The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-16
GAMBLERS PAY BIG FINES.
AN ESTIMATE OF THE REVENUE
FROM GAMING ROOMS.


Are Paid Fixes the Amount at over
S21.O 0O Per Annum-S11 200 Paid
by the ProprietOrs of Policy Lot
teries AIOne-Another of These
Has Been Started since the Present
Grand Jury started Its Agitation
on the Subject-And Keno Also
Pays Much Into County Treasury.
A well-known man about town, who is
| bashful as to the disclosure of his iden-
ity, gave a representative OF the Morn
ing News yesterday some interesting fig
ures relative to gambling in Chatham
county and the amount of the fines paid
yearly by these gentry into the registries
of the Superior and City Courts.
In the first place" said this individual
you want TO comprehend that am dead
on to what I am telling you. l have been
| custodian of the bank roll for several
| gambling ventures of more or less magni
| tude. and in consequence am possessed
of an intimate acquaintance with the
methods in which the business is trans
acted and the fines paid. In the vernac>
ular of the green table, I'm wise and
I've been in on the deal.
| "Weu, about these policy players, the
method of collecting fines from them was
something like this. Along in July they
would be indicted, arrested and give bond
The cases against them would be set for
hearing but on the appointed day
| the defendants would not put in an APP
pearance. and the bonds of themselves and
their sureties would be escheated. The
| sureties would be notified that unless they
produced their principals in court at the
next term, the bonds would be forfeited
and they would be urged to come across
with the money. The gamblers while all
this was in progress, would take sneak
for day or two or lie close in their
rooms
by this method they were given until
the ensuing November to pay their fines,
which by that time they We're ample abe
to do. In that month or December their
bondsmen would produce them in court,
they would plead guilty to the indictments
and be fined $1,000 each, This made things
pleasant and easy all around. The addi-
tional costs because of the bonds being es
cheated were not more than SIS, and the
additional time thus given to raise the
money was amply worth this small outlay.
Fine and costs usually amounted to 81 900
Things would then jog along quietly I'M
til the succeeding June, when the writers
or vendors and other helpers employed by
those who conducted policy lotteries would
be indicted and gathered in There would
be indicted all of the helpers, all of them,
mark you, guilty under the law as the
principals, but not all of them would be
fined. Sometimes they would not be in
dicted, but gathered in by one of the other
of the magistrates and turned over to the
| ftxrf trrrI,
would be fined to make up, with the costs
about $3.50, and the cases against the 9TH
ers noile pressed. These fines the princi-
pals in the policy lotteries would come up
and pay OF course, if the fines for the
| minor offenders had been the same as
those inflicted on those of greater magui
tude, although the law says they all stanC
Z on the same footing, the fines could not
5 have been paid and the offenders woulC
/ have had to 30 to Jail or the cIraln-gang.
with the fine for himself and those in
ficted upon his writer's, the proprietor
of the lottery would pay each year abou
81, GOO AS there are seven of these II
active operation in Savannah, fines from
this source alone for any one year ag
, gregated about $11 200. So much for that
, Now look at the keno establishments
! of which at present the city boasts three
! They are brought up customarily twice
In each year and the alleged proprietor
| OF Sdcn Is uIen SltUVV Ou edtN OCCdSlOE
: Once during the year the helpers in thes
: establishments are brought uD also anC
: fined enough to make up about $500 Eacl
room, therefore, paid into the county treas
= ury about $500. and the three brough
, in revenue TO the amount of $3.50. AnC
: there you are
: poker rooms cost less 1t has been m!
. experience that one, with all modern i'm
: provements can be run in Savannah at
gross outlay for fines of about $500 a year
The one large one, where other convenience
for the wooing of the tickle goddess ar
: to be had, is fined 1900, but the thre,
or four others, where business and pro
, fessional men, wearied by close attention
. to the dry details of routine employment
l | can gather and engage in a social gam
! of draw, are usually fined $500. ESTIMATING
the revenue from this source at $3.50 pc
( year, you would have about the correc
figures.
Now, let's see what is the total. From
: policy lotteries 81, 200, from keno room
1900, and from the common or garden po
ker rooms 81, 500 an aggregate of &1 20
a year, obtained from fines for gamblinj
in this county. Now, what do you thinl
= of that?"
o "Well, there are many places in tn
+ city that are public and where gamblin
is INDUCED In constantly, that the Off
GERS of the law seemingly have neve
: heard of. There are places on East Broa
and West Broad streets for the accom-
. mediation Of the honest workingmar
n while his more aristocrauc brother fire
: quents those farther down town. TIL
: apparent immunity from fine or punish
e ment that these gamblers seem to enjoy
puts me in fear our officers don't kee
their eyes open.
II Look at the other side of the question
II There are seven policy shops in the cit
i of Savannah to-day every one in activ
O. operation, in every one of which ther
> are two drawings daily. One of then
, the Atlanta, alluded to by a witness /
- the Superior Court as on the way, ha
II come. 1t has actually been started in TIL
city in the face of the law and since TIL
agitation has begun 1t is run as openl
70 as any of the others"
- There are employed by every one {
- the lotteries at least % writer's and ever
one of these latter is provided with an OF
, flee in some part Of the city. Kindly cor
y template the proved fact that there al
70 in Savannah 175 places where tickets fc
II policy can be, and are purchased, and the
Ira nn.k1 3.