Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-03-22
NO MORE POLICY.
CHIBP DRLBRUGGB SHUTS DOWN ON A
GAMBLING GAME.
Over Which Large Proportion Of the Male POPula-
ton Has Gone Crazy-Numbsrs Will Not bs
Written Hereafter in Wheeling.

POlicy-playing is played out in Wheel
ing. Chief Delbrugge put a stop to the
little game yesterday, and no more num-
bers can be written save at the peril of
those attempting to keep up the old bust
meas.
The results of this order will be various.
Numbers OF gentlemen Inclined to make a
living without working, will be driven to
the n, cessity of devisiDg some new method,
two or three young meU, handy with the
pen and quick at figures, who have been
drawing salaries of S. to 81 per day writ
ing policy" will have TO seek some other
employment, and hundreds of citizens
will have more small change in their
pockets hereafter than for some time past
The orders Of the chief were made known
10 the day force yesterday, and the officers
in the several sections OF the city rapidly
vent the rounds Of their districts and no.
tilted all persOns having a finger IN the
policy pie that the end had come. The re-
suit was sensation in interested circles,
and in the saloons and among the colored
population the matter was talked over to
the exclusion OF everything else. The
colored folks were especially down heart
ed on learning Of the shutdown, aud their
lamentations and expressions of disgust
were often Imaginable.
There were two or three rival cliques
in the policy business, having agencies
in all portions of the city, chiefly
in saloons. There were four or
five of these places in North
Wheeling, halfs-dozen or more in the CEN
trail part of town, more still in East Wheel
ing, ard gcodly number south of the
creek. There were two drawings day, at
twenty minutes past twelve aud twenty
minutes past eight, and from four 10 seven
hundred dollars was played in every day
in the purchase OF tickets. Most of this
went for five ami ten cent lines" con-
tanning three numbers but as high as
twenty-five cent numbers were not unusual,
while dollar often went for ''the capital
prize" A nickle ticket was generally
good for $3.50 at the night draw
ing and $40 at neon, and ten
cents invested of course increased the
prize to a corresponding degree while q
dollar on capital prize paid $50 in case
the investor won, which, it is hardly
necessary 70 say, did not occur very fire.
quently.
The attractive features of this mode of
gambling are apparent, and the thing has
flourisbed for the psst two years. All
sorts and conditions of meD, from the
newsLoy and bootblsck to the busir cas-
man, have patronizsd the "offices" in con-
veDient saloons, and big money has been
realized by the men in charge Of the
game. Ii is only within the past
four months that the business
has doomed, but during that time
it has reached proportions little short of
gigantic. The operators threw aside all
efforts at secrecy, and in one saloon a
wheel was revolved in the most open man
ner, while blsckboards, bearing lists of
numbers, we're to he seen in many bars,
Just out of sight OF the casual visitor, but
still hardly enough for the inspection Of
all interested.
Policy is not new thing in Wheeling,
by any means Years ago Offices existed
III TIE Guy, dou There Whb large business
transacted, numbers" being received by
telegraph from Louisville and 9TH
er cities, bat the patronage was
nothing like what it has been recently.
After raining on this basis for a while the
business was Discontinued, and il was sell
dom heard OF until revived abOut two years
or 30 ago, since when il has continued
without break, with one or two drawings
daily all the time.
Chief D-lbrugge announced last night
that be meant business, and that any one
disobeyiDg the order would get into
trouble.
Policy-plsyirg is one of the most insidi-
Gus and demorslizing forms Of gambling,
and young and old, high and low, rich and
poor, have been induleiDg in it to degree
little short of star ling The Chief Of
Police ought to be clothed with absolute
power to put stop to it thoroughly and
for all time, if he has not this power
already, and the city freed from the inhu-
ence o a game which is stepping-stOne to
something worse, and in the same line.