St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-12-14
General Chicago Arising
Against the Garfield Park
Gambling He'll.
EX-Mayor Carter Ha rpison
Raises His Voice Against
the Evil.
INN ediate Steps to Be Taken
for Permanent Suppression
Of the Disgrace.
Indications of q Hitch in the
Twelve-Club League
Scheme.

CHICAGO. Dec. 13.-The raid made on
the Garfield race track yesterday caused
a sensation in all circles to-day. The
press, the clubs and the most prominent
divineS in the city have taken a hand
with the business men and prominent
citizens for the permanent suppression
of this place, which is located within
the city limits, about a stone s-throw
from one of the finest parks in the city,
and adjoining the West Side boulevard.
The fight promises to be bitter one.
The Inter-Ocean today prints the fol-
lowing report OF meeting held at the
Illinois club: The Garfield Park
club was declared a public NUS
ance and menace to the peace and good
order of the citizens of the West side at
an enthusiastic meeting held by mem
bers of the Illinois club last night. The
question of eabating the nuisance and
prohibiting the alleged races conducted
by the gambling fraternity was
Agitated i'm a Lively Manner
that promises to produce good results.
President William J. Chalmers, of the
Illinois club, called the meeting to Or
der shortly after o'clock. He said it
was the outgrowth of a meeting held
Thursday by the trustees, who wishe d
the club to discuss ways and means
for closing up the Garfield Park
races, and suppreSsing the evils
connected Herewith. No legi-
innate race course was ever conducted
as this Garfield Park track had been
run during the past year. The West
side cars were filled with the lowest
classes of men and women going to and
from the gambling ground; the West
side streets were constantly filled with
gamblers and the dregs of humanity, in
consequence of the Ubiquitous institu-
ton. They had stopped the racing on
the track that comes within the limit of
their Jurisdiction under the law, but
the gamblers had already issued eireu-.
lars announcing that they would re-
sumo again in April. He thought if
the club took the matter in hand. it
could drive them from those grounds
forever. Mr.. Chalmers then introduced
EX-Mayor Carter Harrison,
editor and proprietor of the Times. Mr..
Harrison began by saying that all men
knew from tradition that he was the
friend of the gamblers while mayor
of Chicago. He confessed that re did
not believe that gambling could be en-
tirely suppressed. There was a streak
in human nature that caused men to
gamble for the sake of trying to gain
something for nothing. His policy was
to allow open gambling, and regulate it
as far as possible, so as to reduce it to a
minimum. But the gambling dens of
Clark street were small evils compared
with the hell at Garfield P ark. He had
seen the cars crowded with
gamblers whose faces were famii-
lar to him in the Old DAYS;
had seen them hanging on to the cars
like turtles on log in a southern flood.
lie had seen many women filling the
cars who were whited. sepulchers, and
many others who had not yet fallen be-
You'd redemption, all going to the hell
at Garfield park, where no entrance fee
was required. 1t was a public shame
and disgrace. Hundreds of youths aged
fourteen to twenty. went there every
day to buy pools. Not only did they
learn to gamble, but they were supplied
with beer and no policeman raised
hand to stop the unlawful traffic.
From that race course" said Mr.. Har-
risOn, 1.-The road to the brOthel has been
encouraged and made vide and smooth,
Fifteen hundred persons few weeks
ago were on the ground; about half
were more or less respectable and the
rest belonged to the fallen and degraded
class. The city authorities can stop
this evil. They can
Suppress George Hankins
just as they have suppressed Joe Ull-
man. 1t is time this thing was stopped,
and l know it can be stopped. The peo-
pie of the West side can rise IN their
might and go to the chief of police and
demand that he shall stamp out this in
iquity as hell upon earth. The West
and household goods, put there by men
who were ruined at this race track. Go
to the city authorities with aroused
public sentiment and you can compel
them TO take prompt and decisive &C
ton, and rid this part of the city of the
worst gambling hell it h1s ever known"
The Rev. DIR. j. l.. Withrow, of the
Third Presbyterian church, was the next
speaker introduced by the president.
DIR. WithrOw said he was glad to take
part in movement where the morals
and welfare, not only of the West side,
but of the whole city, were at stake.
Let u.s." said lie, do as Mr.. Harrison
advised, and 90 TO the city authorities
and say it must be stopped. If any
public officer takes an Office, lifts his
hand before Almighty God and swearS
that he will execute the laws, he ought
to do it, or sink into the ground. | hope
that the people of the great West side
will get duly aroused and raise Garfield
Park high in the arr President H. l..
Thompson. OF the West side park board.
did not think that either Mr.. Harrison
or DR.. Withrow had language to ex-
press the
Extent of the Evil
existing at Garfield park President
Thompson described the successful eff
forts made by the park police, aided by
the city police. to stop the racing on the
outer track yesterday afternoon. The
racing on the other track in the slush
and mud looked like cyclone in lake.
Yet the sorry animals were pounded
around the track in this awful manner,
Just Tor the sake of selling pools. The
Rev. Or. Lawrence, pastor of the Sec
ond Baptist church, thought that the
situation had been put before the meet
ing with great force of will and logic
by eX-MayOr Harrison and WithrOw.
1t was a herculean task, he said. to
clean out this race track, for it was a
filthier thing than the Augean stables
of old. but it could be done. As Gov.
OgieSby said regarding anarchy on GER
tain historic occasion, when the law
raises in its majesty and jumps on a
thing with both feet, it can stamp hell
out of it," The West side has within
itself the power to stamp out this evil.
Rev. Mr.. Wallace, of the English Pres
byterian church. eulogized the papers
OF Chicago which had taken sta~t on