Omaha daily bee., 1883-05-04
GOING FOR The GAMBLERS
Some of the Inside History of the
Sudden Reform Movement.
Biters Got Bit and Masks are
Torn OF.
Interesting Yet Ludiorous Bat
tie on Hard.

was heard to remark that 1t would be
easy to get them closed, and hard to
get them open again. Most people
thought the opposite would be the
fact, that 1t would be impossible to
shut up the gambling places, and that
they would uoon be running again,
but 1t seems now that "ths knowing
one may yet prove to be right.
There Is much below the surface In
this commotion about gambling
places. To an outsider and casual
observer 1t would appear that the city
council had suddenly woke up to the
fact that In no city In the union is
gambling carried on so openly and go
generally rs In Council Bluffs, and
that tho aldermen, inspired by some
sudden and mighty thrill of moral in
spirat.o =, had risen In their might
and determined to wipe out the great
evil. All bosh !
There ts to start with the fact, ad.
mitted on all sides, that Council
Bluffs needs to have q house cleaning,
morally speaking. Almost every 50.
loon has had some sort of a gambling
game running, and openly too, besidss
the regular gambling houses. The
moral people are dlsgusted and demand
a reform. The business men insist as
a matter of business policy, that there
shall not be 20 many traps open to
catch their customers money. A large
number of saloon men want to soc the
gambling stopped, because those sa-
looms with which regular gambling
establishments are connected are do
Ing most of the bar business, especial.
ly in the evenings, leaving their own
sample rooms dreary and lonesome,
and their tills empty. Added to those
opponents of the gambling saloons are
some of the gamblers themselves.
They find the business Is all chopped
up, and a few arc kicking greatly
because they cannot mo1opolizs 1t and
divide the profits between two or
three instead of fifteen or nenty.
With such a feeling 1t seems natu.
raj for some action to result, and
hence the move. The Ind cations ere
quite apparent that In view of the way
business war being run, q little clique
Of gamblers conceived the brilliant
Idea of using their political power to
get an order passed by the council
shutting up certain games, thus
throwing to them and their games the
benefit of all the business.
This clique Is the one of which Pat
Lacy seems to be the ackno gledged
head and front. The sudden discov-
cry was made by Lacy's friends that
keno was a robbing game, ten times
worse than faro, and that something
ought to be done to protect the boys
and w%orkingmen from being robbed
by 1t.
1t Is we'll known that Ben Marks
is the keno man, and 1t naturally
would be a good thing for Lacy II he
could run faro and have Marks shut
off on keno.
Keeping these facts In mind, 1t Is
a rather suspicious coincldsnt that the
next chapter opens with a resolution
prepared for introduction into the
city co1ncll, said to have been framed
by Alderman James, providing for
the shutting up of gambling houses,
where certain games were played,
and In the category of games faro
was not named, this being one of
Lscy's supposed pet games. "Keno"
was mentioned In the prohibitory or.
der. Alderman James handed over
the resolution to Alderman Wood.
He looked it over, saw the omission,
and believing that there should be q
fair deal all! around, inserted ~"faro,'
and In that form the resolution was
passed, 1t being too late then for
any one to object, and there
being no chance to object
very much without showing up the
real fight which was going on In the
rear. Pat Lacy stood In the lobby
watching the proceedings with inter.
eat. There were n or two other
resolutions passed the same evening,
both ordering improvements In L,cy's
property. This was all the business
done at the meeting, and 1t seemed q
L,cy arrangement pretty thoroughly.
The resolution 81 adopted provided
for shutting up all the places. This
was not what was planned for by the
Lacy clique, but having gone 30 far
there wal no backing out. The order
being Issued, all the gambling houses
closed at once, each party not car
Ing to give the other ono q
chance to raise q rumpus by
violating the order. They also ar,
, quite willing to keep shut up, bellev-
Ing In the survival of the ~fi;test, and
each in the hope Of firing Others out
so that when they resume there will
, be fewer to do the business and tn,
. profits will be larger.
. The funny part of 1t is that nov
that the gamblers have virtually con
scented to an order to close, and hav
complied Herewith, there are some Il
4. the council who propose to take then
at their word and keep them closed Il
D possible. 1t Is thought that 1t vii
effect two things. 1t will teach tn
gamblers that If they try to use tn
. COuuCll 40 . SiuO W hump nuhlc Otuc
T gambler, they are liable toget clubbe'
= with their own weapon. 1t will ais
have the effect to lessen gamblin
o here, and drive 1t into quiet hooks
, ard under cover SO that II will not b
! an open temptation for the yourg an
a the poor.
The sweat box has been shrewdl,
CONSTRUCTED by n clique for another
i but 1t looks now as If both clique
would be sweated ia it. Which ca
stand It the longest remains to b
. seen.
: At a meeting Of the countil las
night Alderman S~ledentopf Withdrew
his protest against the legality of tn
6 special meeting, at which the Iesolu
n ton was passed shutting off all gam