The San Francisco call., 1896-01-11
Three More of Them Have Been
Taken From the Belfry
to Jail.
CYCLISTS CARRY THE ODDS
The Chief of Police Says That He
Will Continue to Arrest the
Pool.SellerS.

Three more booksellers were arrested
yesterday The police are keeping up
their good work and show determina-
tion to break up the nefarious business.
Officers Sylvester and Byrne yesterday
afternoon made descent on the old rook-
cry on Ellis street known as the "Belfry,"
and captured Thomas McQuade, L. l.. Bet
eel and NJ. Levy. On Thursday policemen
in citizens dress bad bought tickets IN
four places on Ellis street, and IN each
case the races had been run before the
tickets were sold, and in one case the re-
suits had already been announced by wire
to the proprietors. So they had good evi-
dence to convict, in spite of the Wallace
decision. When the officers came to make
the arrests yesterday one of the places had
closed.
Two of the men arrested were clerks
only, in the employ OF the poolroom pro-
prietors. On the trial of several of the
cases that have been up the accused pro-
prietors have claimed that they had given
no orders to sell tickets, except within the
limits allowed by the Wallace decision,
ana if their orders had been disobeyed
they could not be held responsible. Itwas
for this reason that these clerks, the men
found IN the act Of selling tickets in open
violation of the law. were arrested.
Chief Crowley has already had most of
the proprietors taken in and they have
either been convicted in the police courts
or are awaiting jury trials.
Those convicted have appealed to the
Superior Court and they have been expect
ing the Chief would Ue satisfied for the
present and that they might go on plying
their iniquitous business without further
moiestation for time. In this they were
mistaken. The Chief says he is going to
enforce the law as long as ii is in the
statute books.
Already several of the smaller places
have closed and the proprietors gone out
OF business, but there are large profits in
the business and most of the places can
stand the heavy expenses they are put to
by the onslaught that has been made on
them. Legitimate profits of poo-seIling
honestly conducted would hardly carry
them through, but then they are not sup
posed to be conducting business in that
way TO any great extent.
However, not many of them will be able
to stand the strain il the Chief keeps on
arresting them as he is doing.
The proprletors of the downtown pool
rooms are fighting hard, however to keep
their doors open. The action of Edward
Corrigan in leasing the only telegra phic
wire running from the Pacific Coast Jockey
Clubs track at Ingleside, has entirely
shut out the avenue through which the
s.,
day, as on the day previous the pool
rooms could post no authentic odds, nor
could they announce the winners of the
various races until hours after they had
passed under the wire.
That these downtown dens, where bows
and women are allowed to wager their
earnings, are undergoing a hard ordeal is a
matter of congratualation in which the
police, the courts and the respectable ele-
ment of the City are sharing.
Mr.. COrrlgan's S action has shut out the
poolrooms of the State and as far as Den
yer from getting the news of the races ex-
cepting from private messages sent from
the main office Of the telegraph company
by individuals. Such messages, however,
are of absolutely no value 10 poolrOoms,
as they give but results, and that hours
after the races have been run. No odds
can be sent on that might be of any value
for speculation purposes.
The telephone company has an instru-
ment at the Ingleside track, but il. too.
is leased, SO nobody but the Jockey Club or
friends have its use.
But there is a telephone at the Ingleslde
1nn saloon quarter OF mile from the
track entrance, and another at Barney
Farley's wayside resort, still farther away.
These two instruments cannot be con-
trolled, and are at the disposal of patrons
1t is over these phones that the down
town poolrooms receive what meager news
that comes 10 them.
A half-dozen boys on bicycles wait at
the entrance to the track and carry mes
sages from there to the telephone men
waiting for them at the instruments in the
two resorts.
That IS the way the news reaches town
not by any telegraph-wire tapping or by
other means, such as rewriting from San
Jose, Stockton, Denver or other outside
cities, where pool-selling is permitted.