Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-01-15

II SIklhE AL L OLlC1 L LA lNG.-
Squads of officers, under the directio,
of Sergeant Smith, between four ant
five o'clock yesterday afternoon visited
the different places in this city wher,
policy was alleged to have been con
Quoted and arrested Walter Donnelly
John Mills and Frank McLearen
white, and VIM. Payne, Rhode Viii
son, Charles Grady, James Lee, James
Banks, Edward Green, Thos. Nelson
Edward Jameson, Frank Chase, F. r
Ross, A. w. Madells and Chas. Parker
colored. Later Adolphus Woodward
a Washington runner, was picked W
on the street, and during the nigh
VIM. Payne, colored, was found and
locked up. The raid was made so late
in the evening that only bare men
ton of the fact could be made in yes.
terday's GAZETTE.
Complaint has been made to the au-
thorties for several years of the
growth OF the policy business in Alex
andra, although it has been more than
decade since any decisive action had
been taken. The matter had several
times been in the Police and Corpora
tion Courts, but it was no easy matter
to prove the charge against those ar
rested from the fact that the operators
were willy and those who played could
not say positively who they transacted
business with from the fact that the
money was pushed in an aperture no
larger than rat hole and nothing but
g hand could be seen. In other cases
the moduS operandi was on panto
mimic scale, the money sliding one
sway and the slips another on some sort
of device inside windows.
A few weeks ago new place was
started in the extreme northern por-
ton of the city, and the Mayor was
notified. Chief Webster was directed
TO give the matter attention and on
Wednesday, after having secured the
proper evidence, Edward Shock, who
gave his name as George Nye," the
proprietor, was arrested at the instance
of the Chief and fined.
On three occasions during the past
six months warrants had been sworn
out against alleged policy promoters,
but before the cases could be called
requests for permission to withdraw
The charges were made. In each case
these requests were emphatically de-
MED and the parties named in the war
rants arrested. Those who brought
the charges failed to testify, or they
gave hearsay evidence, and, conse-
Quently the accused were dismissed.
After the arrest and fning of Shock
a couD detat was planned, and Ser
geant Smith proceeded to get the neces-
sary evidence, after which he had war
rants prepared in the Mayors name by
Justice OF the Peace Julius Pelton for
the wholesale arrest of all parties con-
cerued, together with the necessary
search warrants. Between four and
five o'clock the ball was set in motion.
The house of Edward Green, color
ed, on Henry street, between Cameron
and Queen, was visited by Officers Bet
lis aud Arlington, who captured the
proprietor and number of players,
money, drawings and books used in
the business. Officers Beach and Hall
gained an entrance into
the shop conducted by James Banks,
colored, on Princess street, between
Royal and Fairfax. The officers cap
tured everything, including the pro-
prietor and number of witnesses. Of
ficers Proctor and Sherwood entered
the place of Thomas Nelson, colored,
securing the proprietor and a number
of witnesses. Frank McLaren's place
on Henry street, between Duke and
Prince, was visited by Officers Knight
and TIGER. The proprietor and several
witnesses were captured, together with
the furniture. Serg't. Smith and Oil
Ger Ferguson directed their attention
TO place kept by Walter Donnelley,
located in the alley between King,
Prince, Lee and Union streets. AS in
the other cases, the proprietor and sew
eral witnesses were arrested and the
books, printing press, ETC., captured.
Officers Young and Deane went to
house, in the same alley, fronting on
Union street, said to be conducted by
F. NJ. Hill, but found no one in the
building, though all the parsphernalia
necessary to conduct policy business
was there.
Subsequently Officer Belts arrested
Adolphus Woodward, colored, q Wash
ington runner, on the streets, and about
ten o'clock John Mills, white, and VIM.
Payne, colored, attaches of the new es-
tablishment, were arrested.
1t was generally understood that all
concerned in the policy BUSH css would
be tried at Z o'clock last night, and the
largest crowd which was ever seen in
the Police Court was present. Even fe.
males, prompted by curiosity, were on
hand, some perched on the railing in
order to get good look at the proceed
ings. About one dozen people, white
and colored, who had been caught IN
the places raided, were brought in, and
as they entered the box the audience,
most of whom had come to be amused,
laughed and yelled. The players were
released on their personal bonds in the
sum of 800 each for their appearance
Monday night as witnesses. and later
all the accused gave bond in the sum Of
5000 each for their appearance at the
same time. Mr.. John Donnelly became
surety for his son, Mr.. Theophilus Bal
longer for McLearan, and Mes3rs. J. Nj.
Hill and Jacob Brill for the others.
To-day Avery Henderson and Stephen
Blue were also arrested.
The affair has caused considerable
sensation in the city, and was the priu-
cipal theme of conversation last night
and this r'orning.
To-day Commonwealth Attorney
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