New-York tribune., 1897-01-19
WHAT COL. GRANT WOULD DO
LEGALIZE GAMBLING AND LICENSE DIS
ORDERLY HOUSES.
GAMBLING sPIr,IT-HE ADMITS THAT HIS
VIEWS WILL. NOT MEET GEN
ERAL APPROVAL.

VIEWS WILL NOT MEET GEN
ERAL APPROVAL.
New-Yorkers have been surprised at the seni-
mens expressed by two OF the Police Commissioners
in published Interviews recently After the death
OF James Duffy a pug.llst who was fatally injured
in a prize-hght at place in Broadway in this city
Commissioner Roosevelt said: II think life as
whole Is atogs her too serious a problem to pay as
much heed to one Individual l.le some people do"
He declared his emphatic belief in boxing and foot
ball aid in all forms rough manly sports. and he
spoke with apparent enthusiasm OF a previous box
ing encounter and declared that In that 'clean-cut
twenty round match. which was hard fought, there
was entire freedom from cruelty"
In the place where Duffy fatally hurt another
fgh; IN the ring occurred on Saturday night. IT be-
gan too tamely to SUIT the crowd of roughs looking
and there was wild nootlng until the manager OF
the show told pug.liss that they would have 10
fight or be ruled Then there slugging until
OF the knocked OIL, in the twelfth
round. and the say that his nose was
broken i'm the eighth round and mis- lips were sphi
open and bleeding in the tenth round. Il was
brutal and disgusting contest. far removed from
decent manly sport. but the police are permitting
sucn contests In this city now.
In an interview in The World on Sunday. Police
Commissioner Grant was represented advocating
the establishment OF lottery in this city under
State control and the setting apart OF quarter OF
the city for unchecked vice. His statement. as
printed. included the following
Il do not believe in trying 10 stop Sunday liquor
selling. gambling and the social evil completely. /
would like to do so. bu; IL Is impossible.
The disOrd.rly hodses should he strictly regu-
ideal method would be system OF legal licensing
and ocalizns. giving these people rights and hold
ing them TO account.
THE same methods should be pursued with gam
bling houses. Since II is human nature 10 gamble.
and people must do Il. and will do it, they should be
protected ana given square game-a chance for
their lives. as II were. Police regulation will do this
-imperfectly il Is true but still 1t will be great
Improvement upon the present conditions. n, how
ever could have a system Of legazei gambling
IT would be a great blessing to the community. a
public lottery. run by the State. small per-
centage with tickets sold for small amounts, would
furnish fairly safe Quite, for the gambling spirit.
Large public gambling places. conducted under very
strict rules and whore the adventurous could stake
their money at faro. roulette poker. with the
surance OF a square deal. would solve the gambling
problem-a: least. as far as II can be solved while
people want to gamble
To a Tribune reporter yesterday Colonel Grant
said he did not expec; tina: his views would get into
print when he gave expression to them. II
talking about what thought ought be. and not
what expect can be- he said II do not believe
that the religious people OF this State would allow
the passage OF bill TO legalze a lottery or would
consent to n system for licensing dlsorderly houses
II were member Of the Legislature would not
Introduce such bill. because would know the bill
could not be passed. and would know that could
not be reelected after introducing such a bill"
The Commissioner admitted that In substance his
views mad been expressed fairly in the published in
tervew in The World and that his language had
been repro iuccd with toerable accuracy