The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-09-15
II POLICE court.
Ju .tioe John Says He Intends to Break Up
Poker Playing.

Ju stiCe John avs lie Intonuh 10 hio"" ~
Poker Playing.
The docket Of the Police Court yester-
dav morning contained forty-seven cases.
several Of them being Of an extremely
interesting character. Nearly an hour
was consumed In the trial of Mr.. Phil
Marks. who conducts a. clpthlnB elvlc %"
Main street.
There has been a quarrel Of long stand
ing between Mr.. Marks ana MT. Gus.
Schnurman. who IS also in the clothing
business.
The particular trouble which engaged
the attention Of Justice John yesterday
morning occurred ON Friday afternoon last
and the witnesses paced on the stand III
behalf Of either side. gave in testimony
of a some.qhat conflicting ard bcwilder-
ing character.
The evidence Tor Mr.. Marks was 10 the
effect that n gentleman and his 'on we're
going into his (Marks) store. when Mr..
S~chnurman's clerk enticed them away.
Also that sundry threats had been made
by Mr.. Schnurman TO do up" Marks and
his clerk.
on the other hand. testimony was adj
duccd TO the effect that Marks ana MS
clerk. Freeman by name. had threatened
TO give Mr.. Schnurman a pair OF black
ewes" and that under the belief that be
Mnill0 lfiIlNt N'AiAf AA"A ~ tN
Marks 10 he arrested.
The trouble is one Of long standing.
there having. prior 20 this time. been dis
acreemcnts between Mrs. Croalter. the
mother-in-law Of Mr.. Schnurman. and
Mr.. Marks. Mrs. CrOalter was formerly
Mrs. Jacobs. and her daughter was re-
Gently married TO Mr. chnSurman.
The case was holly contested by MT.
Smith. in behalf OF Mr.. Schnurman' and
Gen. Edgar Allan for Mr.. Marks.
Mrs. Schnurman and her sister, MISS
Eva. both took the stand and gave in
testimony on behalf OF Schnurman.
Messrs. Engelberg and Jacob Levitt,
who are ncighbors OF Marks. testihed
that he was a very unpleasant man 10
live near. and also that the Schnurmans
| and Mrs. Croalter were good. hard-work-
ing people.
Justice John finally dismissed the case.
but warned Mr.. Marks that he would
punish him severely If anything OF the
kind occurred again.
Martha Ann Taylor. n negro girl
who made herself notorious by her
sleight-of-hand performances during last
years Confederate reunion. was up on
the charge Of robbing DIT. NJ. c.. Castog-
netti. a native Of Guatemala, South Amer
lea. OF his pocket-book. which contained
among other things. a draft on a san
Salvador bank for 500. The case went
over for further Investigation.
John Reed, alias Solomon Marable' who
robbed the store Of G. Dominica, on Fri
dav last. was sent 10 the grand jury.
The last case on the docket. and one
which involved a question Of much pub
uc interest was that against John NJ. Pei
| ugrini. charging him with conducting a
gambling house. According 10 the tCs-
timony. his place Is known as the Mag
nolia Club. for which a charter has been
duly obtained.
While the evidence showed that money
had been lost at a game played Saturday
night and Sunday last. there was nothing
to show that as much as $50 had been
lost in twenty-four hours. Justice John,
| therefore, dismissed the case.
Before d~ng so, however, he requested
| Commonwealth Attorney Richardson 20
give his opinion on the subject. Mr..
| richardson said that the club might be
"a bona fde one. or merely a sham to
| evade the law. In which latter event the
proprietor should be punished.
lie strongly urged the necessity Tor
| breaking up houses OF this character. and
| emphasized the fact that one Of the wit
nesses in the case. who said he was a
member Of the club, was only seventeen
years Of age.
Justice Crutchheld declared his inten-
ton Of doing all in his power 10 put a
stop 10 gaming houses.
90" am only waiting. he said. ito get n
case strong enough 10 carry II 10 the
pustines Court. The laws on this sub
iect are defective. and / shall do an In
my. mower 10 have them amended"