The evening world., 1888-06-27
H0W'S THIS
Continued from ytrst pocs.)

policy shops are provided with printed slips
announcing tho numbers which were drawn.
POKE SHOPS"
For a man to run one of these shops, which,
by the way, are commonly called poke
shops he must secure q hacker, who Will be
responsible for the amount OF money that
may be won by. any one. There are q num-
Der of these a hackers here in New. York.
and most of them are in close league with the
managers in Kentucky. standing part OF the
risks "-mere mntter of form. for the.e are
noDe-nnd receiving lait of the enormous
profits.
The would. be policy man secures his
hacker. locates himself in some little nook,
screened from the public eye, and quietly
sets bis swinIling traps which are sure TO Sc
cure him customers, from whom he collects
his - little commission " of 1919 per cent,
should they happen to be lucky.
II they are not he collects this commission
on his receipts, and the poorest one can earn
$l5 q week.
These are some of the facts which the re-
porter carried under his hat as he went to his
home after his first afternoons work.
His instructions were to loca 0 these policy
shops and secure evidence against the pro
prietors. irrespective of expense or Difficult:
ties. SO the next day an unpreteutious scarf
had replaced the white one, and with boots
and hat all covered will, dust the reporter
entered a saloon on the west side of Thomp-
son street just north OF Grand.
TIL saloon-keeper was in one OF his pleas
ATTEST moods.
Policy ? Any policy shops in this re.
you can't play in them because you are a
stranger" he said. III answer to questions
put in an off hand manner.
But where is one of the shops located ~
asked the reporter. II would like to try
my lGck.",
Yes" answered the reporter, =" dreamed
: q gig. "a combination Of three number
| ,Nla,,a1 in ,,,ltpp- land II thin1 L ann Win IN
day"
PLAYING ON DREAMS.
Most patrons of the. policy shops have a
superstition about their dreams, and are
guided in their betting by them.
Well, as for Q policy, shop" said the
across the road, where you see the basement
is painted blue. 1t is run by an old lady
who sells candy and such stuff as q disguise"
The man referred to Charley Strikers place
in the basement of No. 80 Thomson street,
and the old woman he mentioned is Strikers
mother.
This neighborhood is inhabited principally
by colored people, aud in them almost with
out exception has developed o passion for the
game Of chance, which leads thcm to sacrifice
to it their actual needs and desires.
Women. deluded by the sweet-sounding
stories of the drawings of others always
awaiting them at the poke shops" and
too. can have their wild dreams realized,
neglect their children and themselves by
patronizing these. petty, gambling bells, not
realizing, poor things. that the odds are all
in favor of the men backing the game and
that they stand really no chance of drawing
the right numbers.
Walking north on Thompson street from
the saloon mentioned, the reporter ques-
toned some of the people who were stand
ing lazily in front of their houses or stores
and by them was directed 10 No. 141 Thomp-
son., on the west side of the street, where an
Italian was polishing up q picture frame.
No one knew his name. but they did know,
or said they did. that he kept o book" The
store is very. small, and the single show win-
dow was filled with stationery and various
fancy things. or course, the Italian denied
that there was anything of the kind carried
on in his place, but said there used to be @
short me ago.
He referred the reporter to No. 40 Thomp
son, O short distance up the street on the
other side.
This is o tenement-house, and its hal
looked dingy enough. Sitting in a window
, next door and peering out through the shut
tiers was q burly colored woman The re-
porter approached the window. and in a low
voice asked the woman If there was a policy
} shop next door, and she nodded in the af
firmative, winked, shook her head aud looked
, very knowing as she pointed towards the den
The repor er entered the dingy hall, and
started for the first room on the right. Hi
. approach was heard. and Just as he was cross
ing the threshold II man who was on guart
I reached for a cha n, pulled it, and the dool
was banged against the reporters foot, bu
. there stopped. A glance at the interior o
the room revealed enough to show what kim
/ of a pla q it was. Several men were talkin.
in low tones. while two were in one corne
evidently an aiting the re urns which were Il
make known the result of their investments
NEwsBoYs ALLOWED TO GAMBLE.
More inquiry proved that a stranger coult
not play in the policy shops in this neigh
borhood. The proprietors have experienced
trouble with Anthony Comstock's Societ,
for the Supprc ssion of Vice, and look will
suspicion upon every one they do not know
The reporter. thus shut ont, Watched som
of the newsboys who make Grand street an,
South Fifth avenue their headouarters, an
being convinced that they Were allowed t.
play, he 2icked ont a briGht ~siXtern-year-olt
lad, commonly ca led " Blizzard" He liv,
III South Fifth avenue.
Billiards. mother spends her money il
. policy, so he says, and he 10 left to shit
around the streets and play policy, too, if h
7 so desires.
!, Blizzard, do you play policy ?" asked tn
reporter.
"Policy? Ya.as, Of course / do. Do
know of any places? Yes, lots of 'em. Do
want to make some money p and here tn
boys duskv face wrinkled all over in smiles
d Blizzard worked like q mailer, and in quic,
q time the reporter had tickets in his posses
a sion which were bought at Charley Striker
and Mt three shops on Thompson street, jus
u south of Broome. These three are all in it'll
d tobacco stores, one on the east side O
Thompson aud the others on the west side.
Another place which was worked through
Blizzard Is at 23S South Fifth avenue, be
tween Grand street and Calal. east s de. ]
is also q tobacco store, and ls run by a ma,
named John Kennedy. He is short. wit
|, dark hair, psle-faced and middle-aged an
II carries cotton In his ears.
IRON ~BARTENDERs
The next information was furnished b
bartenders, who pointed out a shop O.
Watts street. three doors west OF Varick,
II cigar store run by n man named Snow on
on the west side of Canal street. four door
!. east Of Washington. street. occupied ostenst