New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-24
FIGHTING THE POOLROOMS.
THEIR OPPONENTS HEARD AT ALBANY.
srroxc ARGUMENTS IN FAVOR OF THE sAXToN-
PRESCOTT BILL MADE By WE'LL
KNOWN MEN
IpY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRiBuNE.j

IpY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuNE1
Albany March o3-The Joint hearing
bv the Senate and Assembly judiciary
Committees on the saxton Prescott Pool bill
attracted great deal OF at'ehuoh. ine
Senate library crowded. Among the well'RIlo""
men from New York present we're welcome IT, h'e''-
cock A. F. Libbey ii. l.. Janewny James ieareance.
OF the Equitable Life AssurarA Company hiii"e"
Van Rensselaer,, Anthony ComstocK and the Rev f. L..
Shearer. The Rev. DR.. Freeman. o! Troy, ana TIE
Rev DR.. Mcleod. II Albany. also were present 1here
was full attendance OF members OF both committees
No one appeared In opposition TO the BILL
Asscmblyman Hsnnessy. Of brooklyn spoke In
favor OF the BILL but he wanted to make some amend
mcns 10 IT, lie thought that the state should secure
some portion OF the additional money that would DO
made By the jockey clubs by closing up the pool
rooms The paseage OF this bill would drive many
moro boomakers TO the tracks ami largely Increase
the receipts The members Of the committee did ho1
think trat his amendments were proper to this section
OF tho bill.
Mr. Conlstock made the main argument In favor OF
the BILL He said that he stood In just the same
position that he occupied in 1877. when he opposed
the passage OF the original BILL lie read the decsions
OF the courts on th, subject. The entire law was
satisfactory TO him except section A. which suspends
the operation Of the Law against betting for SIX months
OF the year. since the passage oil the ives rooi
law there las not been q single Imprisonment Tor
violation OF the law. The law did not allow the
selling OF French pools. Section 35l OF the Pehm
Code had been put into the saxtonPcscott bill. 80
that I'm constituting the section OF the Ives Pool law
under which poolselllng permitted, the courts
would have the advantage OF the decisions upon that
point. Mr. ComstOck then told the story OF the
De Lacey case and read portion OF the testimony
and tho decision handed down In that case.
Mr. COmstock turned from the discussion OF the
history Of the law as II is now and the manner III
which the courts had gotten around II In the interest
OF the pOolroomS, ~ tell the members OF thc
committee the necessity for the passage OF the SIN
ton Prescott bill. lie said that In the state To-Day
there !, 900 poorooms. They were III tie cues
towns aud villages; they were run openly anu III
defiance Of the law and Of public opinion Devas'a-
ton followed In their wake lie could tell OF the
desolaon that had come and WAS TO come to many
homes through them. and OF young men who had
started ont In life with the best prospects. but whose
careers had been blghted through ioio"'hg u
straight tip" In the poolroom. II was the ri'o
transit 10 morul and financial ruin OF the un"ary'
the criminal and the shiftlcss.
Senator SiAton told the story OF mar III this CITY
who had been ruined by the poorooms. and finally
had committed suicide TO escape the disgrace brought
upon him by them.
Welcome G.. Hitchcock was the next speaker. lie
said that the first thing he knew Of The pcroom
was when friend Of his. merchant came TO MN
and asked fo be- allowed TO stand In his window and
SEE Who went into pooroom across the street Dur
ne the luncheon hour $50 young men walled IN ana
out OF the place n single day. The man VINO
callcd his attention to the pooro6m discharged six
81 his men On January J. All Of them had been good
and faithful CLERKS w TO the time wAeil thcy FOL inc
poolroOm habit.
A. +. Llhbcy, a commission merchant In thurch-st
said that there were three poorooms wi,hin 'ir'r
blocss OF hi, place. lie had been compelled u dis
charge two men through whom lie had suffered
losses on account Of the poolroons.
f. L. Jancwny mplorcd the committee to stand
10y them In thi, crisis.
senator ROesch said after the bearing was over
hat lie Assemble Committee would meet III Us own
room Ia decide upon the BILL but the senate Com
mi,tce would report tie bill ia'orably Just u IL
stood IN the morning
THANK God - exclaimed the Rev. DR.. Mcleod on
hearing this. This closed the hearing.