The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-30
GAMBLERS MUST LOOK OUT.
NO LIKELIHOOD OF ANTI-GAM-
BLING ORDERS WITHDRAWAL.

BLING ORDERS WITHDRAWAL.
The Minority of the Members of the
Council IndOrse the Antf-Gambling
Move and Believe 1t Was the Prop
er step for the Mayor TO Take.
Knowledge of This Fact May Pos
sIbIy Account for the Mayors Sud-
den Change of Base-The Order
Very Explicit in It's Terms ana
Leaves no LOophoIe of Escape-TO-
day VIII Tell the Tale Whether or
Not 1t Is Being Observed.
The motives for Mayor Myers change Of
position on the gambling question still re-
main a mystery Whether it was the
pressure Of public sentiment or whether he
had realized that his former view of the
matter was an error, or whether some
other motive prompted him is still I'M
known. Inquiry among the members OF
the board Of aldermen developes that the
majority OF those in the city and undoubt-
eddy a majority of all the members of the
board favor such a policy as that laid
down in Mayor Myers letter to Supern-
tendent Screven and that his step I'M
douhtedly has the approval of the majority
Of the board
Acting Mayor Tiedeman, when seen in
reference TO the matter yesterday, said
that he was satisfied that majority of the
members Of the board, and probably all of
them. are in favor of the suppression of
gambling and the use of the police force TO
that end.
1T may not be possible to suppress
gambling entirely" said the acting Mayor
but it is possible to prevent its being con-
Quoted openly and 1 believe it to be the
sentiment of the members of the board
that the police force should be used for this
purpose"
DO you understand that the order of
Mayor Myers is a permanent one, and that
it is a standing order to the superintend-
ent of police to suppress gambling in any
form and not a temporary movement
Alderman Tiedeman was asked
THAT IS my understanding of the or
der" he replied Il have no idea that II
will be withdrawn"
Alderman Tiedeman said that his un-
Outstanding of the law is that while the
city has no authority to pass ordinances
providing penalties for violation of state
laws It has full power to use the police
would any other violation of state law.
IF the gamblers should fail to take warn
ing" he said, 'it will be the duty of the
detectives to make cases against them and
to obtain information on which 10 turn
them over from the Police Court to the
state courts. The Mayors instructions
are very clear on that point.
No reports of violations of the order
were received by Acting Mayor Tiedeman
yesterday. THE order to the superin-
tendent of police does not require any re-
ports except in case of failure to obey
the orders to close" he said. THE In.
structions were that the gamblers were to
be allowed twenty-four hours in which to
close their places of business. so do not
expect any report of this character before
tomorrow. l understand that the order
is being generally observed"
As to Mayor Myers reasons for his
change of base Alderman Tiedeman was
| entirely non-committal.
No Change of Base.
Alderman Haas, when asked about the
matter, said he did not think there had
been any change of base on the part of
/ the Mayor. The Mayor has not been Civ
! en- proper credit for his action i'm this mat
| ter" said Alderman Haas. Il have never
| understood that he was in favor of open
| gambling or gambling of any kind. lie
| was doubtful if the evil was as extensive
! as it was pictured, and he was also doubt
| full of his authority i'm the matter. When
| he became convinced that the situation
| was such as to require action on his part
/ and that he had the authority to do so,
! he acted promptly and effectively. Like
! the Mayor l have no personal knowledge
of any gambling here. and l have never
| been in a gambling house in Savannah
! At the same time. the statements which
/ have been made have convinced me that
/ the evil does exist and l believe ii to be
right that the city should exert its author
| ity to suppress it,
Alderman FARRELL expressed himself as
well pleased with the order of Mayor My
/ ers. He was not called 10 the conference
| held at the city exchange Wednesday aft
ernoOn, but this was unnecessary as his
sentiments on the subject were we'll
| known. Although an earnest supporter of
the Mayor, he felt that the latter was in
error in the position taken by him in his
| public utterances.
Alderman Williams, the only member of
4 the board. who publicly declared himself
( as opposed to the position taken by the
4 Mayor and insisted upon the right and duty
of the Mayor to exercise his authority as
is now being done, is out of the city. hav-
ing left the early part of the week for Ala
/ bama, and viii probably not return for
several days. II is needless to say that the
Mayors order will give entire satisfaction
| to Alderman Williams.
Mayor begun the preparation of his order
to the superintendent as early as last
week when a rough draft of the order
was drawn at his direction by his
/ secretary. MIR. Thomas Gamble A con
ference with several of the aldermen was
held at the Mayors office Wednesday after
noon, and the order was put in shape. II
was then referred to the acting city attor-
I ney. Mr.. Davis Freeman, for his opinion
as 10 whether the Mayor had the legal au
thority to give the instructions containe l
in his order to the superintendent of Pc
lice To this Mr.. Freeman replied on
Thursday morning, stating that in his
opinion the Mayor had the authority 10
give the instructions contained in the or
der, but suggesting that when cases
against the gamblers were put on the
docket that this be done by warrant and
arrest hereunder, and that the city de-
tectives and police be instructed to swe IT
out warrants against such persons In
stead of merely docketing them. A not