The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-11-29

liceman's row, Niger row, etc. Colored
players are very superstitous, and they are
often Influenced in their playing by dreams
and various other signs and omeus.
The drawings are based on those made in
Frankfort KY, the FIX standing for this,
by lottery of which s. T. Dickinson & Co.
are managers. Each day at 10 IN. and p m.
seventy-eight figures are placed In round
wheel, and by means Of a blindfolded boy
twelve numbers are drawn for each row. BY
means OF cipher the results are telegraphed
to this city and all over the country. Upon
their arrival they are printed on hand-press
by the men running the policy agency and
then distributed in the form printed above.
At present there are very few regular policy
shops In the city, but it is not difficult
matter for any one who is known to obtain a
"play." Barber shops and saloons generally
screen the true nature of place of this kind.
In these places there is generally some one
who will take ones play. The simple act of
accepting the money and writing down the
chosen figures constitutes the crime of writing
policy. When shop is maintained the only
paraphernalia is two or three sheets OF mani
fold paper, stylus, and piece OF tin to write
upon. Each play is put down. One sheet 10
kept by the writer, the other issent to the firm
or "backers.n
When the police began to enfore the law
stringently, they found the greatest diff
Guilty In making successful raid. The
writers had all manner OF means OF preventing
surprise and detection. 1t is known that one
policy shop in the First precinct hired boy
at $3.50 per day to do nothing but watch the
station house. He signaled to another man
every time policeman left the station house,
and In the policy shop which was two or three
blocks distant, all the paraphernalia was hid
until that officer was at good distance. At
each corner on the block where another shop
was located lookout was stationed At the
door OF the shop WAS also q lookout. The
moment an officer or q suSpicious-looking
DefSOp aDDaarei the at the door
signaled to and he by means Of an electric bell
gave the warning to those inside.
Many times the officers, though having
positive information that policy was being
written ut certain place, would when 1t was
raided find not vestge Of evidence and the
place would be deserted Upon one occasion,
the officers raided shop only to find an old
colored lady calmly ironing. When the room
was examined it was found that she was iron
ing an unwashed shirt with cold iron, while
In secret drawer all the paraphernalia were
discovered At another time the police were
informed that thirty persons were playing at
certain place. A raid was made, but ap-
parently all there was there was another old
colored woman scrubbing the floor. The
thirty players had been warned and went out
back alleyway while the police came in the
front Often when the writer's are caught in
the act they will fight the police desperately.
In all the shops that existed there was some
secret hiding place where all the material
couiu De stoWeu away IN second. drawers
with false bottoms, trap-doors in the floors,
and secret panels were resorted to. In one
shop on e street northwest it took the officers
three days to locate this hiding place, but
when found it contained barrel full of policy
materials
AS said before, most of the playing now is
done on the street. The writers are known
by the players ond the numbers are given as
they pass along while behind is another man
who receives the money. The "books'' and
money are carried across the river by these
runners to the hackers or financial men Of
the firm. They cross the river either by car
riage, train, or row boats. The drawings are
received there by telegraph and the ''pullings"
printed Most of the runners used to cross
by the bridges but the police watch them 30
closely now they dare not do this and there
fore resort to other methods of getting across.