The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-07-29
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE
THE law AND ORDER LEAGUE
Work.

Shutting Up DisreputapiS H"use an" AZ
Checking the Sale of Obscene Literature.
The following circular letter, issued !
from the Office in this city of the Law
and Order League of Connecticut, is to
he given general circulation in the
state:
WHAT HAVE YOU DoNE?"
This is a fair question: and ought to
receive fair answer.
1t Is difficult, however, to put results
of such work statistically, hence we
must combine differences with figures.
GAMBLING.
To what extent gambling was car
ried on in Connecticut in 1892, when the
league was formed, may be inferred
from the following:
1t can be proven that in one city the
average receipts or money handled"
per day, was $5,000 100000 per week,
or total of $1,560,000 per year.
Figuring in this basis according to
population, the pool rooms known to
exist in this state were handling in
single year $3,570,O00. So much for bet
ting on the races.
Policy playing was going on almost
unhindered everywhere in Connecticut.
/ have been told by an ex-professional
policy writer that the average policy
shop must handle at least $500 per day.
/ had means of knowing about how
many SHOPS" were running.
In New Haven fifteen policy shops at
$1OO a day means $1,000, or $4,000 per
week, or total of $46O,O00 year.
Taking 100 shops" for the whole
state, which is far below the actual
number, and we have a total of more
than $4,000, 900 going into that one sluice-
way.
I have no means of knowing how
many lottery agents We're plying their
nefarious trade, but from information
obtained at raid on the distribution
agents headquarters in New Haven,
1 cannot believe that less amount
was thrown away on lottery than on
policy
Placing the amount at the same, 49,,
00,0O0 we have $9,57o,0 900 handled by the
three systems of gambling, namely:
Pool selling, policy playing and lottery
schemes, and we have not mentioned
roulette, faro, poker, green goods"
and travelling fakirs schemes. 1t should
be remembered that a large percentage
of this money was taken out of the
state.
ILLEGAL LIQUOR SELLING.
The liquor laws were shamefully set
at naught. mo license was the law
in about one-half of all of the towns
of the state.
In nearly everyone of these the law
was violated with apparent impunity.
The Sunday liquor law in licensed
towns was also defied. Little or no at
tention was paid to the new law prohib-
dting sales to minors.
HOUSES OF I'LL FAME.
These institutions were fiourishing in
all our cities and large towns, and were
the pests Of otherwise quiet country
neighborhoods.
OBSCENE LITERATURE
The extent to which this traffic was
pushed is unknown, but we have knowl-
edge of the fact that literature of the
vilest sort found it's way into factories,
schools and families.
The above briefly portrays the condi-
ton Of things as to law-breaking when
the society was organized.
The function of the league was to
organize public sentiment in behalf of
law and order, and to assist the con
stitued authorities in the enforcement
Of law. The story of what we have
done is q long one.
'Statistically we have secured the con-
viction of more than $50 different in
dividuals, and caused the Imprisonment
of eight persons for violating the laws.
Several cases are still pending, and
individuals are now under arrest who
will, in all probability, go to prison
Only thirteen have been acquitted
after full trial. More than $4,000 has
been paid in fines and forfeited bonds
But the story of our work is best told
by comparing present conditions with
those outlined above.
POOL SELLING.
Pool selling has received its "knock-
out" blow and is gasping for breath
The language of one of the profess
SIGNALS is, you folks have knocked the
business into a cooked hat
Repeated prosecutions and new Iegis-
1ation have killed the business in this
state.
POLICY PLAYING.
The policy business is on it's 'Iast
legs" Raid after raid, successful
prosecution, heavy fines, imprison-
ments and a new law have broken the
back of that pernicious form of gam
bling.
LOTTERY.
One lotter dealer recently said. Tt
is the first time in twenty years that
the lottery business has not been profit
able in Connecticut
ILLEGAL LIQUOR SELLING.
Successful prosecutions against Illegal
liquor sellers have resulted in Cleaning
up" many of our towns, and they are
to-day free from the law-breaking ele-
ment.
I'VE can't afford to take the risk, -
say the liquor men.
HOUSES OF ILL-FAME.
Houses of ill-fame are no longer f1aunt-
ing their vice in the face of decent peo-
pie as formerly. The business has been
rendered unsafe and Improbable to a
degree.
In many places these institutions"
have been driven out.
OBSCENE LITERATURE.
Vendors of obscene literature are
frightened and are selling on the sly