonld
90 into policy shop myself aud ask for three num-
bers the proprietor would INN edlately see by my
| oil ASKING luab COulun pay pOlCS, anu c'oll
| if he didut know me, would smell mouse. ii
| people would leave money at Police Headquarters
| to pay for securing evidence, We cOuld soon stop
| such violations of law m the precinct. WITH thc
necessary money at command there would be no
difficulty ia closing up these places. Eut pO!lce
| captain on 5000 year doesn't want 10 spehu |'O
/ ont of his salary TO yet evidence against policy
players. Only last week | LAID out plO Tor TINS
purpose. In some precincts there IS no gambling
! going on while | have from sixty 90 seventy re-
| ported gambling places If / could employ PLAYER
who could testify in cOrrt TO the dealer aud the
| owner of the game there would be no trouble III
| breaking up gambling hole. .
bOyiSh. green looking men. the Commissioners have
frequently sent them to r.e to employ them in get
! ting evidence but they don't know faro table
when they sec It, and as they can't play policy they
are often ordered out OF policy shops instead OF
being able through evidence 20 drive ont the pro-
| prctors Their manner betrays them. have even
| borrowed policemen from other precincts. Captain
Allare. OF the Tenth Precinct, and myself
exchanged five men q day for three months
fr the purpose of obtaining evidence against
the policy men, but to no purpose. These stran-
gers were sent i'm civilian dress 10 buy policy
tickets but there were not three arrests made IN
the three months. nor was any Information OBJ
tanned by these men IN regard TO the poicy shops;
one of the broken down gamblers who has obtained
evidence for me is sixty years old, aud has played
policy since he wos ten years old"
DO you have any trouble IN securing cOnvic-
Mono at all Seven lottery cases of mino last
week were held in 500 10 answ er. The judges have
treated me well and the Dstrct-Attorney has pros
What is the method of getting evidence r.
"Nell, give detective - or $40 TO employ old
policy players. These men 90 in and buy three
numbers gig or any mum or they please, and
if they get them slip of paper which is called
policy slip. that is considered good evidence. The
detective makes the arrest and selzes everything in
the place, aud the players testimony generally
secures a conviction
What classes mostly patronize the policy shopsT
Boatmen and printers. | pulled an envelope
game recently at No. l56 Chatham-st.. and found
the place tcd up with those two classes. Women
MI ppl pligN
that further uptown. There no boys in these
downtown policy shops
DO you expect TO get the money necessary for
securing policy evidenceW
"lhe captains may get it from the Board of
Apportoumcnt. The Mayor and the Police Com
missiOncrs can't do anything toward closing up the
policy shops further than what II being done"
Mayor Grace asked whether he proposed TO
do anything about closing mp the policy shops lie
replied that he had the matter well IN hand. lie
had been hard at collecting ~ idencc, but just
what information in his possession he was not
ut liberty to divulge at present. lie would an |
nOuuce his intentions m n few days.