Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1897-09-30
RUINED BY CRIME.
A Virginia Settlement That Went
70 the Bad.
Oyerrun by Race Track Dfsreputa
bIes IL Is Raided by Officers of
the Law-Noyv "a Desert
ed Ruin.


ruin and decay of some old-fashioned
house given up by tradition TO ghosts
4 and the sparrows that build nests in its
caves and twitter about it's shattered
windows. or the desolate quiet that hoY.
/ ers over some small settlement aban-
/ poned by its people because of famine
and disease, IS the little group 2f yll1rEs-
ble-down houses at the southern end
of the Long Bridge, which masquerades
Under the name of jackson City. For
nearly half a century the name has
been there. During that period an ever
/ changing population, mostly of vicious
sort, has nodded the reputation and
varying fortunes of the place, but
| within the past year it has been ever on
! the downward course until now it Is a
| passing shadow, soon, perhaps, to be
only memory.
| 1t is about IS years since Andrew
Jackson, the rugged president of the
| United States accepted the invitation
of some Virginians who had great
schemes in their heads for the develop
ment of the property at the practical
head of navigation of the Potomac
side, accompanied by all the military
| display then available, and, amid ora
tory and music of brass bands, the
name was given. To commemorate the
event a corner stone was laid some
where-where IS not known-foT the
shifting sands of the river shore soon
hid the mark from view. But the city
was named, and when the president
came back to his white house the Eir-
ginians were satisfied
For long time the corner stone was
the only thing to tell that the spot was
a city m embryo. Its first impetus
speedily familiarized il with the mien
of the monster vice, for it came in the
shape of race track Jockeys of q
| disreputable sort, touts, even worse,
and professional crooks, followed the
I track, and after one or two murders the
| track was thing of memory. Then
the city languished and was forgotten.
Ten years ago, however, a spasm of
virtue struck the police department of
Washington, and the poolrooms, which
were then doing business openly in the
/ capital city, were driven out First
they located on Seventh street. just
above the boundary, but legislation was
extended 50 as TO cover the district and
| they were again compelled 10 move.
What place so convenient as Jackson
City? Across the Long Bridge they
marched and soon the city was city
! of poolrooms, barring several saloons
which had started up
From then on its run of prosperity
was ulbroken- The poolrooms did
fourishipg business. The policy shops
| established headquarters there, and
| people who could not find money TO buy
food for wives and children found the
wherewithal TO buy policy slips and
| pool tickets. Saloons multiplied,
brawls were at daily occurrence, and
fatalities were frequent. A station was
established there, and the railroad
| trains which had formerly rushed
through the place, built platform. es-
tablished switches and sidings, and
stopped to take ON and let of passen-
gers.
Then came the outlaw tracks, which
gave the place more notoriety than ever.
Finally the district police had to take
mat 5ers in their own hands From
their first decisive step dates the pass
ing of Jackson City.
The blowing open of safe belong
| ing to the Washington Ferry company
and the stealing of several thousand
dollars furnished the occasion The
booty was taken to Jackson City 70 be
| distributed. Desmond, Dempsey and
others who had assisted the notorious
Billy Williams in the robbery were bar
bored there. Williams himself made
the place his headquarters, and failing
to secure the cooperation ot the Vir-
ginia authorities, the local detective bu-
reau undertook bold step A patrol
wagon, full of detectives, ell heavily
armed. left police headquarters in this
city shortly after midnight, while the
discussion Of the safe robbery was at
its height At this end of the bridge the
wagon stopped. and the officers got out
and walked across. The notorious
Gamblers place was surrounded Des-
mond was arrested, but Dempsey ee-
capped. Satchels, with evidences of the
guilt of the people arrested, were found
in the place, and later, after Williams
had been arrested. he made full con-
fession, duplicating the rest
Following that came a raid by vir-
ginia deputy sheriffs on the saloon kept
by Nelson and Foster, both noted gam
blers, during which one of the deputies
was shot and killed. Other raids were
made. Gambler was arrested and con-
fined in Jail on several charges, only re-
Gently securing his release. His place
was broken up and closed. Nelson was
driven out. Foster followed.
Gambler has ueen released from Jail
in Alexandria, and inhabits the upper
part of his place The lights no longer
burn in the bar and gambling-rooms
downstairs, and the sounds Of revelry
VII ch once came from within are
hushed. The platform erected by the
railroad is not used, even the slowest
trains going through without stopping.
The sun beats down on the one deserted