Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-29
PLAYED AT POLICY
Votaries of the Vice Given Severe
Sentences.
ON THE AQUEDUCT BRIDGE
Were Going Over to the Dens in
Virginia.
JET Ais OF THE Asses

They were dejected-lcoking party Of
eight colcred men in Judge Miller's court
today, who had been arrested in George
town for alleged violation Of the policy
Jaw, and there was one colored man from
South Washington who was similarly
charged. The condition of these people
was feir sample of the class who spend
their hsrd-ea rned money in the shops
across the river, where the Virginia au-
thorities make no effort to stop the viola
tons Of law. The shops both at Rosslyn
and Jackson City are doing land office
business just now, and the proprietors
have been reaping a harvest and getting
wealthy on the earnings of these poor col
ored men for long time. Business is SO
brisk at Rosslyn now that the players who
are little late In reaching the village find
1t almost impossible to place their money
at headquarters" and SO they hurry over
the hills to one Of the three other SHOPS.
These four shops are running in full blast,
and Judging from the amounts of money
found on those who are arrested from time
to time, the earnings of the men who con-
duct these particular shops amount to
hundreds of dollars twice day. There are
probably a dozen violators of the policy
law i'll Jail here now, and an effort Is be-
ing made to reach some of the hackers who
are In Virginia.
Arrested on the Aqueduct Bridge.
Yesterday in Georgetown Policemen Bir-
kight, Edwards and Trussell spent some
time In the vicinity of the Free bridge
looking for promoters of the game, and
fourteen arrests We're made. On eight
of them the officers found policy slips and
money, and they We're locked up. Those
Who were held and taken to court regis
tered as James Green, seventy-six years;
Charles Goodrich, siXty-two years; Henry
Washington. fifty-seven years: Abraham
johnson, fifty-five years; Isaiah Taylor,
forty-eight years; Charles Jones, forty-one
years; Benjamin jackson. twenty-four
years, and Augustus Lee, nineteen years.
In South Washington Policeman Herbert
arrested Henry Rankins. who has a wife
and family.
When the men reached the Police Court
they We're put in a cell together. and seat
ed about on the iron benches they dis
cusSed the policy business freely, each
man making good a showing as he could
for himself. None of them claimed they
were innocent .ot playing policy, but their
claim was that they We're playing for
themselves ana not for others.
Hard Times and IL Dream.
Its hard times" said one old man,
whose clothing scarcely covered his body,
and l thought l would go over de river
and make hit SO de old woman let me
rave ne money and l started out to hit
sig or saddle, cause l know'd / could make
mere money in five minutes than 1 could by
working for whole month, if L could only
make hit, hut here l is
benjamin jackson, who is young man,
told of the number of shops over the river
and OF the great amount of business done
there. He said he learned the game while
working in Georgetown last fall and since
then he had made several winnings.
I'm ahead Of the gdme,' he told his in
terested listeners, and the firm over there
owes me $40 from yesterday morning. The
figured up the rows | found that | needed
81 cents to play. White clothes were in
my dream, and l also played all the Fights.
When l started over the bridge and the
tion. and l was only ten feet from Virginia
when got arrested If had only got over
the bridge l would have been safe, and
would ha' won that play
The old men, who are too weak to do
much work, said they had been going over
the river because of the dull times and
thought their arrest was infringement
On their rights as American citizens.
This One Dreamed, Too.
The prisoners were finally called before
Judge Miller. the first one for trial being
Henry Rankins, who had been in the tolls
several times before. He is the driver of
old trap known "nightliner,' and
has been arrested for driving policy men
and other gamblers across the river. as
well as promoting the low gambling game
in other ways. 1t has been only a few
weeks ago that Judge Miller sentenced him
to Jail, but President Cleveland pardoned
him few days ago
Henry had a dream Monday night and
yesterday he got an almanac. dream book
and arithmetic. and from them he made up
the rows which he intended to play. Then
he borrowed 30 cents from his wife and
started for Jackson City. This was his ex-
cuse, but the circumS tances indicated that
he was in the policy business in a better
paying way, and the court held him guilty
of the charge. In imposing the penalty,
the judge recalled the former occasions on
which ne had been arrested and told him
tnat after his pardon he ought never to
nave looked at policy row again.
Played Policy With u Pistol.
Augustus Lee came next. He had policy
papers, s1.92 in money and 4 pistol.
In addition to being loaded up with
policy the judge told him, you had to
have loaded pistol"
Lee made a statement in his own behalf
in which he claimed that he was playing
only for himself, but Judge Miller has never
yet learned where all their money comes
from when they are not working. A sen
tence of six months was imposed.
Abraham Johnson, Isaiah Taylor and
Benjamin Jackson demanded jury trials and
their cases went over. Henry Washington
and Charles Goodrich were acquitted.
James Green. the eldest Of the party, was
fined $40 or twenty Gays, the penalty be
ing made light because of his age. Charles
Jones was the last one called and he en-
tered q plea of guilty. He had only a
small book and was given three months
iE jail
Marriage Licenses.
Marriage licenses have been issued to the