The morning times., 1896-11-20
Robinson, Cherry & Co.,
Twelfth and SITS. N. w.
ROAST FROM THE BENCH
JudgeiMiller Lectures the Acquitted
ri Policy Players.
Plain Talk to the Jury That Let
Them Off-His Honor Despairs
of Convictions.

"I'm very sorry, Amy, that l have to
send you to ia:i by yourself and let these
accomplices of yours who are much big
ger criminals and consequently much worse
go scot free" said Judge Miller late yes
terday afternoon when the police court
jury had been wrestling with three policy
cases for about 70 Ir hours and had returned
three verdicts of not guilty"
John Ridgiey, Sam Blue and Sarah CHS
ley, all colored had been tried Tor pro-
noting policy. Amy Frazer, a colored run
ner, was arrested last Monday with sew
eral books belonging 10 the various
defendants, and six dollars and n half in
money.
She admitted on the stand that she had
been in the habit of collecting plays from
Mouse" Ridgiey's shop in the Division,
and from Sam Hue's and Sarah Chisley's
houses.
David Burrows, who keeps dairy on
the Tenleytown road, and serves milk to
Ridgiey'S lunch-room testified that he
had been in the habit Of leaving his plays
at Ridgiey's lunch-room whence Some
body, he did not know who, collected them
and carried them across the river.
All of the defendants, however, swore
that the plays they had given Annie
Frazer were their individual plays and that
they never wrote policy and did not know
how 1T was done. Not one of them had
ever seen a bone pencil nor Il black sheet
In their lives, and didn't know u cue
row. from the ten commandments.
The jury believed The defendants in pref
erence to the other witnesses and returned
verdicts of not guilty i'll every case.
Judge Miller did not like it at all. Amy
Frazer, the runner, had pleaded guilty and
had been held for a government witness.
She gave her testimony reluctantly and
shielded the writers all She knew how.
but she herself had pleaded guilty and
there was nothing To do but sendher down.
Before closing the case, however, the Judge
delivered his opinion to the jury.
1T has come to such n pass said he,
that it is neXt to impo ssitle to convict
any of the important la w-breakers who are
conducting this crime breeding game. When
/ first came to this bench several years
ago policy was being run openly and
hundreds of people were employed by the
firms.
Books, as they called them. Were made
by the writers in the shops all over the
city and sent across the river or taken
by the writers themselves, and when a
man was captured there was Some evidence
on which to convict the people who en-
ployed him.
But since they have been giving jail
sentences for promoting the game, the big
fish have all run under the rocks and now
creatures that they employ to run the
gauntletforthem. The W ritcrshavc stopped
making books. and after they collect their
plays from the poor people WHO are spend
ing their last dime or nickle Cn this GRIM
inal swindling scheme, they make them up
at this cabalistic form they are using now
and send them out by some pc or misguided
creature whose capture and conviction
! does not matter to them or anyone else.
Il am not saying this to reflllect OH our
| police officers, who are doing the best the Y
| can under the circumstances; nor do i wish
| to be hard upon the jury, who do not under
stand the inner workings of this business.
But / do wish we could get some compc-
| tent expert to come here and explain the
| workings of the game to the Jury so that
| they would be able to understand and
| realize what harm is being done. These
| three people who are being acquitted ars
| all old offenders and ought to be going down
i i'll the same van with this Amy Frazer
| Thirty days in her caSe!'
Yes added District Attorney Mu l.
| lowney, Il suppose there will be twenty
| new writers start In business tomorrow as
the result of these three acquittals and
| can't say that should blame them
And The jury went out thinking.