The Evening critic., 1883-04-09
DENS OFINtQUITY


ON the virginia Side of the River
Policy. Keno and Other Gambling
Devices, Driven From Washington,
Find Hope in RossIyn-Aiso
Opium Joints.
Since the destruction of the policy shops
in Washington, many of those engaged In
that neiarious business have moved to
Rosslyn, on the Virginia side, near the
Aqueduct Bridge, where they can pursue
their occupation without fear of the inter-
ruptiou of the law, and the place is daily
resorted to by large numbers from tho
District side of the river. The Virginia
officers have made no effort TO check the
practice, and besides they allow other
violations of the law to go unnoticed. To
accommodate those who 90 to Rosslyn
keno and faro banks, cock and
dog pits have been provided, together with
saloons, and lately series of nocturnal
dances have been inaugurated, which are
attended nightly by crowds of disorderly
and drunken characters from Washington
and Georgetown, and frequent disturb
aDces and rough-and tumble fights arc the
result. At one of the fights few nights
ago several participants were badly in
jured, so much so that medical attendance
was necessary, but no arrests were made,
and it is claimed that the Alexandria
ing up the business.
The police force in West Washington is
powerless to prevent people crossing the
bridge. To make matters worse, the Sun
day laws of the State arc entirely dsre-
garded, and gambling and drinking and
carousing is carried on to q greater extent
on the Sabbath than on any other day.
Within hundred yards of the bridge there
is a two-story frame establishment, the
upper stories of which are used for
gambling purposes and the lower rooms for
liquor saloons In the yard in the rear of
the building is cock and dog pit. This
place is crowded the entire day Sunday
with city visitors and the majority of ine-
briated persons captured by the West Wash
ington police on that day procure their
liquor from this and other Rosslyn saloons.
Last Sunday dog fight was inaugurated
between bull pup owned by Patsy Nor
gan, of Washington, and Charles Wise, of
Georgetown. The matinee was witnessed
by an enthusiastic assembly of sports
mostly from this side of the river, and the
beasts fought until the dog owned by Nor
gan became exhausted. At the close of the
dog conference the audience still thrsted
for gore and lively fights were INDUCED in
by those best supplied with bad liquor.
To add further to the many iniquties of
the little village a Chinese opium den has
lately been opened by the Celestials who
were routed from the city for the same of
fense. The place is peculiarly adapted to
the purpose, for house in the scattered
suburbs is used, and the Virginia anthori-
ties seem entirely ignorant Of the fact, al
though nightly they see mysterious hacks
loaded with men and women cross the Ac-
queduct Bridge and wend their way TO the
lonely house kept by John Chinaman.
The opium smoking has grown to such
an extent that hacks loaded with those ad-
dicted to the deadly habit have commenced
to cross tho Long Bridge from South Wash.
ington and other parts of the city and go by
way of Arlington to the Chinese dens in
Rosslyn, where immunity from the strong
hand of the law is assured.
The Alexandria County officials have
been communicated with to check these
disgraceful and illegal dongs, but they
have turned deaf ear to all cntreaties, and
the place, instead of improving, is rapidly
growing from bad to worse. There are
about thirty houses in the village, many of
which are occupied by hard working and
well-to.do families, who greatly de-
plore the miserable degradation to which
the place is reduced. On Sunday, when
the ladies of the village are going to and
from divine service, they are often insulted
and threatened by the gangs of drunken and
disorderly loafers who hang about and dis
grace the holy Sabbath with their obscenity
and rowdyism. Some time back Rosslyn
was quiet village, but now it is overrun
by those who violate every provision of the
law