Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-20
Good Citizens of Alexandria County
May Combine
TO RID THEMSELVES OF TIE RASCALS
People Who Are Silent Because
They Fear Persecution.
THE COMING ELEC ITO Ms

The recent exposure IN Inc Evening
Star of the deprayity and vice that dis
grace Alexandra county, Va, and es-
pecially those portions of it lying fmme-
Giately adjacent to Washington at the
ends of both of the bridges which cross
the Potomac, has had the effect OF awak-
ening the law-abiding citizens of the COM
munity across the river to the necessity
of taking some substantial action with
view to relieving themselves of the in
cubus which it is alleged the continued
inaction Of those chosen as their legal and
peace officers has allowed to grow to enor-
nous and deadly proportions. The decent
citizens of Alexandra county, however.
are confronted with a serious question In
the premises. While they are anxious to
do anything and everything to secure the
publication of their neighborhood they
fear lest any open demonstration against
the thieves and thugs and gamblers who
infest- the county might lead to the de-
struction of their own property as well
as to their bodily injury. This is no ex-
aggerated statement of the reign Of terror
that exists in Alexandria county. A re-
porter for The Evening Star has visited
several reputable property owners In Al
eXandria county who are sufferers from
the vice that is rampant there. All OF
them were perfectly willing to recite the
revolving chapters of the story Of local
crime and degradation, but in every in
stance they begged that their names
might not be mentioned in connection with
their recitals because the subjects of them
would not hesitate to take revenge in the
way of destruction of their property by
arson and otherwise. Many of them have,
however, expressed a perfect willnsness
to substantiate their statements provided
any one had the temerity to deny them.
Inclined to Fight.
1.-THE bold and vigorous fight being made
by The Star against the thieves, gamblers
and law-breakers generally who hold high
carnival at various places in Alexandra
county. and particularly at Rosslyn and
Jackson City, without fear of molestation
from the county officers, is very highly
commended by the decent citizens Of Alex
andria county. and has done great deal
toward strengthening our intention TO be-
gin an open fight against the crime that
besets as rfehtsin the county ITSELF" said
a resident and property owner OF Alex
andria county to Star reporter this
the honest confession the prosecuting at
torney made to a Star reporter that he
had only prosecuted one gaming case, and
had failed to secure conviction even IN
that. 1t is matter of comon report Ill
Alexandria county that Prosecuting Attor-
ney Dick johnson is entirely familiar with
the location of almost every gambling
resort in Alexandria county, and Is per-
sonally acquainted with the men who own
and engineer them He is young man
who owns fast horses, and 1t is pretty gen.
orally known that persons who want to
transact business with him after II o'clock
in the day have to seek him out at one of
the race tracks. The same can be said OF
Sheriff Veitch. SO far as concerns his
knowledge of the location of the gambling
resorts, and his familiarity and acquaint-
Wif nrOnrletOrS
1t makes decent citizen OF the county
sick to read such rot in the way of ex-
cuses for not carrying out the law as the
county officers indulge in. They are seek
ing a reelection now and hope The Star
will continue stirring up the vile mess
over our way, SO the reputable citizens OF
the county will be inspired into heiplng
to elect decent men to the county offices
at the coming election regardless OF the
political party to which they may belong.
The Law Breakers and the Law OFF,
GERS.
Another gentleman who resides near
Rosslyn, and passes through that delectable
village every day on his way to and from
Washington, was visited by a reporters
from The Star and asked what he thought
of the representations of the Alexandria
county officials to the effect that they could
rot bring the lawbreakers Of the county to
justice.
1T is perfectly preposterous." he re-
marked, that the people who are sworn
and paid to preserve the peace and protect
the property of Alexandria county should
indulge in any such ridiculous falsfica-
tioIs. Now, take Rosslyn, for instance. /
venture to assert without fear of contra
diction by any honest man familiar with
the place as l am, that there is no more
corrupt village of its size on the American
continent, or anywhere else The actual
bona fide population of Rosslyn does not
amount to more than one hundred and fifty
,t;11
rooms. the majority of which keep boldly
open on Sundays; one or two speak-easies,
three policy shops, faro and roulette
gambling place and dance house in the
town. in the center of Rosslyn is a saloon
known by the name of The Black Dia-
mond.' 1t is frequented almost entirely by
a low, lazy, worthless, criminal class of
negroes. Sunday before last over a hum
dred of these negroes were engaged in the
back yard, and just outside of the rear
fence Of that Enclosure, shooting craps
Sheriff Veitch and Justices of the Peace
Burch and Trout know all about this place,
because they have seen it in full operation
time and time again. Over the saloon in
Rosslyn, owned by County Supervisor
Clark, is a faro bank and roulette wheel,
one of the proprietors of which Is a gam
bier notorious for years in the city of
Washington. Just outside of Rosslyn, on
the river bank, is another notorious gam
Fling dive. which is patronized by the worst
classes of people from Washington on week
days, and is their general gathering place
on Sundays
Another place that is we'll known to per-
sons familiar with Rosslyn is euphoniously
termed Fort Myers Death Trap 1t is a
resort for lively white visitors of both sexes
from Washington, well as for the SOL
dfers from Fort Myer 1t is regular dance
house and speak-easy, and there is fight
ing there frequently. Another place that
is open On Sunday is called the Dutch
Corral and is patronized by white people
exclusively.
Sunday mt ROss1yn.
There are still other places where rum
and riot prevail, and every Sunday almost
Rosslyn is crowded with drunken people. 1t
is nothing uncommon for man to be
stood up in broad daylight in Rosslyn and
robbed of his prop3-ty. On Saturday nights
there is general and indscriminate shoot
ing of firearms, SO that the decent resi-
dents are continually in fear Of their lives
and sit with drawn curtains and lowered
lights for fear Of attracting the aim of
some desperate, drunken pistol fiourisher
The names of the men who run the speak
easies, the gambling rooms and the policy
shops are as well known to the people Of
Rosslyn as the names Of the county officials
themselves.
If the property holders were to appear pub
licly and state these facts in the shape Of
afadavits. as they could easily do. the