The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-08-29
THE GAMBLING MANIA.
It Keeps the Colored Populaticn
Of Washington Poor.
Jackson City, tho Moral Ccsspooi OF tho
National Capltal-IIow Policy Writing
Is Conducted-Supcrstltio OF tho
Unfortunate Gamblers.
Especial Washington Correspondence

Especial Washington Correspondence
There is no happier race of people on
earth than those docilc and much
abused natives of Africa who have be
come part and parcel of the conglomer-
ate citizenship of the foremost republic
on the face of the globe; and who en-
tered into our composite national life
without volition of their own
That they sing, dance, marry and are
given in marriage, with scarce IN ade-
quate appreciation of the sanctity of
the marital relation, is well known in
this city and in sections farther south;
but that they are naught other than
honest, wcll-meaning, law-abiding and
ambitious for educational advancement
is equally apparent. Like the aborigines
of this continent, they have learned all
of their vices from the superior race
superior, probably, in great measure,
because of centuries of fortunate CIR
cumstances.
Gambling in Washington Is common
to the colored portion of our popula-
ton, and, albeit only pennies or niclsels
are usually involved in their games,
they are none the less earnest and In
terested in tho hazard of their small
earnings. After shooting crap" in
which the lower classes indulge, comes
writing policy" and playwright. Every
effort of our wcll-disciplined police de-
partment for the suppression of this
vice has been abortivc, save in a re-
stricted circle. Indeed, fairness md
candor require the statement that this
species of gambling is not confined to
one race alone; although it obtains in q
great majority Of cases among the col
cred people. There are not only men,
but also women and boys daily engaged
in the useless and almost frantic en-
deavor to beat the game, with tho
usual result The managers get the
bulk of the money thus invested, and
the players get dear-bought experience,
but wisdom comes not in proper ratio
with their losses. Many family is de-
pendent upon charity for food, and
many boy and girl appears in most in
clement weather upon our streets
scantily clad, shoeless and bootless, be-
cause the earnings of daily toll arc
given away to professional rogues
Even our cautious Cinnamon are vic
tins of the game
The passage OF law by congress,
while it crippled tho greatest lottery
organization Of modern times, has not
suppressed it; and policy is an even
more insiduous and dishonest form of
lottery business than that which has
been denied the use Of the mails Sew
ern1 policy companies are engaged in
systematic and successful effort TO take
the earnings of the people, by their
credulity and mental alterations. One
of the principal Of these institutions is
located at Frankfort, Ky, and it's daily
drawings are sent by telegraph to all
points where its agents are located
The chances of winning anything arc
about as one In thousand The peo-
pie who play policy hero find agents
who are denominated policy writer's, {"
and these smooth individuals receive
money, record plays desired to be nude
on long slips Of white paper, and also in
a record book In which, by the use Of
carbon paper duplicates are made,
stamped and given to their dupes- One of
the victims who has spent great deal
of time and money in the game says
that one hundred numbers are used in
each drawing, twelve of which are is
sued for the morning drawing and
thirteen for the evening drawing, for