The morning times., 1896-04-27
MARKED COIN CAUSED II
Sergi. Daley's Device to Detect
a Speakeasy.
FOUR ARRESTS WERE MADE
For Several Sundays Liquor Has Been
Evident In Willow Tree Court and
Now the Police Think They Have
the SelIers-Raid Was Neatly
Planned and Executed.

! A marked silver quarter and a squad
of Fourth precinct policemen, headed by
! Sergt. Daley, were the agencies which
led TO the unearthing of an alleged speak
! easy In South Washington and the capture
of four prisoners yesterday afternoon.
| For several sunda vs. past Sergt Daley
had noticed that the denizeHs OF Willow
| Tree court were in the habit of getting
| liquor from some mysterious source and
| indngiDg in Sabbath "jags.' The result
| was disorder, profanity and other viola
| tions or the law The sergeant decided 10
] get down TO the mysterious source from
| whence the whisky came, and yesterday he
| gave William II. Brown a bright silver
| quarter with which TO purchase a half pint
| of liquor.
The coin had previously been marked,
| in the presence OF witnesses, with letter
| " ID" and several other distinguishing marks.
POLLY WAS THE MEDIUM.
Brown soon learned that Polly Minor,
negro woman. was the agency through
which the Willow Tree alley habitues had
been getting their Sunda supply of hummer
whisky. He accordingly called upon Polly
at her home in the alley and asked her To
get him twenty-five cents worth OF the stuff.
THE woman agreed and left the house.
Brown was unable to follow her. but she
red eye" She declined TO tell Brown
whc hcreshe gOtit.
The colored man carried the bottle to
Sergeant Daily. and Policemen Baur, Greer
Frgitt, and StenhouSe, who were in wait
ing. Polly was arrested and while on the
way to No. station in the patrol wagon
she ''squealed." in the language or the
police. and told where she had been get
ting the whisky.
The police then proceeded to Limerick
alley. in rear OF the former saloon OF VIII
lam CrOrin. whose license application was
rejected March 81. Polly Minor accCm-
panied them and explained that she went
to CrOnin's gate gave a secret rap and the
gate was opened by q white man, who took
the money ana returned in Il few moments
with bottle Of whisky.
CAUGHT A CUSTOMER.
While watching in tie alley u young
man known Us billy Goat Downey, very
drunk and noisy, came cruising along. and
was arrested. Then Cronins gate opened
and Il mans face appeared.
Oats ,ie man wot toGk dc coin an glib
me de whisky" shouted T Pcily-
The police grabbed the protruding head
and pulled the man out into the alley.
II was John Buckley, formerly Cronin's
bartender. He was placed under arrest
and the police filed into tie place. Buckley
was searched, but no trace OF the marked
quarter could be found On him or in the
money drawer.
Cronin was also arrested and searched q.
but StiIl no trace or the Eadiy-wd uJed coin
could be found.
Finally. after all the prisoners had been
| landed at the station. SeTgt. Daley re-
| turned TO the alleged ''Speakeasy'' and
| finally located the twenty-five cent piece
| in Mrs. Cronin's purse
| II appears that 1t had been passed from
| Brown TO Polly, from Polly TO Hhe man at
| the gate. Buckley. and from him TO Cronin,
| who in turn handel it TO his wife
The tell-taIe coin completed the link
| in the chain or evidence. Serg;. Daley said
| and he held Cronin and Buckley on the
| charge of keeping an unlicensed bar,
| Downey for drunk ana disorderly, and Polly
Minor as a government witness