The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-04-28
BIC POKER GAMES
Players Combined Capital
Ten Cents Suit Brought
For Two Cents
Loss.
THE OTHER A ST LIMIT
Two Cents Loss the Cause OF
a. Suit to Have Gambling
Prohibited.

A story of stiff game of poker was
developed In the General Sessions Court
yesterday afternoon at the trial OF Charles
Payne for atrocious assault and battery
on Joseph Jackson. The men, who are SO
black that charcoal would make white
mark on them, sat down to the game IN
Paynes rooms, No. 395 Third street, on
April g. jackson was in hard luck and
when he lost he demanded his money
back.
IF don't get it, he said, ''In break
up this gambling
Payne dubbed Jackson hell OF
SPORT and ordered him out of the house
emphasizing the order by smashing
bowl on his head, just over the left eye.
Jackson's head was bandaged when he
took the witness stand yesterday. He
testified that Payne threw the bowl at
him and then threw him down stairs.
How did the trouble begin?' asked
Assistant Prosecutor, Van Wrinkle.
II spoke to Charley about the money /
had lost and told him if didn't get it
back I would break up the gambling in
that house,.
How much had you lost up to that
time?''
'sTwo cents"
How much did you have when you sat
down to play?'
six cents
On cross-examination Traverse A.
Spraggins, the colored lawyer, brought
out the fact that Jackson hadn't worked
in three years.
How do you live if you don't work?"
asked Mr.. Spraggins.
IT have mother" replied the witness,
after some hesitation.
Where do you get all the money to
gamble with?'
1.-THE madame of the house in New York
where i've gave me a few cents to come
over and see my mother and my friends" !"
Jackson admitted that he had been in
jail number Of times and said
ME and a lady was locked up the last
time was taken in
Payne testified that Jackson proposed
the game of poker. The witness had four
cents capital and Jackson had six. After
Jackson lost two cents he proposed that
the winner at the finish should buy a
pint of beer with the money.
Payne refused to accede to the propo-
sition and Jackson made his threat to
break UP gambling in the house. Payne
ordered him out and when Jackson made
motion toward his hip pocket Payne
hit him with the bowl.
The defendant was acquitted.
The case of atrocious assault and bat
| terry against Thomas Cannon and John
| Swain proprietors of the Keystone Club,
at No. Al Montgomery street. a colored
| organization, was tried before Justice
Potts this morning in the First Criminal
Court. The complainant was Will
| lam Brown, of No. 81 Seventh. street.
Brown was assaulted by the prisoners
on the evening Of April 16. for interfering
| in a poker game The testimony of the
| witnesses for both sides showed the place
| to be a resort for gamblers. A game of
+, one dollar limit and over was played there
almost nightly. Craps and other games
enjoyed by the colored people could be
| played.
| Justice Potts was very much surprised
| over the fact that poker was being play
ed in the rooms and had not been dis
| covered by the police. The witnesses, how
ever, testified that every precaution TO pre-
| vent any exposure was taken. Employees
were stationed at each door and none but
| members of the club, or persons accom-
panied by members who vouched for them
1 could gain admittance.
Brown testified to the fact that on the
| evening in question he visited the club
| rooms and played in a game of 81 limit.
| He saw some funny work" going on, he
| said, and advised friend to get out, and
| said he did not do so he would be robbed
This statement seemed to have bad
| effect on the proprietor, for he pulled a
revolver from his pocket and rushed at
| the defendant, stiking Pown on the
| head with the butt end of it, inf1icting a
bad wound. Brown was compelled to &c
to the hospital for several days.
Brown also testified that after he had
beens struck, the lM rietor and Cannon
picked him up and threw him down stairs
/ He said that the fall did not hurt him.
/ William Brown, or of the club mem
/ bers, of No. IS Ege avenue, caused con-
siderable amusement for the spectators
He suffered badly while giving his tes-
! timony He swore that he had played
all sorts of Illegal games ins the clut
rooms.
Edward Warren. of No. Al Sackett
! street, also testified that gambling was
permitted in the club rooms.
i Justice Potts ad sourned the case unit
4 tomorrow.