New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-07
THE BL1CENIlL or THE POOLROOMo.

Police Commissioner MacLean, at the meeting
Of the Baptist Social Union on Thursday even
ing. denounced the city poolrooms in vigorous
language. and said with truth, that they cause
more damage and mischief than the sale of lot
terry tickets Tammany Hall is protecting these
poorcoms for the sake OF the blackmail "hich
il exacted from them every week by certain
agents who are generally believed to be entirely
in tho confidence of certain subordinate mem-
bers of the Police Department., ana 10 Fpresen.
also the official blackmailerS OF Tammdny ian
itself. This is one of the most cruel outrages
for which Tammany is responsible and these
noolrooms do infinitely more harm than the lot
ferries ever did. The lottery drawings as a rule
are held only once month. The people VINO
Inv ottqry-tickets are not spending their money
for that purpose day after day and week after
week. They may make few purchases OF lot-
tcryticlets in the course Of q month, but " play
inc the lottery" as it is called is not constant,
daily drain upon their wages or means OF sup
mort. No reference is now made to policy
playing, which works much mischief among inc
noorcst and most degraded classes CT the city,
but does not extend nearly so far in It's eviis
and residential effects aS does the gambling
carried on in the city poolrooms.
Scores of poolrooms are open on Manhattan
Island six days in the week They are crowded
with men and boys. who are as completely uncer
the spell of the viest and most debased form
of gambling as the opium-eater Is cnthFalled ny
the fascination Of the malefcent drug which
holds him captive. These poor dcuded ire
ouenrers of the poorooms are flccced and SWIM
died every day, as thoy are betting in the win
ter on races in which there is no touch OF hon
estv or fairness They are trying to win money
on the Guttenburg and Gloucester hirpodromeS,
which are as clearly prearanged swlndles ana
frauds ~ arc the tricks of the thmbe-rgSer
and the bunco stccrcr. Every habtual maker OF
bets in the poolrooms, especially II he bets on
winter-racing, is absolutely certain to be heavy
loser in the long run. New-iorkcrs generally
have no conception of the extent OF the opera
tions and the prevalence OF the evils or the
pooroom Thousands Of families in this city
have been beggaIcd, have been driven to des-
ttution and misery, by these horrible pestholes.
The District-Attorneys office. and the PolIce
Department could close them any day II they
desired to DO it, just the poolrooms were closed
in BROOKLYN Our great sister city across the
East River is free from poorooms, from faro
banks and from houses of Infamous reputation
Brooklyn is governed under exactly the same
State laws as Ncw-York City is. Why do not
the Police Department and the DiStrct-Attor-
ncys Office of this city accomplish the same re-
salts as the Police Department and the District
Attorney, Office on the other side OF the East
River accomplish? The answer is plain and
simplc-blackmll and Tammany Hall II is
certainly as easy to close pOoroomS and keep
them closed on one sidc Of the river as the other,
and no amendment Of the law i necessary II
the Police Department and the District-Attorney
set their hands in earnest TO the work.
Now that a Police Commissioner in public
meeting has admitted the disgrace and iniamy
and he injury 10 the city Of New-lork caused
hy the many po)lroom-, We hope 20 zee the Po-
lice Board take some action in this matter.
Would ii not be proper and becoming for Com
missioner NacLcan 10 introduce resolution at
the next meeting If the Board, declaring thai
Superintendent Murray, Chief Inspector ByrneS,
au tho inspectors and all the police captains will
he promptly pu, on trial if every poolroom in
Ncw-Yorl is not closed Immediately and kept
closed? What can be the possible objection to
Mr.. NIacJ.can's introducing such a resolution, and
what defence could any Police Commissioners
in,crpcsc for voting against it? Is it necessary
that the morality and responsibility of New
York should call a great ma>S-mccting to tie
nounce the District-Attorncys Office and the
Police Department for their failure TO close the
poolrooms? A mass meeting was held recently
to protest against the Louisiana Lottery and to
raise money to crush it; but the poolrooms OF
Now-Yorlx are the sources of much more serious
evil than the Louisiana Lottery ever was in this
metropolis They rob and plumber more people
daily than arc despoiled by all the plckpcckcts,
burglars bunco- stecrcrs and thieves OF every
sort in this city, outside of the poolrooms, in the
course Of an entire year.