The San Francisco call., 1895-12-19
Supervisors Are Asked to Take
Some Steps in the
Matter.
WHERE BANK CLERKS PLAY.
Other Houses Run by FiendS Who
Make Women and Children
Go Hungry.


action to be taken this morning by the Po-
lice Court Judge who is to consider the cases.
Prior to signing the John Doe and Richard
Roe warrants. on which the booksellers
were gathered in, Judge Joachimsen made
himself acquainted with the facts which
called for his intercession on behalf OF the
law. and Prosecuting Attorney Dare must
furnish such additional evidence upon the
hearing of the cases that the defendants
will not be able to avail themselves of
technicalities calculated to extricate them
from their dilemma.
This is an easy matter. Captain Witt
man, who took charge of the poolroom
nuisance, sent his men in civilians clothes
to the different rooms in the "Belfry," at
the gore of Ellis and Market streets. They
were instructed to purchase pool tickets,
and to keep buying until winning was
made. The idea of this was to test the
shops, so as to know when the alleged
commission of 10 cents per ticket was col
lected. The outcome was that the Police
Department lost $12 on 50-cent wagers,
and won 81 so by guessing the winner-by
accident.
Neither on the winning nor the losing
tickets was a commission collected. This
is sufficient to convict the "ty- by-night
roomkeepers who have been doing busl-
ness as ommission-brokers. Cumulative
evidence is plentiful, but there is nothing
stronger than the fact that the intown
pool men, who are supposed to sell pools
on a commodity marketable at the track,
failed to wait for the odds to be posted at
the track and made their own odds in
town.
1t is as if grain broker in this City ac-
cepted money to invest in grain on the
London market and quoted the purchaser
know what they were over there. That
broker would necessarily be doing
gambling business. Well, that is exactly
what the "Belfry" men are doing, and
Prosecuting Attorney Dare has a clear
road to convicting them.
Bawman, the fellow who posed as the
president, secretary, treasurer and steward
of the Crescendo Club at IL Ellis street,
has made himself scarce about mis- usual
haunts. Yesterday morning he gave up
his place of business, cursing the police for
what he thought to be an uncalied-tor IN
terference with his mode of making
living.
Bawman was the man who not only
violated the laws by selling pools, but he
was the fellow who catered to the women
players. His place consisted of half
dozen rooms, three of which were laid out
as reception parlors, where the women
congregated to make their own private
books.
Bawman's apartments were not long
vacant. William Kennedy, who has occu-
pied rooms in the house at 906 Market
street, Immediately took possession, and
business goes on just the same.
The open defiance of the law is very
CALLING to the police Chief Crowley and
Captain Whitman stated yesterday that
nothing would please them more than to
drive two or three patrol wagons down'to
the "Belfry.'' They know as well as
everybody else does that the laws are
being violated and that only a technical
point, which was presented to Judge Wal
lace and which caused decision in favor
of the gamblers, stands in their way to
stopping very grave evil.
When it was first taken into considera-
tion that the pool men were dong busi-
ness and dozen or more were arrested,
they showed they were only doing COM
mission business. The men who were ar
rested presented preponderance of evil
dence to the effect that ommssions were
charged on all bets, and Judge Wallace
declared that they did not conduct pool
rooms, but did a commission business.
This was the signal for all the poolrooms
to open. Now the police will try to close
them by proving that it is impossible for
failure is made, the next move will be to
arrest every player and make him show
why he should not be incarcerated as
vagrant. This move, the police believe,
will close up the shops for good.
The poolroom problem is not the only
one Chief Crowley is struggling with at
present to purify the moral atmosphere
of this City. There are several others.
TIE one, however, which interests him
most is now to close the poker-rooms.
The game of POKER has become such an
institution in the United States that it
seems to be justly entitled to place IN
the list of its entertainments. Some years
ago, when Chief Crowley thought that, in
Difference to Rev. DR.. Ollie, he should raid
the few poker games forty players were
brought i'll.
sWhat did | get?" the Chief asked yes
terday. every one of them was acquitted.
There is no use arresting them any more
as the law stands now, but the Supervisors
should get a move on themselves and pass
the ordinance the Grand Jury has sug-
gested.
s'It was argued against the poker-play-
ers that they INDUCED in a game of
chance" continued the Chief, "but their
attorney came in and proved that it was a
game of skill. Judge Van Vleet decided
1t was skill that won, and there you are.
The poker games have grown steadily ever
since until they are by Tar greater men,
ace to the public welfare than any other
style of gambling"
The endeavor of the Grand Jury is to
haye an ordinance passed prohibiting
poker playing where a percentage is taken
from the game for the benefit of the insti-
tuition wherein the game is being played,
or for the benefit of any foreign institu-
ton. 1t is believed by this ordinance the
regular poker games along Market street
and in the various hotels may be squelched
as they were in Chicago. In the latter place
it costs $50 per man caught playing the
game. and the proprietor of the establish
ment wherein the play takes place must
pay the stipulated fine of $3.50. As con-
sequence the old-time game is seldom
played excepting in very private circles.
The police have been forced into taking
action In this matter by the number Of
thieving poker games that have cropped
I'D since Judge Van Vleet's decision. Day
after day complaints come into. head
quarters from mothers whose sons have
gone astray playing poker; merchants
complain of clerks who have stolen money
to play the game, and the Morgue presents
its cold hard record OF suicides.
All these things have been presented to
the Grand Jury, who in turn have placed
the matter in the hands of the Super
visors where it lies at present
The greatest dens of vice RUNNING in