Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-16
WILL BEAR WATCHING.
A CLUB OF CONGREssMEN WHO
PLAY FARO.
The Dealer Holds a Sinecure on House
Committee - How Bin Prohibiting
Betting on Horse Races was Killed in
the Senate

/ The Dealer Holds a Sinecure on House
Committee - How y Bin Prohibiting
! BETTING on Horse Races was Killed in
| the Senate.
AUGUSTA, Me-. Dec. 13-The Kennebec
| journal Of this morning contains the fol-
| lowing Washington special:
| THE most startling piece of Congress
sionsl corruption and depravity is on the
verge of creating a scandal greater IN
magnitude than the one Washington has
| just experienced with her police force.
| The following was told tonight to the
Journal correspondent by person who is
in the position to know the true facts. He
says that he can produce the necessary
proof II called upon to do so. The names
will not appear for obvious reasons. They
will appear soon enough.
''There Is a club in Washington COM
posed of four Senators. Three are South
western men, and the other comes from a
section of country not thousand miles
from this city. In addition to the Sena-
tors there are sixty.one members OF Con-
gress and about twenty more OF the COM
mon herd. The latter are mostly eX-mem-
oers and those who are wealthy and have
sporting inclinatiOns. The club plays
faro exclusively. They have for a dealer
young man who has been at the bust
ness for number of years. He is also
interested in the pool selling business
here, and when Congress is not in session
spends most of his time in pool room
not far from Wizards Hotel. The men,
bers OF the club thought they would avert
suspicion by changing the base of proceed
lngs six times week. So now they have
their game one night at the corner of
Sixth street and Pennsylvania avenue,
and the next night at the Corcoran build
ing, and so on at different place every
night. To defray expenses they each con-
tribute a sum ranging all the way from
50 10 $40 per month. This amounts to
considerable, even after paying the rents
OF the several rooms. The surplus is ex-
pended in choice liquors and cigars,
which are given gratis 10 the members.
The dealer of the game has, by some
mysterious influence, been appointed to a
sinecure on House committee, to which,
by the way, the interests of Maine are
closely connected. The chairman is a
prominent member of the club. The
hobby pOssessor of the sinecure draws So
per day rs his modest salary.
THE most startling part OF the whole
affair Is that there are about four promi-
nent pool sellers in Washington, and last
session bill was Introduced in the House
Of Representatives for the prohibition of
all manner OF betting on horse racing,
such as pool selling, bookmaking, etc. 1t
was obvious that the bill would have to
be chOked off in the Senate, so the pool
men made up a sum of SO, 75G to be divided
among the four Senators who could
pigeon hole the bill. OF course the job
was given to the four mem ber- OF the club.
They took retainer of goodly size and
succeeded in killing off the bill, much to
the qualification of their clients, who
believed their business was seriously
endangered. The bill died an
unnatural death, and has never
been called up and probably
will not be until next session. This,
probably, is the most crooked piece of
work that has been perpetrated at the
capitol for many day. From certain
| existing circumstances it can be sur
missed that the real instigators of the Or
der to shadow Congressman so as to
blackmail them knew of this club, and
what is more, have been guests at it's
seances. 1t is not at all improbable that
the club was in the minds of those who
originated the scheme to compel Congress
to vote large appropriation for the ex-
tension OF Massachusetts avenue. Had
this club been raided II may be safely
stated that the ring could have secured
enough votes to carry their point. When
this matter is as clearly ventilated as was
the police unpleasantness, then lock cut.
watch the sparks fly"