Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-14
GETTING AT THE COLD FACTS,
The Police Commission Investi-
gates Chinese Gambling.
Some Pointed Testimony Offered at
the Meeting Yesterday.
Detective Auble Gives Some Interest
ing Evidence-He Shows How
Gambling Could Be
Stopped.

Gambling Could Be
Stopped.
The police commission, sitting as
committee OF the whole, yesterday, hat
it demonstrated to them that there was
and has all along been, gambling il
Chinatown, and also that the China
men were not only willing and anxious
to pay for police protection, but tha
they had paid for the privilege to rur
unmolested.
The chief of police-John M. Glass
objected to the introduction in evidence
Of any statements made by Chinese az
to what police officers they had paid
money to as bribes. The chief stated
that Chinaman was not to be believed
under oath, and that if his statements
were allowed to be made. and got into
the newspapers, the character of the
policemen would be blackened.
This is the very proof upon which ii
is claimed that it can be shown that the
Chinese have been paying money, and
that gambling has been running in Chi
natown about as openly as it ever was.
But it is also stated that the reason a
man feels perfectly safe in taking money
from Chinaman, is because he thinks
as the chief does-'no one will believe a
Chinaman under OATH" if he gives him
away.
Just the same, the testimony given
by the witnesses yesterday afternoon
developed some very breezy facts, and
60 to show that Commissioner M. P.
Snyder has done the public and the
people of Los Angeles good service in
insisting on an investigation, despite all
the bulldozing he was subjected to and
the delays and postponements that have
from time to time been made.
The Investigation has not yet been
concluded, but 1t probably will be to.
day. There are some important wit
nesses yet to be examined. Below is
detailed report Of what was done yester-
day afternoon.
THE INVESTIGATION COMMENCES.
The commission chose Commissioner
Lewis as presiding officer, and proceeded
to investigate Chinese gambling. Com
missioner Shatto arrived before the ses-
sion asa committee of the whole, opened.
Captain Mackay also came in.
The first witness subpen@d was De-
tective AuDle, who was duly sworn by
the mayor. He testified that there
were few tan games running in China
town at times. But as soon as the
officers put in an appearance the games
ceased. Lottery games were running
but 1t was impossible to secure con-
viction in the courts of the conductors
OF the games. There were five or six
places where Chinese lottery was drawn
in Chinatown. Nearly every store in
Chinatown was engaged in selling lot
terry tickets, and they were purchased
by all classes of people.
THE POLICE CERTAIN.
The police were certain that the
games were being run, but it was i'm
possible to stop them. Lottery tickets
were peddled all over town in offices
and stores. There were four or. five
places in Chinatown where gambling
was run with great persistence. Two
men, he thought, could break up gam
bling In ChinRtown-one man to be
stationed in new Chinatown and one on
Los Angeles street. This would require
three additional men on the force.
Cinnamon had approached the witness
and offered him monetary considera-
tions to protect them. He had always
declined these offers, and informed the
party making the suggestion that he in
tended to do his duty fully, in the mat
ter of suppressing gambling. The wit
ness had seen an officer pass by place
where he, the witness, thought game
was running, and where he afterwards
found out one was in full blast.
WANTED TO DETECT BRIBERY.
The witness then related conversa-
tion he had with Jesse Hardesty, who
had offered to assist him in detecting
police officers in taking bribes from
Chinese gamblers. Officers Rohn and
Bevan were the two policeman sus-
pected. The witness thought, though,
that it was an attempt to blacken the
character of the officers, and he did not
propose to be party to any such job.
Mr.. Auble swore that Hardesty after
ward came to him and said that the
-Chinamen had got on to the job. He
objected. because the witness had told
the chief about the way in which he
(Hardesty) was going to detect the Of
fcers taking bribes. Hardesty said
that he did not want the chief to know
anything about the effort to detect
officers taking bribes.
REMIss IN THEIR D6TY.
Mr.. Auble swore that his impression
was that some officers in Chinatown had
been remiss in their duty in passing by
places where games were in operation.
The detective swore that he thought
$500 or 5000 per month was spent on lot
terry games. 1t was all profit. There
were hundreds OF highbinders in China
town who lived off Of gambling and pros
titutes. 1t was impossible to svag" a
Chinaman and get conviction. The
courts would not convict.
Detective Auble swore that in three
years he had raided two faro games. He
did not know of other games that were
or had been running.
BLIssFUL IGNORANCE.
Ex-Oficer r. F. Van Cleave was next
sworn. He had not been on the force
since February, 1891. His beat had run
through portion of Chinatown, but he
never saw any gambling going on. He
did not know how the games were
played, and made no endeavor to find
out. He did not consider it his busi-
ness.
USED TO PULL THEM LIVELY.
LNxr-n IN