Omaha daily bee., 1883-05-03
CAClNC The TIGER.
The Gambling Places Are to be
Closed up Tight,
So Says the Citv Council, and
the Doors Begin to
Swing To.
Why This Sudden Attempt to Close
mp the City.

To the surprise of many the city
council has ordered all gambling
places In the city to be closed. Such
an edlot, II 1t means what 1t pretends
to mean, should have been issued q
long time ago. Council Bluffs has
the reputation Of having more gam.
bling places, for Its size, than any
other city-even In the west. There
are all sorts Of games running here,
and besides the opportunity given
for regular sporting men to
ply their ~svooation, there are
all sorts of inducements for
boys and workingmen, clerks and
other employees to stake and lose
what little money they have. 1t 10 a
notorious fact that gambling has had
Its own way here right along, the
only "'raint being the fact of a
monty inc, which is In effect a
license. So long as this was paid,
the autN7rities here seemed to a
little wat was done or how 1t was
done.
The new order of the council In.
structipg the marshal to close all
gambling places, Is promised On the
surface to make a complete revolution.
How strictly 1t will be enforced, and
how long 1t will be carried out, re.
mains to be seen. Ben Marks yes-
terdsy gracefully slammed to his
doors and locked them, saying that
he did not propose to fight, but would
comply with the request made. The
men at Pat Lacey's were also turned
loose and the game stopped, and
others are supposed to follow suit.
Some of the aldermen on being
asked what 1t means, say they have
got tired of the free and easy way in
which gambling has been allowing to
run Its course, and that 1t Is time for
Q general cleaning out, as other cities
have shut up their gambling houses, or
driven the game into attics and back
rooms.
1t is whispered that II Marshal
Jackson does not enforce this order
that his head will come off and roll
Into the basket. Some intimate that
the difficulty In enforcing the order
will give an excuse for those who are
not particularly In love with Jack to
get him crowded out of the place for
neglect of duty. This seems foolish
talk, however, as Jackson will not be
backward, and will have little trouble
In getting the order observed, for the
present at least.
There is another feature of the al
uation which is rather ~interestir Z.
The gamblers are not agreed amoL. :
themselves, and there seems son.
little bitterness, n trying to swallow
the other up or force him out of bus
iness. One of the fraternity declare,
that he received work, %purporting t.,
come from another leading n of thu
fraternity, that the latter must hav,
twenty per cent of his game, or h
would take steps to shut 1t up, sno
that he had influence with the author.
tiles so that steps would be taken Ii
that direction. The invitation to Civ,
up a share of the profits was prompt,
declined.
The fact that the gamblers so cheer
fully and promptly closed up Their
places yesterday indicates that the
order issued by the council was not
very repulsive to them 1t seems
that the old stand. bys here felt thu
there were too many dabbling In t.
business, and dividing up among tn
many what they thought ought to b
confined to the few. 1t looks as !
they YER themselves the cause Ct
the order being issued, or at least that
they consented to the shutting up a.
rsngement, their desire being ,"
freeze out and kill off some of Il
smaller games, and give those VII
survived additional advantages whe.
the time came to open up again.
In fact it looks very much as II II
apparent reform was In reality only
business stroke to reduce the numbs-
of gambling houses and games, go tba,
when business Is resumed 1t will he
run by a few instead of by many.
The affair certainly has q strsng
look. To have the council sudden
order the gambling houses shut n
and to have the fraternity 60 quick
obey, indicates n of two thing.
either that the order Is just what IL
chief gamblers wanted, as a strike I,
business policy, or else that the az
thorities are much to blame for NJ
closing the gambling places before, Z
they a do SO as easily as 1t nc "
seems.
1t Is to be hoped that the ord :
means all that 1t pretends to, but tt
public cannot but be suspicion.
at such sudden and radio.
change, and will watch the
future with much interest. The pre-:
diction Ia that the houses will open / /
after q little, and 1t will then becop
more apparent what the real causes :
the shutting up are. If 1t is q ger,
Inc manifestation there can be no *
cuse for not keepieg the houses ST.
up from now on forever.
At the meeting which passed Il
order, Mayor Bowman presided p d
Aldermen Eicher, James, Heating u
Word were present, and all voted ),
favor of the resolution, which was 20,
follows:
RESOLVED, By the common cour RI
of the city of Council Bluffs, low 1.
That the city marshal of said cit, Il
hereby directed at once to clore +.
gambling houses, in said city, VIII e
tide games of keno, roulette, red
black, high ball poker hazard, and /
games of chance, including faro, pl \,
ed in said city, and If said games ~,
not closed at once, said. marseal II
hereby directed to file complail q