Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-30

W. TS4Rc of the law. Two of
N@Sn1 them are in the vii
] 6 !:
lage proper, while a
tME~lES~I@NH third one Is room
EG@h@lMIH built under an arch
! TEHR EMS way beneath the bed
4IfREW ! of the old Chesa-
WIN " - peake and Ohio
1>@a - canal These places
//|o do a thriving bust
ness. Such thing
as a genuine raid by the county officers
would be great surprise to the gamblers
as well as the police on this side of the
river. Most of the patrons of these places
are poor people, who can Ill afford to lose
their money. Then, too. there are the
drinking saloons, which seem to go hand
in hand with these gambling places.
Along the shore. less than a mile above
the bridge, there are three gambling
places. and in them are games of almost
roulette. sweat chuck-luck. and an &C.
casional game of poker. Crap seems to be
the principal game now, having taken the
place of keno, hazard and poker. which
were played SO much year ago. There Is
a fascination about the game which seems
to have strong hold on old poker players,
as well as on cart drivers and colored
boys, who hang about alleys and low dives
in cities.
These places do a thriving business all
the year round. and while the exact ex-
tent Of 1t is not known, some idea of 1t
may be formed from the fact that the
running of steam tug from the city every
day, although Sundays and Wednesdays
are known the big days"
At Rosslyn the patrons of the policy shops
and one gambling house, where other games
are conducted, are of all colors, sexes and
Sizes while at the up-river places the pa
irons are chiefly white people, including
professional gamblers, business men, me-
chanics and store clerks. as well as de-
partment clerks. The police say that a
Eumber OF young men, clerks in stores,
visit these places, and as 1t is a we'll
known fact, that the games are losing
employers of these people must suffer.
From time to time policeman has been
detailed at this end of the bridge, and he
has arrested many of the policy people.
The steam tug, however. has been permit
ted to take the more heightened gamblers,
or people with more money, to the more
fashionable gambling places without mo-
lestat!on.
Looking for Causes.
If asked why such a state of affairs pre-
walls, the people of Alexandria county
would shrug their shoulders and remark
that it does not pay to arrest people at
fifty cents a head, when the same people
are willing to pay literally not to be ar
rested.
A resident of Alexandria, man well in
formed III Sl;ch matters, speaking of the
subject explained that the colored voters
in the county far outnumbered the whites,
and that money was lavishly expended by
the gambling and other unlawful elements
at the elections for the purpose of secur-
ing the support of the colored voters in
the interests of those candidates for sher-
if, justices of the peace and constables,
on whom. the gamblers could rely. The
courts, it was explained, were anxious to
suppress lawlessness, but were powerless
to enforce the law. The citizens of the
county had on many occasions contributed
funds for the purpose of securing evidence
a
ments, but 1t had been practically impos-
sibe to secure the evidence. Time and time
again, it was said, plans made for raids
and arrests had been disclosed by those
very persons through whom it was ex-
pected 10 effect the raids and arrests.
This gentleman stated further that the
people Of the County had at last reached
the conclusion that only through change
in the county offices was there any hope of
putting down the lawlessness. Property
adjoining the lawless districts had gradu-
ally deprecated. 1t was pointed out, and
unless law was enforced and the thieves,
gamblers and toughs routed and forever
banished, there could be no real or substan-
tial advancement of the material interests
of the county. No intelligent person, it
was said, even dreams or such result I'M
der the present administration of the law.
There is to be an election of county Off
GERS before very long, and the better class
of citizens residing there are already con-
sidering plans by which men may be elect
ed VINO will stamp out the curse that is
blighting the county. The men interested
in this proposed reform are fully aware of
the difficulties in their way, which grow
out of the peculiar political situation that
exists in Alexandria county, but they hope
to overcome them by quiet but vigorous
campaigning. In conversation with one of
them yesterday e Star reporter was freely
introduced to the conditions existing there.
The Views of n Citizen.
'1f the sheriff and the county attorney
1,,fv, tn arla
gambler in Alexandria county could be
driven out of it in twerty-four hours. The
race-track gamblers would not be includ-
ed in this because their occupation is legal
lied, and it remains for the state legis-
!ature 10 say whether they shall continue
it unmolested or not, but repeat, with full
knowledge Of what ! say, that the faro,
craps and policy people could be rooted out
horse, foot ard dragons, and kept out
indefinitely, If the county authorities have
mentioned would only do their duty. There
is not Il resident Of Alexandria county, op-
posite this city, not man engaged in the
brick business over at Waterloo, for in
stance, or located anywhere In thai neigh
borhood. who Is not fully convinced that
Sheriff Veitch and his deputies, and all the
other county authorities, from supervisors
down to justices of the peace and con-
stables, are perfectly familiar with the To-
cation Of every gambling hell across the
river, as well as with the men who own
and run them Every now and then the
sheriff makes what he calls a raid, that is
the subject Of jeers and sport among the
gamblers before and after it takes place"
"Before?"
why, yes: every big gambler knows
when such an event is going to happen.
Some Features of Rosslyn.
'Rosslyn's a sweet town for you when 1t
comes to gambling. The most prominent
building in the village is occupied for sa-
loon purposes down stairs, and the owner
Of the saloon is one Of the county super