Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-05-13
E. W. Barroll is quite ill.
M'DERMoTF MISSING
He is BOught Off and Falls TO
Prosecute the Gamblers.


Prosecute the Gamblers.
Henry McDermott, the man who was
under bail to appear as the prosecuting
witness against John F. Gallagher, John
j. Farmar and Lewis A. Bickta, who were
charged with keeping a keno den in the
old Water Witch engine house, on Shipley
appeared. He has left the town and
country. When his name was called in
the courthouse Monday for the purpose
of appearing and testifying before the
grand jury he did not respond. He was
not there.
The history of the case in which
McDermott is the principal figure is as
follows: McDermott was a tailor and
worked for j. I. Mullin Il Son, Sixth and
Market streets, in that capacity. While
there he gave the rein to passion for
gambling, and frequently visited the
room in the Water Witch house, until his
employers found what he was doing, and
that he was neglecting his family. AS he
seemed to grow more and more infatuated
with the game he was finally discharged
by his employers. He still gambled un-
til he began to lose heavily, and one day,
after night in which he lost all he
had, being at the same time
out Of employment, he went before
Esquire O'Neill, informed on the keepers
of the keno room, and swore out war
rants for them. This was in February,
and John F. Gallagher was arrested very
soon after the warrants were issued
Farmar and Bickta, however, ran off to
Philadelphia, and were not secured until
several weeks afterward, when they went
before Esquire O'Neill and surrendered
themselves. Each of the three was held
in $500 bail to answer McDermott's
charge at the court of general sessions in
May. McDermott was at the same time
held in $500 bail to appear as the prose-
cutting witness, the magistrate manifest
ing disposition to make the trial of the
accused parties sure. Gallagher, Farmar,
and Bickta secured bail, but McDermott
failed to do SO and was sent to New
Castle Jail.
The result Of the preliminary prosecu-
ton caused much comment, and wave
of sympathy for McDermott swept over q
portion of the community. 1t was de-
clared q shame that the accused parties
should escape imprisonment, while the
man who acted as the agent of the law
should be held fast behind prison bars.
This feeling was worked upon until
McDermott's bail was caused to be re-
duced TO 5000 and well-known gentle-
man became his security. He was there
upon set free, and got work
OF his trade, promising his surety
to be present when wanted at court. y.
The runaway's surety suspected his
intention some time before, and after
making up his mind that McDermott
could not be trusted, applied to Esquire
O'Neill to have the bail bond revoked.
He was informed that it could not be
done until he surrendered his man
to the authorities. The surety then
wanted warrant issued for McDermott's
arrest, but this could not be done because
he had committed no offence that was not
covered by his bail bond. The surety
did not surrender his prisoner because he
could not find him, and the bond was
thus forfeited. An effort was made to
have Wentz arrested for bribery, which
could Lot be done for the reason that the
statutes does not designate bribery as a
crime against the law, peace and dignity
of the State except in political cases.