Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-05-16
CHINESE DEHS or VICE.
HOW THEIR MANAGERS SUCCEED IN
EvADING ARREST.
Officer Frazee Gains Entrance to a Tan
Game But the Descent Proves
a Profitless One.

About o'clock last night officer Frazee
made literal descent" upon Chinese
tan game near the corner of Third and
streets. He watched his opportunity until
the lookout stepped across the street
when he made break down the stairway
leading to the den, which is located in the
basement.
As the officer went down the steps the
lights went out, while the tan-players in.
side the den set up an unearthly chorus of
yells and jabbering. But Frazee had blood
in his eyes, and threw himself against the
door and broke in.
But he was in Stygian darkness, as thick
as the foul odors that filled the room, and
could not tell which way to turn.
Captain Lee and officer Carroll were a
block away at the time, but they heard the
commotion and ran to Frazee's help.
When they got into the den and struck a
light, they found the officer standing in
the middle of the floor, while a dozen
Cinnamon were sitting around on stools
and benches, but there was nothing to tell
OF the seductive tan game that had un-
doubleday been in operation short time
before.
Simple All Sin and all his sinful "cous-
ms" looked as childlike and bland as if
they had been holding one of their SUM-
day-school assemblies.
In an adjoining room the officers found
a brace of hypo fiends. and officer Frazee
caught one fellow whom he charged with
being peddler of lottery tickets, but it is
doubtful if he can get the necessary evil
dence to squeeze the muni6cent sum of $40
out of the prisoner when the Police Court
gets hold of him.
Officer Frazee, since he has been on the
Chinatown beat, has shown, apparently, q
genuine determination to get hold of the
Chinese gamblers, but it is hard matter to
catch them at their illegal practices. 1t is
easy enough to locate the dens where
unlawful games are played but the gam
blers all have sentinels at their DOORS and
as soon as anybody attempts TO enter, a
bell-cord is yanked vigorously and the sig
nal OF danger carried to the gambling-room,
when the psraphernaiia of the game is
spirited away.
A few days ago an attache of this paper,
who is total stranger to all the China
town sentinels, attempted to walk into one
of the tan-game houses. but the bell-cord
was promptly called into requisition and
the door bolted upon him.
There are those who claim that the
police could, if they felt so inclined reach
and arrest the Chinese gamblers, and such
may be the case. but the officers assert that
1t is practically impossible to catch the
willy Mongolians in the act of violating the
law. Ii there be no provision of law
which will permit them to make descents
upon places known to harbor persons who
defy the authority of the people, because
such places are bolted against them, then
such restrictions should be removed. IF
the police are really doing all in their
power to break up these dens of vice, thew
should have credit therefor, but if it can be
demonstrated by proofs that they are not
in earnest they deserve to be condemned
even more severely than the tan-players.
In San Francisco the Chinese for years
defied the police by erecting barbados be-
tween their gambling dens and the streets
but the authoritieo finally passed an ordi-
nance prohibiting the erection OF such
barrlcades, as menace to the safety of the
city IN case of fire, and the police there
have finally, il is said broken up the tan
games. If there is any way by which the
trustees OF this city can strengthen the
hands of the police in such matters they
should do so, and then, if the police do
not break up gambling, they will Justly be
held responsible.
The RECORD UNION is prepared to- give
credit where credit is due, and to condemn
what has even the appearance of being an
evasion of duty on the part of officials
sworn to execute the laws.