The morning call., 1891-03-11
DOOMED POOL-ROOM's.
The Supervisors Will Try to
Abolish Them.
Public Sentiment Against the Ruinous Dens
Greatly Aroused-Young Bryan's
Downfall-0ne of Many.

"The pool-rooms are a nuisance and
| should be suppressed"
| This is Chief Crowley's sentiment framed
in the fewest possible words. The immedi-
ate cause Of its utteranee was the sudden
| disappearance few days ago of Johnny
| Bryan, cashier OF Nathan & Co.. book max
ers. Bryan has not been seen since the last
| day of February, and the pool-rooms miss
| him. 1t is said Nathan e. Co. miss him too
miss him badly, al least several thousand
| dollars worth.
| Mr.. Nathan does not admit there is any
thing wrong-that is, does not openly admit
| it, He says it is not the public's business.
| and concerns nobody but himself and
! Bryan's family. He accordingly refuses to
J talk about the affair.
81 am the only one to suffer-" says he !;
| surely can keep still about it if L wish. L
promised his family / would not say any
thing about the matter, and Pm going to
keep my word"
WAS HIGH-FLYER.
Bryan's absence was first attributed to i'll
ness, but somehow the excuse appeared
fitmsy and lacked genuineness. Too many
knew what high-flyer the Young man was
and suspected the truth. He played horse
with the dash of a highwayman, and some
days found him thousands i'll. Dame Luck
was not always near him, though; much
oftener l. was Bacchus.
| The parents of the missing cashier live in
| Oakland. His father Is Thomas Bryan. at
| one time Supervisor of the Third Ward, and
| proprietor of the American Exchange Hotel.
| Young Bryan's dismal finale as pool
room sport is only one of thousands. 1t is
| more conspicuous only because it has been
| made public. 1t might be better from a
moral standpoint il all the pool room victims
were published. That public sentiment
| against these iniquitous dens is being
| aroused, there is no doubt, and that steps
| are now being taken to uproOt them IS fact
| CHIEF CROWLEY WILL ACT.
Chief Crowley signed petition to the
| legislature for the suppression of book
| making establishments some time ago, and
| an effort was made to pass bill that would
exterminate them. The p0ol-rOoms out
classed the champions of public morals
| by about $4,000, however, and the bill is
now among the legislative remains.
| Defeated in that line of battle a flank
movement is now on foot. The clergy Of
San Francisco have taken hand, and
many other good citizens are enlisted. An
| effort is being made to get local law en-
| acted that will have the desired effect
| Supervisor Ebert has an ordinance al
ready framed that he proposes to present to
| the board for adoption as soon as the LegiS-
| lature adjOurns. He had the same measure
| CUthGu duu ptihV ONCl u NOui d6u, W Hull ITO
was "rassiing" almost single-handed with
the corrupt solid nine. Finding, however,
| that it would be waste OF ammunition to
urge it then. he laid it away for future
| reference
As soon as The idea was suggested to the
members of the present board it received
| their hearty Endorsement, and they assured
| the movers that, if asked to pass such an
ordinance, they wonld surely do so if there
were no legal obstacles.
| LOADING THE GUNS.
| That substantially explains the present
| status of the matter While Mr.. Ebert
| thinks that the season is not ripe for the
| prosecution Of his scheme. still the Super
| visors have the subject under serious con-
SHERATON, and have called City and County
| burst into their counsel.
| Mr.. burst has been so overwhelmed with
| work for the last few weeks that he has
! found little time to hunt up the merits of
| the case, but he will have his opinion ready
as soon as the Supervisors are prepared TO
| act.
| Several attorneys have expressed the be-
| lief that there is no obstacle in the way of
| municipal legislation against the pool-rOoms.
| The city has passed laws against gambling
! houses and houses of ill-fame. and wherever
| they have been enforced and tested the
| Supreme Court has sustained them, except
| in the late case of All You, wherein that
| court maintained that the penal clause in
| the ordinance was unreasonable and IN
| constitutional