The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-16
S GlN I ? 4 u.
SAYS IT IS CLOSED
CI5EElF .GOsS SAYS THE SHELLEY
STREET RESORT WILL QUIT
BUSINESS.
RENT HAS BEEN roo GREAT,
so THE PLACE WILL BE CLOSED
DURING a WEEK
OR so.
M.yOR DORAN'S ATTENTION
RENT HAS BEEN TOO GREAT,
DORAN'S
ATTENTION
MAYOR 1
IL CaIrad tn the References of Pub
lie Affairs and an lnNestlga-
ton Is Probable.

The exposure in the Globe yes
9eYdav of the systematic sWlndllng
oDerations on the part of the gang con-
ducting a resort on Sibley street was
a matter of general comment, though
the existence of the place has been d
matter of public knowledge for some
weeks. Individual members OF the
police department have grown tlreu
saving they didn't know why 1t was
allowed The Gle b e, too, has peen
in possession of facts concerning the
tran since the confidence men hrst
opened for business, but refralned
from publishing them with view to
ascertaining how far the bunco game
would be carried before the depart
n.ent took official notice of it, mat
there is no limit to the boldness or the
thieves who are allowed to prey upon
visitors to the city is at least estap-
lished by the conditions found to exist
between the "grafteTs' and the ponce.
In all quarters the expose was recog-
niZed as the only denouement Whlch
could follow what has been going on,
and many people are hoping that
Mayor Doran may come to reallz-
ing sense of how he is being 'Joobed.
For the public impression is that the
mayor himself has not been aware OF
the condition of things. Naturally
enough when he is called before the
mayor for an explanation Chief Goss
will doubtless plead ignorance of what
has been going on. He will likely
spring the old chestnut Of politics"
or else say no complaints have been
made by anyone who has been victim
lied With strangers being robbed
every day in the week by these conf
dence men, and the city running over
with criminals of every class, it would
not be without the bounds Of POSSIBLE
lty if Mayor Doran should at last con-
clude that there's something rotten
In Denmark"
confidence men and lock grafters is
being done under police protection. 1t
IS commonly reported that w. H.
Griffin, the proprietor Of the saloon at
b East Seventh street, whose dicta-
torshio of police and public matters
has become so strong that he is now
known as Mayor Griffin, is protecting
the pitfall. Mayor" Griffin is said to
be the ruling spirit among the Sibley
etreet gang. Mayor Griffin's right
bower is alleged to be a man seen
frequently in consultation with Chief
Goss. and afterwards with the Sibley
street push. But f0r%the fact that
Goss pretends to know nothing about
1t, it it might be supposed this man
was keeping the chief posted on what
Is going on.
1t is for the public to guess whether
OF not the alleged protection given the
confidence men is without a considera-
flNn PAOnla w
The game is systematized and so, it is
said, is the division Of the spoils. All
of the money f1eeced from strangers is
divided into three parts, and only one
Of these portions is retained by the
con" men who do the actual swind-
ling. Where the other two-thirds of
the stolen money goes is also for the
public to guess, as the Globe isn't
making any charges. A member Of the
police force yesterday had the temerity
60 express himself as follows:
SWlndllng and grating going on,
Sh! Well, should say it was, and has
been for months. It's a case of graft
Bill down the line. It's an open secret,
and every one knows the condition of
affairs as told in the Globe to be
the truth"
inns IS the statement of a man with
experience in police matters, and who
had no fear of expressing himself.
Chief Goss, seen yesterday and asked
II the Sibley street resort would be
closed said: The place has to all pur-
poses been closed for several DAYS.
knew absolutely nothing about the
place until day or two ago, and since
then 1T has been under surveillance
and nothing by which a case could be
made out against the operators in
court has been discovered. NV in
formation came to me in the nature of
aTV1 i,no+
from any one who claims to have been
Victimized at the place. 1 have not
received a single complaint of this
KIND. The reason / did not order the
resort closed at once was because T de-
sired II possible to secure evidence
against those conducting it, AS soon
as this can be done the place will he
closed. L am told, however, that the
men running the place are going ont
OF business, anyway, on account of the
nigh rent of the store. If this is the
case, there will be no occasion for no.
lice action"
The statement of the chief to the ef-
rect that ne has received no complaints
or persons being fieeced by the "con,,
men is readily understood. To nrevan+
victims complaining to the police is
part or the system of the sWindlars
and the moment a man who has haer
heeced leaves the "store" he is fol-
lowed by one of the swindlers, who
never allows the victim to leave his
sight until he goes out of the citv
In case the person who has lost his
money is strong in his determination tn
seek the police overtures are made
and portion or all his money refund
ed, rather than that the alleged agree
ment about complaints going to head
quarters being violated. In the face
of so thorough a system naturaJIv
enough the authorities can take refuge
behind the plea of ignorance of the ex-
listing facts
Today is the douf vn,,r ctO.z- H