The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-06
How Large Sums Of Money Were
Used to Defeat Good
City Laws.
THE WAGNER ORDER INVALID.
Ordinance Drawn and Recommended by
the Jury Will Remove the
Gambling Curse.

of District Attorney Barnes. The young
gentlemen whose names adorn the frosted
plate-glass window of the District
Attorneys office at the new City Hall
are more reticent than even Foreman
Eldridge of the Grand Jury him
self regarding the names or number of
witnesses called. The information is not
withheld by the jury that eight Super
visors and several poolroom managers
have been requested to attend. AS to the
number of booksellers the intelligence was
elected at the District Attorneys office
that there might be fifty.
Members of the Grand Jury were active
yesterday, and frequent conferences, in
which some two or three jurors partici-
pated, took place downtown. Points of
information gained since the last meeting
were exchanged and suggestions advanced
as to the manner OF questioning the Super
visors. Pointed questions were PROFOUND
ed to Supervisors Spreckels, Taylor, Hobbs
and Dimond last Monday, and inquiries
equally direct will be addressed to each
member of the Solid Eight to day.
The Grand Jury is profoundly impressed
with the belief that the downtown pool
sellers have raised Doodle to defeat the
passage Of the ordinance to prohibit pool
selling which the jury recommended to the
board. Whether the money so raised to in
huence municipal legislation has been used
or proffered is point that the Grand Jury
will not ignore. The fact is clearly pre-
scented to the Grand Jury that some inf1u-
ence has checked the order at time when
every moral agency in San Francisco de-
clared in favor of the Immediate passage
of the prohibitory ordinance.
Speaking on this subject a member of
the Grand Jury said yesterday:
II firmly believe that the Wagner ordi-
nance to regulate pool-selling downtown
and also out on the racetrack was pre-
pared in the interest of the downtown pool
shops. 1t may not be fair to say that
Wagner understands this, but If he enter
tains an opinion that the order emanated
| from a good source with an honest pur-
pose in view to prohibit pool-gam bling he
| is deluded.
1.-The order is claptrap. 1t is desired to
| catch the applause of citizens who do not
understand the facts, and it is surely the
duty of the press to make the proposition
| clear: That State law permits pool-sell-
| ing within the Enclosure of racecourse.
! Perhaps this law was passed at the in
stance of the Agricultural Society to bene
| tit the State Fair, but whether it was so
| passed or not 1t is on the statute books and
| cannot be annulled or set aside by the
| Board of Supervisors.
ut is, however, within the power of the
| Board of Supervisors to pass an ordinance,
as a police regulation, to prohibit pool
selling in the City, and it is such an ordi-
| nance that the Grand Jury desires the
| board to pass.
1.-The Wagner ordinance, which has been
referred to the Joint Committee of Judici-
arv and License of the Board of Super
visors, and which may receive favorable
| report to-day, will, if passed, be contested
| in court at once. 1t will not prevent pool
selling, inasmuch as it attempts to inter-
| fere with State law, but it will annoy
| the police authorities and embarrass the
| Grand Jury. Every intelligent man who
studied the subject knows this, but the
Supervisors hope to catch the applause of
those who have only hastily considered
| the matter"
Another member of the Grand Jury,
| who has worked earnestly to break up the
gam bling dens of San Francisco, said:
These downtown pool establishments
are the kindergartens of San Quentin.
Young men and boys are lured into the
| saloons and tempted to invest their small
| earnings. 1t may be bad enough on the
| racecourse, but there it can only affect
! those who have money enough to pay 81
| for admission and time sufficient to attend
| the races. But while we cannot regulate
| pool-selling within race enclosure the
Board OF Supervisors has ample authority
II have not learned" said the grand
| juror, what the Supervisors intend to do.
do know that the Grand Jury is receiving
the thanks of leading men in the commu-
nifty for what we have done. There seems
to be a universal protest against the
liberation OF these poolroom NUS
ances. The gambling practices there
of the City. Why. they sell 25-cent
pools and children put nickels together
and get the biggest boy in the crowd to
buy the pool-ticket. The Chief OF Police,
the Mayor, the Police Commissioners. the
business men, professional men and good
citizens in every walk of life are implorlng
the Grand Jury and the Board of Super
We are endeavoring in the Grand Jury to
do our duty. We do not content ourselves
with making recommendations and then
dropping the subject, but we patiently and
honestly consider the matter in all its bear
ings and then have an ordinance drawn
and transmitted to the Board of Super
visors. with an earnest and polite request
for their cooperation in the good work.
The ordinance has been referred to COM
mlttee aud there it rests. We understand
that the poolroom managers stand ready to
pay $1,000 month to kill the order.
1.-The matter now stands thus: The pro-
prietors of the gambling dens are on one
side and the people OF pan FRANCISCO, VINO
oppose gambling. are on the other There
is no mistake in public sentiment. 1t is
reflected by the daily press and it is ex-
pressed by leading citizens hundred
times day to the members of the Grand
Jury.
fortunately we have leader or
pointer to 60 on now. We know that one
mem Der of the Board of Supervisors asked,
How much is there in it for me?' when
certain matter of municipal legislation
was discussed. Ii rank perjury isnot COM
mitted we will bring out some important
facts tomorrow. Yes, we will ask leading
questions"
Now, look at the billiard-table order
which the jury prepared continued the
grand Juror. 1--WE took the advice of the
District Attorney and the chief deputy in
the License Department. They pro-
nounced the order good one and held
that it should pass. 1t simply proposed
that hundreds of billiard-tables kept in
saloons should pay license. They had
been exempt because the proprietors made
no charge for game. We found that the
tables were used by players to play for
drinks and checks, and were, therefore, as
much source Of profit as ia bles on which
charge for playing was stipulated. This
ordinance it was understood. affected SUI