The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-12-19
POLICY PLAYED DAILY
mo Matter What Police
Captains Tell Super
intendent Smith.
mo TROUBLE TO FIND SHOPS.
Information Which Locates Them
Nearly Enough for Any
Wide Awake officer.

The extension of policy gambling in
this city is something amazing. Not
many years ago this game of chance was
comparatively UNKNOWN, but within the
last few years men about town with
money to invest have gone into the busi-
ness. and now they pretty nearly ''own
the town." They either openly defy the
police or prOpitiate them. They trample
under foot the laws of the State aud ignore
all rules OF honesty aud decency.
There can hardly be any doubt that the
police captains aud their subordinates
know of the existence of these policy
shops. and it is their duty to report the
facts to Superintendent Smith. II they
do not do this voluntarily. the Superin-
tendent should interrogate them as to
E what knowledge they have of the matter.
If they are absolutely ignorant of mat
ters so we'll known TO the public. they can
hardly be fit for the positions tn ey hold
as conservators of law and order, and
they can only prove their right to be con-
y tinued in office by showing concIusively
that the public and THE JERSEY CITY
NEWS are wrong in this matter aud that
gambling games carried on in this city
under their very noses.
1t is needless to say they cannot prove
any such thing. On the contrary, the
direct opposite can aud will be proven.
Superintendent Smith may easily be ig-
noraut of such matters because he cannot
be expected to go about the city ferreting
out such things for himself. He must
necessarily rely upon the reports of his
subordinates. That is a necessity of the
e{t {on fnr nm Ia nnH htrt
with the police captains ana sergeants 1t
is different. 1t is their duty to know of
such maj ters; to go about the various pre-
cincts over which they preside, ascertain
what is going on, and to report to their
superfors any violations of law which
they may discover. That is the purpose
of the morning conferences held daily at
Police Headquarters
BIT OF HISTORY.
Not many years ago the game was
operated by a select few. Tnev had a
monopoly. they became very rich. Their
wealth excited envy. A new ring was
formed in opposition 60 the old one, and
until recently hot war has been waged
between the two factions 1t Is said that
only an amicable settlement between the
= Factions prevented wholesale raid on
npfhe one which did stand in with the
#olice at that time.
The raiding aud arrest Of that motor
jous policy hacker, Charles Thomas, will
OA re Q1emO6TeQ. 10OLaAS' dTF6Sb huu lu-
dictment caused considerable hustling
among policy men, and it subsequently,
became too hot for Thomas
to remain In the city. Be-
fore leaving, however, he sold out
his business for a neat sum. The pur-
chssers of Thomas business were COM
paratively new men ut It, and 1t is said
that their ide8 or the barrels OF money
they were going to make were knocked
into a cooked hat. as instead of swindling
other people out of money. they were
badly beaten at their own game.
Thomas superintendent was retained
for some time by the new proprietors
but in some way a great many gigs
came out and the two new men were con-
tinually going down in their pockets to
finally dropped" to the game, and iu-
sisted that new man be placedin charge
Of the Office. This was done, and since
that time the money OF foolish policy
PLAYERS has been rolling In In good style.
The operation OF policy shops by the
\ two gangs cut up the business and as II
result howl was raised. and it Is stated
on good authority that raid was to
have been made, but the tip that policy
shops were in operation was not given to
Superintendent Smith. aud consequently
the matter fell through.
Since the Superintendent's subordinates
have tailed to do their duty In reporting
the existence of these dens, The JERSEY
CITY NEWS desires to show him that
numerous shops are operated in every
precinct in the city. so that he will
be enabled to call the Captains to account
for their neglect of duty.
WHERE THE SHOPS ARE.
Tn the First precinct, OF which Fred L.
Farrier is Captain, there are at least thirty
or these shops. In the immediate vicinity
OF the Pennsylvania Railway depot there
are eight, and near the sugarhouse as
many more. There are three within a
stones throw OF Police Headquarters,
and the remainder are scattered about
the tenement house districts from Hen
derson street to the foot of the Hill.
In the Second precinct, over which
Captain Kelly presides and in which is
supposed TO prohibit gambling and the
maintenance of gambling hells, there are
at least twenty-five more. One block
below the old station house there
are two. while on Pavonia ave-
nue. it is impossible to glance in many
doors without seeing u sign reading.
'Game open at half-past seven" This
sign refers to the envelope game, even
more open game of robbery than policy.
every policy shop in Captain Kelly's pre-
cinct, but still no report, of This state of
affairs is reported TO Superintendent
Smith.
Third, there are many of these shops and
it would appear that loss of sight is an
epidemic which has seized every member
OF the police force save the Superin-
tendent.
THE FIRST STEP.
He. it is said, has already taken steps to
suppress the shops In the lower section of
the city. The places are to be guarded by
policemen, and players and runners alike
will he brought to the bar of justice. On
the Heights, in other sections. the opening
of shops has begun. and where half dozen
were located few months ago the back
ers of the game are now seizing every
small office possible and opening the
gsnle.
Captains Lange. McKaig and Smith
should look after them.
That such crying evil should be nj
lowed to exist In the city is public dis
grace.
MRS. BERTHA AlPERS ARRESTED.