Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-07-17
SPORTS ARE SCARED.
Gamblers Become Afraid Of Arrest and
Close Their Faro Banks.
THE CHIEF AND SUNDAY CLOSING.
Drugstorcs Notified That Nothing
Hut Medicine Can He Sold ON the
sabbath, and Confcctioners Told
That They Must Not DO Business.

Richmond Is now most moral city.
Every gambling-house within It's borders
has closed its DOORS and all of the para
phernala. consisting OF faro and roulette
tables. cards, dice. chips, etc, has been
packed up and moved TO some place OF
hiding, where the eye of the policeman
who may be detailed for that purpose
will not fall upon them.
This action on the part of the gam
blers. though quite sudden, was concerted.
and not a trick was being turned In Rich
mond last night. OF course the poker and
smaller games did not stop.
Ever since Major Howard made his
position with reference to enforcing all
laws known to the barkeepens last week
the sports have been wary. They antici-
pated raids, and extra precautions were
taken to avoid a hostile incursion by the
police. The darkies who presided over the
peep-holes I'm the doors of the various
joints were extra careful. and scrutinized
each applicant for admttance very close
ly before throwing open the door.
The strain on the gamblers nerves be-
came too great, and they held a con-
ference yesterday. Business has been
anything but brisk with them for months
and the profits of the houses have been
insufficient TO make 1t worth while to
incur the risk OF being arrested. Hence
the sports unanimously agreed yesterday
to close their houses, at least for the
present. Accordingly. the rooms We're
soon stripped of all their furniture. and
-. hal nj Il
n rather forsaken and desolate appear
ance. All OF the gamblers who are ac-
customed to twirling the ball or ehuiiling
the cards were lounging about the streets
last night, and their old haunts knew
them no more.
II is understood that the policyshops
will act In concert with the larger gaming
establishments.
ENFORCE THE LAW RIGIDLY.
Whether this movement on the part
Of the gamblers Is due to some move OF
Major Towards Is not known. There
can be no doubt that he proposes 10 en-
force the laws rigidly. He Is daily MAX
ing that fact patent. He doesn't propose
TO stop at shutting of Sunday drinks.
but he intends to put stop TO all other
kinds of sales on the Sabbath.
He had a conference with his captains
Yesterday morning. and as a result the
police OF the three districts visited all OF
the confectioneries and drugstores in the
city during the afternoon, and. notify
ing the former that they must cease do
ing business of any nature on Sunday,
cautioned the latter against selling any
thing but medicine on the day that we
are taught to keep holy.
Women who were suspected of having
been in the habit OF selling liquor I'm their
houses were warned that this must be
stopped at once or they would find them
selves In serious trouble.
The Chiefs mandate does not affect
the druggists very materially. as but few
of them dispense drinks from their soda
fountains on Sundays. and their cigar
trade amounts to but little. The police
will encounter considerable trouble II
stopping cigar-sales at the drugstores
however. as they are not required TO keel
taeir doors closed, and IL would be hard
10 prove unless some purchaser testhed
against them that they had sold cigars.
THE OLD WAY.
The confectioneries have been allowed
for wears to do business on Sunday, pro
vided they closed their doors ana pulieu
down their curtains but now they mus'
not only close their doors, but they mus
refrain from selling anything.
The State law permits thoSe VINO pro-
fess the Jewish faith and who observe
Saturday as their Sabbath TO open 'heil
places of business on sunday. anu oi
course. those are not Included III the
order for Sunday closing. But 'host
who keep their places open on SATURDAY
must keep them closed on sunday