The morning times., 1895-07-22
CROOKS In n.y. N.Y. FIELDS
Washington Crap Shooters Have
Sought Safer Quarters.
OPERATE AT CAMP DESPAIR
Where Coxey's Army Lay, Colored
Gamblers Profane the Sabbat h.
"Moonlig ht Socials'" Invitation
TO Gentlemen OnIy-Sweat Cloths
and All Other Paraphernalia.

CampDespair onthe eBladensburg re- turnpike
q short distance beyond the District line,
which was the last abiding place of Coxey's
industrial army, was again inhabited yes
terday.
Not by the shades OF the departed hobos,
but by q large number of crap shooters
and other petty gamblers from this city,
who made the woods ring with their sing
song shouts of "Cum seben," 'Git along
dar elebben," "Got ter buy my best gal
a summer hat" and other cries incidental
to the festive game of bones.
Owing to the vigilance or the washington
police on Sunday and the certainty of pun
ishment in the police court if captured
the crap shooters have made themselves
scarce in this bailiwick on the holy day.
For n long time they flocked across Long
Bridge, sometimes called Crimes Cause
way, to the lawless settlement on its
south side, where their play was unmolested
The election of Sheriff Palmer and the
determined stand he took against gambling
in all its forms in Alexandria county
filled the Washington -crapists and sweat
cloth gamblers with dread, and they were
forced 10 seek fields aud pastures new.
AT THE MOONLIGHT SOCIALS.
The matter was brought up for action
at the last meeting of the Moonlight So
cals, an organization OF young colored
meu, who formerly met at Petersou's no
torious resort on Third street south west
The members are all resi- dents of the
Bloodfield quarter of South Washington,
that hot bed of disOrderlies and crap
shooters. They are men who disregard
the law aud stand ready at any moment
to do up" policeman or to pay the
fine Of a comradc when he falls into the
clutches of the law.
In casting about for place to set up
crap games and sweat cloths TO fleece on
Sunday their dark skinned brethren,
who spend the week days AT hard labor, the
Moonlights hit upon a novel scheme.
They decided TO give Sunday stag parties
or picnics on Coxey's old camp grounds.
in Maryland, and away from the rlgllant
WASH ngtou cops. Accordingly, on
Saturday small hand bills We're distributed
Iavishly about the city in those quarters
occupied by colored people. The hand
bill read:
''Moonlights to the Front! First Sunday
picnic, for gentlemen only, on Gen. CoXcy's
old camp, Bladensburg road. Teams and
committee will be waiting at end of CO.
iumbia cable road northeast. No charge,
only for ride to camp. Only friends of the
club admitted Games and amuSements.
These dodgers were literally circulated
by members OF the crap-shooing organiza-
ton, and as a result quite number OF
young colored men found their way TO Camp
Despair yesterday forenoon.
HAD BEEN THERE BEFORE.
Mounted Sergt. Kenny and his cavalry
police kept watch on the foxy pilgrims
until after they had crossed the District
line, to prevent any violation of the law.
The young negroes all knew what a
stag party by the Moonlight Socials meant.
They had attended them before.
A Times reporter who knew ofthe organiza-
ton and its objects aud who had received
one OF the haHd-bills, was on hand at this
end of the Bladensburg Pike about $50
o'clock yesterday morning. The negroes
came singly, i'll pairs and groups. Some
rode n the vehicles, which comprised
huckSteT wagons, furniture ConyeyanceS and
other tumble down rigs. The reporter fol-
lowed in the wake of five dudish-looking
young negroes, each of whom was provided
with a pint bottle OF gin or hummer"
whiskey. At short intervals along the
roadside the gay fellows stopped 10 take
dose each of the fighting fluid.
When Camp Despair was reached it
was plainly TO be seen that pickets had
been posted to warn the "picknickers''
of the approach of the sheriff or any of his
deputies.
sENTINELs ON GUARD.
A savage looking negro with fun beard
and a cane made of a heavy sapling greeted
! the five men, and after whispered con-
versation they passed over the old camp
| ground and into the contiguous shru b.
berry. The sentinel eyed the reporter sus-
| piciously, and so he passed around the
turn in the road to point where by entering
the thicket he could get good view of the
crap ground and players.
He recognized many familiar faces-men
who had often faced Judges Miller and
Kimball in the police court. Jim Minor,
who is known in police circles as big
jim" appeared 10 be master OF Cereponies
Minor has served time for nearly every
offense in the category, from drunk and
| disorderlv 10 assault to kill. He was ex-
postulating and threatening to lick poorly
dressed and half drunken young colored
man who, it appeared, hadlosthislastp penny
! in one of the crap games
"Dere amt gwine to be no fightin' or
! buckin' on desc grounds terday," exclaimed
| Big jim, "becase if dere is Ise gwine ter to
take han, an III make sumboddies
| fur fly"
1t was through Minors influence that
| the colony of negro gamblers was trans
| ferred from Virginia to Maryland soil
| His success was shown by the fact that in
| the woods in the rear of Coxey's camp the
reporter counted eight games of crap in
| full blast at 1l:30 O'Clock yesterday fore
noon while four menwere eSeenmanipulating
| sweat Cloths this in addition to several
| games of seYen-up and five-up on the green
sward, natures gaming table, a. it were.
CAUTIOUS ON NEW GROUND.
The men were not boisterous but seemed
to realize that they were Oh new ground
and would have to work cautiously in order
to prevent the Maryland law officers from
swooping down on them. They conversed
in subdued tones, and the gigantic Big
Jim Minor moved among them as a moni.
tor, quietly settling disputes and pre-
venting a resort to fistic arguments.
While trying to get little nearer the
games, the reporter was confronted by a
stalwart nlUlatto, who, upon seeing The
Times man commenced to whistle loudly
q sort of tune. Instantly all the crap
games ceased and the sweat cloths were
quickly gathered up and concealed be-
meath the coats of the dealers.
Where are you going?' demanded the
muIatto
Just taking walk"
Are you an officer?''
Mo-
Then you had better go the other way"
he added with significant emphasis. 1.-The
boys are giving picnic in there, and they
don't want any strangers"
SEVENTY-FIVE CoLORED SPORTS.
After taking a full view of the field of
operations and counting about seventy
five Washington negro sports on the field