Kansas City daily journal., 1897-01-31
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Police Judge clifford the First Wit
ness-TeIIs of His Experience With
Gamblers Gambling in City.

Gamblers and Gambling in City.
Police Judge F.. w. Clifford was called
when the afternoon session began. lie
said:
My first experience with gambling was
in November, 1895. when I was employed as
attorney for ". H. Bean, who was arrested
for gambling. He said he was willing to
quit if Findley was stopped. His plea was
that if one was allowed to run others
ought to. He said the Findley-Baughman
combination was knocking him. He was
fined. November he was again arrested,
after being open fifteen minutes. He had a
man visit Findley'se place at State Line,
and when 1t was opened he opened and in
hfteen minutes he was ralded. he was
nned and appealed the case. In this case
he displayed card of admission to the
Flndley place at State Line. 1t was shown
that the officers who made the raid went
past Findleys place, behind Pendergast's,
and drove back past there before the Find
ley place was visited. Bean told me the
Findley-Baughman crowd had notified him
he could not run. He saw 1t was useless
and quit. '.
Witnesses Put Out of the Way.
april 16, Judge Jones, my predecessor
issued warrant for Baughman. L found
the case on the docket and we tried to get
the witnesses until May l. Being unable to
find the witnesses, the city had to dismiss
the case. The witnesses had been put out
of the way. September %. Gus Baughman
was caught in a raid, with a. number of
his frequenters, at 12OS Walnut. Four city
detectives testified 10 seeing a game in
progress. Baughman was fined. Jim Pen
dergast went on his bond.
When Mr.. Bean and I left the police
court room after Beam s trial, Findley, who
was standing in front of Pendergast $
place came across the street and began to
abuse Bean. He was very insulting. We
left him and went on up the street.
lin August a policy shop was captured
at 1907 Walnut street. 1t was run by a
hlrt n n 1a1
Wright was caught in charge. Anderson
appealed his case, but Wright went to the
Workhouse.
Chief Irwin told me that two of Find
ley's men were under arrest and asked
me If would take Findley as bondsman.
l said no. FindIey secured bond for An
derson. In the trial of Anderson's case the
jury disagreed and a scandal grew out of
1t, as one of the jurors claimed something
| was wrong with the jury.
The trSt lot of warrants 1 issued num-
| bered about a dozen. The police took them
and got two men out of the lot. One was
running a game called 'cooncan,' a new
| version of craps. Usually warrants go to
| the court sergeant, but the custom has
been that gambling warrants should go
to p,t the s ehiet direct and kept % quiet"
mittee wants to know is the names of the
parties for whom warrants were issued and
| not served
That will have to be secured from the
| police clerk.
"A gambler named IfilI, at Missouri ave-
| nue. and Main, and a man named Parker,
| in the West bottoms, were then arrested.
| Parker said he was going to quit, and l
| have heard nothing more of him. Frank
| Shaw, at the stock yards, was also fined
| Tor running poker room"
Judge WonOrd Acquits Pool Men.
June the chief came to me and wanted
| a warrant for l.. NJ. Bliler. pool room
| keeper. He was in great hurry He got
q warrant and in the middle of the after
noon officers sent out got wagonload
of frequenters. The case was appealed
and Judge Wofford held it was not gam
| bling.
Shortly afterward he raided Blier
again, then Bliler got an injunction to pre-
| vent other raids.
During Carnival week several parties
! tolde me gambling was running wide open
with 'steerers' out all over town, to lure
| in the unwary. l found six or eight places
| running, and Wednesday, October Z, is
| sued warrants and suggested raids that
night. 1 told him the fact was notorious
| and good evidence could be secured for
| conviction. The warrants were not served.
| Just before noon a man came to my court
the alley and see the crap game in the
| old Times building. l went and asked the
chief and when he found where we were
| going, he said to me:
| IF you want to make q id fool OF
| yourself you can; can't take time for it.
Il went, and saw great crowd of men
and boys going in and out A tall man
| He was said to be the steerer for the
| house. Ed Findley came walking out, and
went across the alley to Pendergast's sa-
| loon. There was plenty of evidence of the
! game. The man with whom 1 went was
D; G. Saunders, of 7OS Main street.
1.-TWO weeks later he came again, and
BY Attorney Wallace: when were
| those warrants Served?"
| They were issued October Z, and were
| served October o. and five frequenters
We're caught. Wednesday night, when the
warrants were issued, they could have
caught 100. The fact that the warrant was
issued was published in all of the papers
| during the interval.
Could See Crap Layout.
"Mr. Saunders took me to a basement
window in the Kansas City Paper house
| where we could see the crap layout in the
as running the place October %. was fneG
5000 and Pendergast went on his bond. II
was what we call a Findley bond.
| "Chief told me the warrants could moi
| be served during carnival week because
the force was too busy. Warrants for as.
| sault and all other crimes We're served al
once. The only delay was with gambling
| warrants.
Here are six warrants issued during
| carnival week. One at 12OS Union avenue
was issued and delivered to Chief IrwI
| October T. 1t bears the chiefs stamp DC.
| tober p. Lieutenant Bray reported Octo'
| ber 26 no gambling at the house"
| Let me see that warrant said Senator
| Morton, and he scanned 1t closely.
Some Suspicious Returns.
October II a warrant was issued against
| Grimm. The chiefs stamp is October II
| The return says no gambling at the house
| October IS to November 4, and is signed by
| Halpin and Schultz.
"A warrant October Il against Dick Stone
was stamped the same date and the officers
return was as follows:
| No game at above number since October
| q to November II. f. w. SCHULTZ.
"A warrant October II for Wade Howell
| stamped the same date by the chief bore
| the following return:
| No game at above number from October
| "A warrant for John Doe. northeast cor.
| ner Twelfth and Grand, issued and dated
October T. was stamped October % by the
| chief. The return was as follows:
Received warrant November 4. Place
| not running since. SNEaD and O'BRIEN.
| "A warrant for John Doe, northwest cor.
| ner Twelfth and McGee, issued October II
| stamped same date, bore return as follows
| " No game there since / got warrant
October 80. THOMAS PHILLIPS, Captain.
Wanted 12Os Walnut Protected.
Another warrant was also issued for 100
| Walnut and rear of Pendergasts saloon
| l spoke TO Chief Irwin about 1t. He said
at 120S Walnut they ought not to be raideC
September and fined $3.50 1 told him
Baughman never paid fine, but appealed
] and business men were complaining. Iit
said he would see about it. l asked hin
for a written return on the warrant HC
said he was sick, and would see me again
Several days later asked him about them
| ! intended, If he did not make Il return OF
the warrant, to cite him to appear for con
| tempt of court. He was taken sick, anC
died, and the returns are as you see them.
Il told the president of the police boaIC
about the warrants. 1t was published tha
| Irwin was not serving the warrants.
| II always contended q warrant was un
necessary in gambling arrests no NOR r
| ficerS be put in citizens clothes and ge