The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-05-25
FERRIES SWARM
WITH GAMBLERS
To Play" the Races
Hundreds Visit
Sausalito.
PooIroom Operators Arrested
as Soon as Their Places
Are Opened.
After Their Release on Bail the
Legitimate Game Goes On
Without Interruption.

sAUSALITO, CAL, May "a. - The
threatened invasion by the booksellers
took place to-day, and the poolrooms we're
thrown open for business. The town au-
thorities took immediate action, and ar
rests were made by Marshal John E.
Creed and Deputy Marshal Eugene
Dreamer.
The firms which commenced operations
to-day were Harrison & Co. and Abraham
& Co. W. T. Barnett, representing the
first, and Zeke Abraham, for the other,
were arrested and brought before Re-
corder Joseph n. Pryor shortly after
noon upon warrants issued upon COM
plant of Marshal Greed. The Marshal
alleged that within the corporate limits
of Sausalito the:defendants willfully and
unlawfully received from him the sum of
81 as bet or hazard upon the result of a
certain horserace, in violation OF the ordi-
nance passed on September 8, 1894. pro-
hibiting pooI-selling. Creed's ticket bears
ME McHale and the mare May Gallop.
Attorney Sylvia holds the coupons as evil
dence.
The town authorities lost no time in
placing the principals under arrest, and
the result of the first race on which pools
were sold had hardly been announced be-
fore the Marshal and his deputy had Bar
nett and Abraham on their way to court.
The complaints were read to the de-
fendant booksellers, and they pleaded not
guilty and demanded jury trials. They
were released upon payment of $50 cash
bail each. They left the courtroom and
went back to the poolrooms, where they
continued business without further mo-
lestation from the authorities.
This afternoon Recorder Pryor issued
two venires of fifty each and set the cases
for June l and 2. The serving of the sub
penas upon the residents OF Sausalito to
be in court and act as jurors in the pool
room cases was commenced this after
noon. The names of those on the venire
represent the leading citizens OF the town.
Recorder Pryor, following the example of
Judge Slack IN the Fair will case in San
Fran cisco has said that he would listen to
no excuses except in open court, and the
excuses must be made In voice loud
enough to be heard by all in court. Bench
warrants would be issued to those falling
10 answer to their names. Said Judge
Pryor;
''If the citizens are opposed TO poolsell-
ing in Sausaito let them inconvenience
themselves and come into court as they
should, and do their duty as jurors. In
these cases do not desire to do more than
my duty. We have an ordinance against
poolselling, and until this is repealed pool
sellers will be arrested"
The scene about the poolrooms to-day
was that usually witnessed in these ille-
ultimate gambling haunts, which are
thorns in the side of the legitimate racing
game. The crowd was by no means small,
and many women mingled in the throng,
placing their money on the horses. Har-
rison 81 Co. occupy the rear portion of the
Buffalo Hotel on Water street, and Abra-
ham & Co. are doing business in the Bar
rios building, opposite the North Pacific
Coast Railroad Company's depot.
The business done by the poolmen must
of necessity be large as their expenses are
great The Western Union Telegraph
Company exacts 500 for each days SER
vice, and besides this outlay the wages of
employees rent and costs of defending
suits is considerable. Hundreds of the
"pikers" we're in town during the day,
and they were continually on the move
between the different resorts.