New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-19
RECORDER CRITICIsEs PROSECUTION.

Observation-Disclosures OFFICE. HID SAYS. HAS A
QUEER WAY OF HANDLING GAMBLING CASES.
Recorder Goff in Part III Of the Court Of General
Sessions. yesterday afternoon took occasion to
criticse the police and the Disrict-Attorney Of
fee in their management Of gambling cases The
case that evoked the criticism that OF John
Sims. of No. 249 West Forty-second-st.. charged
with being common gambler. On January q
Detective Lockwood arrested Sims at the West
Shore Hotel. at Tenth-ave. and Forty-second-st.
He testified the examination of Sims that he
found Sims and three men in room OF the hotel
playing faro. Yesterday afternoon Detective Lock-
wood testified that Sims not playing faro. This
excited Recorder COTS suspicion. and he asked tho
detective you what is known a ward
mann
YES sir"
You had no trouble in getting into this mans
ROOM
NO SIR"
Were the tipped orr
Not that know off,
How DO you account for the change in your tes-
timony?"
Detective lockwood was much confused. and said
that he at first thought the men were playing faro.
He afteIward learned s that he was mistaken IT,
cumstance that this case should be put on trial
when there are in the District Att9rneys office
dating back for years which have not been called
the way in which these cases are managed and dis
After pause the Recorder said: 81 will make
no ruling In the case. II go 20 the jury" The
case went to the jury and Sims discharged
In his address Recorder Golf said, among other
things:
think I am safe IN saying that there arc
many indictments for gaming or gambling in the
District Attorneys office, and many have been on
the calender for the last few weeks before me.
This case, however. Is the first case that has been
brought to trial and It is remarkable that in this
the memory Of the witness for the people has
failed 1t is strange commentary upon the ad-
minstration Of our criminal law that with re-.
gard to a matter that is Of common open and
notorious existence in the city Of New York
gambling-there should be brought here to
call 1t little case I mean with reference to the
place in Forty-second-st-a small place. where one
The police officer upon whom the people rely for
the prosecution of this case swears in direct con-
think every citizen in New-York can reasonably
rest upon the assumption that there are powerful
and wealthy gambng-houses in this city. and, SO
far as we know, attempt has been made to bring
tce. The place referred TO in this case is little
and the manner Of their entry every New-Yorker
knows smacks of collision; for It does not require
occult GR Set ocers Who AL
ways carry with them the badge OF their occupa-
ton could not enter gamblng-house in that way.
There is scarcely one of you gentlemen in the
jury-box here that would not recognize DETECTIVE
at once. There is something ABOUT them 10 a new
Yorker that is easily dscernible and particularly
to men who live in violation of the law as Keepers
OF gambng-houses must do. -. H..
In this court we are confined by the rules OF law,
and we must observe and obey those rules All
that we have 10 do is TO pass upon the case moved
by the Distric-Attorney he IS me
charged with the responsibility OF knowing what
upon him must rest the responsibility Of moving
such a case as this.