The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-07-17

FOR WOMEN.
CONTINUED rom FYra Pno..,

CONTINUED rom Fira P17..,
Bleecker street, nearly opposite the once
famous. or rather Infamous. Slide"
The third house from the corner OF
South Fifth avenue IL used by Allen for
his establishment. II is one OF those
three-story and attic houses which still
remain to mark the time when Bleecker
street was fashionable dwelling place
and the Bleeckers hobnobbed with the
Nanderbits and other families long
since removed to more elegant quarters.
Flimsy Attempt to Disguise.
The basement is occupied as Il deli
catcssen shop. On the parlor fGur the
windows have been cut down to a level
with the floor and d slightly abutting set
of sashes has replaced the old frames,
which had small old-fashloned panes OF
glass. Blue shades are drawn ~ from
the bottom. Upon these windows Is the
sole attempt at disgusting the character
of the place. An insc"Ltirr H. whli"
enamel letters on the ons nearest, South
Fifth avenue reads Patents applied for
legend: "R5al estate ana insurance Of
flee No proprietor name appears.
lhSSw hove, and beyond a lev fictitious
nothing in keepirg with susl an onlce.
IL there were the illusion could be
quickly dispeled by the presence. on the
lower stoop of 6urly fellow VIII short
tache, who guards the entrance and
flashes his evil eye upon each face not
entirely familiar to him which passes
towards the old carved portal. This fell
low is evidently on The best Of terms
with the policemen on post, and always
exchanges IL word or two with them rs
they pass.
Inside the hall is darkened. and at the
opened door Of what was formerly "a
front parlor stands another. sentry or
guide. rather, to direct male visitors
into the back room and those of the
other sex up the dark stairway to the
second floor, where the women are per-
United to lose their money to the man
whose brutality to women a dozen years
ago made him as famous as did his de-
ilance of law and order.
Where the Women Gamble.
men gamble. is almost entirely deyoid
of furniture, the rooms the floor
above are rendered comfortable with as
| little outlay as possible.
| The women who visit this place are
attired In all sorts OF costumes, some
fashionable, others unreasonable and
lar in the dives that formerly thrived
| thereabout, and most of them are we'll
known to Proprietor Allen.
| This Is not the first venture in the
| same direction, for he kept woman 8
! pool-room az an annex to his saloon at
| South Fifth avenue and Blocker street
until his, murderous assault upon the
| Italian whose name was used as n cloak
IN running the place put an end to the
| dive.
Nothing like luxury, or, for that mat
ent ladies " room. There are simply
n few chairs in the otherwise bare
rooms. aud the only man allowed in the
| apartments Is "Dannie," the handsome,
black mustached fellow who takes the
women's bets and attends to the infre-
quent transaction Of cashing their win
| ming tickets at the window in the room
below. "Daunie' is not averse to giving
a little advice, now and then, to
which horse is likely to win. When his
| tout" loses, though, the anathemas he
| has hurled ut him would make any
one else shudder.
The Main PooI-Room.
The front room OF the first floor con-
tains a long table. around which are
half a dozen chairs and upon which are
scattered IA few daily and weekly news
stands n desk of the household pattern.
before which, in "A willow chair yesterday,
was seated Proprietor Allen, looking as
se,ii-conhdent smooth and jauntS as In the
same welldressed, slim and trim little
fellow with the dark complexion. silky
little mustache and foxy. restless eyes
that seem to see everywhere at once.
ana has the same reckless air Of
bravado. yet calm elaboration. that
caused his colossal mpudence to be mis-
taken for a quality OF INFINITELY more
force and distinction.
II any trace remained OF the bluff
attempted, It would be instantly dispelled
by glance at the ward man, who stood
| in the front corner, near the door, COM
maning "A view of both rooms. BY no
conception could he be useful to real
estate" office, either as an assistant or
ornament. He was there for just one
purpose, namely, to watch for suspicious
actions ON the part of visitors.
Entries and odds Are Posted.
The rear room Is The pool-room proper
and here were grouped the bettors, bard
ly one cf whom looked anything but
" crook" \ percentage CARD hung
over the mantel inl another was tackled
to the partition between the room and
the side hall. lHDn these were recorded
the, jockeys, with the straight place and an,
ia betting, III IN me or1Tr s seh annrss
were changed. as required, by man
about nifty years old. who was called
"Jonn," and whose customary station
was in a far corner, diagonally opposite
that occupied by the man In The front
room. where he. too. could command a
view of both rooms, as We'll as OF the
| hallway.
In the extension the real apparatus Is
located. and in such Il manner as to be
entirely cut Off from access. The win
dows opening from the back parlor have
old IA shioned solid inside shutters. The
bottom halves OF these are closed, max
Ing sort of partition feet high, and the
window sashGs are drawn s d9 9W TO
ter of each window Is cut mere slit
twelve inches wide and but an inch In
height, running crosswise. a small shell
runs through each.
business ONCE In the Extension
In this annexed apartment are a
| sheetwriler, n cashier and a telegraph
| operator. The "Sounder" is mutlied
and cannot he heard, except by a sharp
ear placed closed to the slight opening
. in the window. From behind the blinds
at the left window IA voice reads off tn.
changes and announces the odds on
each entry closing with:
Come on, now, II YOU want TO get or
this race! Come, come now, nearly
closed"
Just before the race is CLOSED" this
individual gets very impatient. and
shrieks loudly: Are you all through
with this race?"
How Patrons Are SwindIed.
|, might be well TO remark, just here
that the clerk is SOW and that races are
mot closed with the horses at the post
This /, certain from the fact that the
receiver has been known - take losing
bets and refuse bets on the winner after
the race has actually been run. This
Is KIN VIII Ia some OF the gamblers, but
har iy would they dare kick" ever
If lhey were themselves the sufferers
by the swindle, \ kick" in "Tne'
Aliens means rough handling ana a col
"a.