The evening world., 1888-06-27
II side of West Broad

"gust tell Charley I sent you; and IL WIN
he all right" he said. 60 either through
the saloon on the corner here. or go around
plumbers you will see there. That sign and
ali the stuff you will see in the window 10
only a blind. Rap three times ON the first
do door 5t TO your ssI1, left Si as You 90 into the hail. and
DO you know who backs Siebert's
game ?" was asked.
Yes, q fellow named Mccain. He runs q
game in West Broadway and backs twenty
one games in all. He IL one of the biggest
poke shop men in town." o.
How about the man who runs that saloon
on the other side of Canal 8 rect here, be-
tween Sullivan aud Thompson streets ~ =
oh, he runs a couple of shops up Oh
Thompson street, right near Broome."
The reporter searched on West broadway
for McCann's headquarters. but did not To-
cate them. However, he went to Sieberts.
PLAYING AT sIEBERTs.
The door was unlocked by a little light
haired man, and in a few minutes he and the
reporter were on very good terms. al on the
barber's score. The reporter backed his
numbers-that Is, he bet that three numbers
which he mentioned would be drawn in Ken
tncky. The numbers were written on q
sheet of tissue paper and the reporter was
handed a slip with his numbers on, together
with the date and q sign of the shop.
Nenr Mercer and Bleecker streets two
saloon keepers, q jeweller and O restauratehr
ItlNlltu hlt W III lie VI blCSts
where they said q fourishing game was car
ried on.
When the reporter detailed TO work up the
policy subject had located over twenty of
these shops, most OF them near together, he
asked for assistance in order to secure sufi-
cient evidence of the guilt of some of the
policy men before they became suspicious
and closed up their shops, and 1t wns readily
given by The EVENING WORLD.
Another reporter was called in and the two
then started out. and in one afternoon they
had visited a dozen places and had evidence
enough to convict the proprietors.
1t was apparent to the reporters that the
proprietors stand in great fear of Anthony
Comstock's men, but do not seem to give a
thought to the police force. Policemen
patrol their beats. passing q score or more of
these gambling houses every day.
The policy playing is carried on quietly,
does not create any disturbance. and then, IL
is argued, that nothing could be proven
against these men. But the reporters col
lected their evidence. nevertheless.
Billy McCurdy's and Charley Siebert's
were worked, as was Fred Anderson's cigar
store at 1872 Leonard street, opposite the
Tcmbs, and "Smithy,' as the tall, slender,
elderly proprietor of 1856 Greene street is
called.
sMITHY's.
Smithy's place is on the east side of Greene
street. next to q meat market. The windows
and glass door are covered with paper so
passers-by cannot see the interior. The tick
Gus are bOlu III u ltJle rear room, the IrOuI
door of which is kept locked.
A policy shop had been located at No. 1863
Blocker street. in a cigar store in the base
ment of the building. but previous efforts to
play in the place were fruitless. The two re-
porters went to the place, pushed through q
door to the right with was open, and, turn
ing towards their left, they saw in a little
room q young man just selling o ticket to a
colored woman who was the type of poverty.
Another woman was waiting her turn.
The man refused to sell 10 the reporters,
and was very much disturbed by their en-
trance to his den. He has very dark eyes and
hair and a rather handsome face, though
much the worse for dissiration.
At" Lame Jacks shop, on Canal street.
that individual denied keeping o policy shop.
The reporters. however, just took q peep at
the interior of his back room aud saw a labor
ing man receive q slip with the numbers
on it.
Lame Jack depends upon the use of
crutches when he walks. He has q large
head and a hard face which would make a
good subject for an artists study.
The most difficult vic nifty to work-that
where the reporter first began his work-was
reserved I n the last. The reporters found
Blizzard selling papers and ready and glad
to earn some money.
In order to make sure that Blizzard bought
the tickets and in the places where he was
sent. the reporters followed closely behind
him. aud waited on Thompson street outside
the policy shops until he purchased the
W nSsot ".SA ~ VIVA ~ eAo ihoA
them.
At Charley Strikers Blizzard went in, and
all three were away before suspicion was
J aroused within. On Thompson street, near
Broome, however, the situation was different.
Two shops we're on one side of the street and
one was directly opposite. Here Blizzard
was instructed to work rapidly and he sue.
ceeded in purchasing the tickets. The last
time, however, he was seen to give the ticket
to one of the reporters, and almost before the
reporters were around the corner their tricl
dealers and to some of their friends. They
saw at a glance that something was in the
wind, and, following the reporters, they
angrlly demanded the tickets which they hac
just sold to Blizzard. They didn't get them
IN H BATTERY REGION.
Martin Suilivan's poke shop at 6 Yves,
/. street is the hest known and mot popular
, policy resort II the Battery region. All n
the policy PLAYERS there know about it, anC
several of them made known its existence {,
} the reporters.
| Sullivan, who is an old man. was readjn.
5 when the reporters entered his shop. Til,
door leading into n back room was opeI
l and. pushing through it, the reporters saw
t on their lett a desk III which was O pad O
3 slips on VIII CHI the numbers drawn in Ken
lucky are printed daily for the information
3 of the policv.shop keepers.
When Sullivan saw the strangers enter h,
fastened behind the desk and dropped hi
| newspaper over the pad. He said tfat h,
could not accommodate his vi itors, that h,
/. was GOOD for O II, llion. and that he was no
Z running a pol cv shop at present, although
: he had awhile ago.