Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1894-02-28

nv further burden and expense In pre-
enting these thefts from the wages of the
eople. Information, however, soon came
o us that without interference from the 1
'olice the same kind Of robbery was being
arried on at the same old stands. We
waited patiently for six months, not wish-
vas done upon their own motion by the
department. of police. A second time, and
It'll acting under protest, we took up the
burden, and once more secured tnforma-
aon upon which the prosecuting officer
could bring into court these well-known
thieves and robbers of the wages of the
poor.
Let me ask you to note carefully the fell
lowing facts: Evidence having been OBJ
tanned by us not only that eight of these
policy shops had been in daily operation,
but also that ON the morning of February
5 they were open as usual; at about
into the hands of the police. We had re-
queated-aud we hold that under the city
ordinances it was the duty of the police
that q sufficient search of the premises
should be made to seizs the gambling ma
terials, the manifold books aud policy slips
which are to be found in such places. We
had also stated that tho raid should |
be made between 11:30 and 10. Objection |
was made ct police headquarters that this |
could not be done at such short notice, and
then several of the warrants were actually
served by 10 O'Clock. One officer was sent
to each place, not two. No search was
made, no policy slips secured. I can pro-
duce credible witness to make oath to the
following facts: At the policy shop known
as Lewis up to about o'clock customers
had been seen coming and going. Between
the hours of 80 and 10, after the officers
had called Mr.. Levi to go with them to the
police station, from sixty to seventy-five
men were seen going and coming In the en-
try leading to that same policy shop,
thirty five of them being counted, and
eiRhs were observed examining policy
slips which they held in their hands as
they came out from the Office. That after
noon Captain Wrinn kindly offered to me
his explanation of that performance Of the
police. I.have heard also, though some
what Indirectly, Of the explanation which
Mr.. Lsvi gave to his friends of the reason
for the failure of that raid. Possibly upon
inquiry you gentlemen might find out the
real inwardness of the affair. Having
quietly witnessed this interesting exhibit
ton of the best endsavors of the
police to aid the prosecuting Off
Ger as required by the ordinance,
anu learning IQat Wullo MI ASVl "aa
looking after the bonds, the policy writers
were looking after customers at the same
stand, We took up third time the task,
against which we protest, of obtaining evil
dence. The next day, with perfect ease,
our agents secured further evidence against
four policy shops. The only difficulty ex-
perienced in obtaining this evidence was
tho delay occasioned in Mr.. Lewis place on
account of the crowd there waiting to be-
served by the writer's. In fairness to Cap
tain Wrinn I would state that, inssmuch
as he had offered to me an explanation of
the failure of the police the day before to
obtain evidence in these policy places,
deemed it only just to the department to
give them, upon our information, still
another opportunity to show their vigilance
and efficiency in the same direction. Ac-
cordingly, upon our additional informa-
ton, Mr.. Matthewman promptly issued
three warrants, which were given to the
police department at about 3 O'Clock of the
afternoon of February 7. Captain Wrinn
had said to me on the afternoon of the 9th
made a memorandum, that bad the police
made the raid of themselves, and not, as he
supposed, simply to make an arrest, it
would have been done vary differently:
"We should have sent" he said,
"not one officer, but two; and
he added, eve should have ssnt them at an
hour when we knew they were playing"
I assume, then, that the honrs of play in
the policy shops were not entirely I'M
known at police headquarters In our in
formation we had carefully covered that
point. Note now this fact. These war
rants for this additional raid were not
served at the later hour when the policy
shops are known to be most frequented,
but they were returned to police head
| quarters q little after O'clock! According
/ to our information, after this second arrest
| at the wrong time the policy writer's re-
sumed their business at the regular hours.
Gentlemen, we make no charges against
| any officers of the police force; we leave
that to you. But we ask of you judgment
on these facts. We leave this part of our
complaint with you in the following ques-
ton: Suppose one of you. on going to your
business, should direct your servant to go
for your children and to bring them safely
home from school with all their books
Suppose at dinner time you should learn
that your servant had gone aud returne
from the school house at 10 o'clock with
out having seen anything of your children.
Suppose that he should explain that he
had misunderstood your instructions, and
again you should tell him to go for your
children after school. Suppose in the
evening upon your return you should learn
that he had gone and returned from the
school house about o'clock without
bringing child or book home with him
I've ask, gentlemen, upon this SUPPOSE
ton, whether You would not find out, and
pretty quick, what was the matter with
that servant. Gentlemen of the board of
police commissioners, We have recited to
you the facts with reference to the action
of the police on February s and 7, relative
to the execution of warrants against policy
playing, and We ask of you to find out
what was the matter with your police.
But let me continue my narrative. Ga
Ing that In three places he needed the
writer's instead of the principles who had
been arrested, issued further warrants.
One of these was served at the right time
and some further evidence obtained by the
officers. An agent of the league went
with sn officer to identify the man wanted
at the policy shop on Wallace street, and
our agent raksd in by means of conven-
lent poker more gambling stuff in five min
utes than the police have seized for almost
as many years. We dQ~not believe, how.
before these and some other places they
are obliged to stand like certain statues OF
whom it ia said, "rhey have mouths, but
they speak not; eyes have they, but they
see not; noses nave they, but they smell
not" We ask you, gentlemen, to search
farther back until you find the causes and
the cost of the immunity of the policy
shops from too frequent police interfsr-
ence. We have reason to believe that there
are many members of tho police force who
would be willing to do their full duty in
enforcing all laws, If they felt that they
would be thoroughly supported. We are
willing to assume that the policemen gsn-
orally do about what they think is expected
of them. But we would respectfully sub.
init that the custom and tradition of the
department by which the policy shop has
come to be regarded as peculiar political
institution not to be seriously interfered
| with, Is matter which requires your i'm
mediate and prayerful attention. We
maintain that it is not unreasonable for
| US to demand that the police should know
as much about these policy places for the
Information of the prosecuting officer, as
we find the little colored newsboy on the
street knows for his own fun: We main
tain, further, that it is perfectly practicable
to put . stop to this public and mischiev-
GUS violation of the Law, whenever it comes
to be understood throughout the whole
force that this kind of robbery has got to
be stopped, and that this whole business
Is not to be protected even by still larger
contributions to the politics of the town.
IKE's HISTORICAL ROOMS.
There ia another gambling institution In
the first precinct which is, indeed, so an
Gent an institution that it might perhaps
be more appropriate for me to read paper
upon 1t for the enlivenment of meeting
of the Historical society. Irefer, Of course,