The San Francisco call., 1896-02-10
Proprietors Of Poker Games
Will Attack the Or.
dinance.
CHEF CROWLEY IS CONFIDENT.
He Sees No Reason Why the Men
Arrested Should Not Be Read
lily Convicted.

The proprietors of the houses wherein
the poker games were raided Saturday
night are preparing to make a vigorous
fight against the new ordinance, under
which they are being made to suffer. A
test case will in all probability be made of
some one of the arrests made, and the
doubt, which the saloon men claim their
legal advisers have as to the validity of the
ordinance, will thus be set at rest. Besides
attacking the validity of the ordinance,
Cook & Higgins of Our House and Mr..
Hornlein of the Cafe Royal intend to make
a special defense that their gaming-rooms
do not come within the provisions of the
ordinance. Both of these places have
their "clubrooms" separated from the bar
room by partitions extending to the cell
ing. This, they claim. exempts them from
the provision of the ordinance forbidding
poker-playing in place where there is
public bar.
"The entire case, provided the ordinance
is valid" said Mr.. Hornlein to CALL re-
porter, ''rests upon the question whether
or not our clubrooms are part OF the bar
room. In the case of the Cafe Royal the
clubrooms are partitioned OFF and the en-
trance is not through the saloon, but is
from Pine Court. We have regularly or
ganized club and the only connection it
has with the saloon is that the members
buy their drinks and cigars at the bar.
For this purpose door leads from the
clubrooms to the bafroom. This is solely
for the accon. mediation of the walters and
is not general entrance. Wherein then
does our place differ from the Bohemian
or any other club?
II knew the officers were about to make
raid, but l didn't allow it to worry me
any. felt confident that I was doing
nothing wrong and did not believe they
would disturb this place.
Bernard Conway of sfThe New House"
has no special defense, but intends to rely
upon proving the evidence invalid. II
am opposed to gambling" he said. II
wish they would stop all gambling and
make it crime. As long as gambling is
allowed anywhere | must allow the games
to run here or lose part of my custom. What
is the sense of saying man can play poker
IN cigar store or drugstore, but that he
cannot play anywhere where liquor is sold
1t looks to me like class legislation, and l
do not believe that the ordinance can stand.
If they would pass law forbidding all
gambling l would be in favor of it, but
this one is not fair and l will fight it.
Cook & Higgins of "Our House" took
the preeaution to procure competent legal
advice before the storm broke. AS a re-
suit few days ago they caused partition
separating the barroom from their club
rooms to be run up to the ceiling. They
feel confident that this exempts them from
the ordinance.
Chief Crowley does not share the opin-
ion of the victims of the raid that the ordi-
nance is imperative. ITO me-" he said,
sit looks like the ordinance is perfectly
clear. All this talk about clubs and club
| rooms is mere subterfuge. Whether or
not the clubs could be brought under the
ordinance is a question, but there is cer-
tai ip1u 6iffarauoo hot r011hlfN har
and place where members and guests of
the club exclusively are served. OF course
those men will not plead guilty and it is
not my fault If there is anything in the
ordinance which renders it invalid. / am
no lawyer and that is question for the
courts to decide.
"This question of gambling is one of the
most veXatious we have to deal with. We
can't stop it and perhaps it would be just
as we'll to license it. AT any rate we will
continue raiding all the places running in
violation of this ordinance until 1t is de-
clared void ~