The San Francisco call., 1899-03-17

thought would be a clever trick. They
failed, however, in their plan. They
sought to induce the bona-fide book
makers Of the track to conduct bust
ness and then submit to the arrest
which Chief Lees would command.
Carriages were sent to the racecourse
to be held in readiness to convey the
bookmakers to the City Prison. Attor-
ney Ach informed Chief Lees that legi-
innate bookmakers would open their
books and If arrested they demanded
the right to be taken to the City Prison
in carriages. Chief Lees replied that
the Police Department IS supplied with
patrol wagons and that every man ar
rested would be taken to the prison in
a patrol wagon. The Chief added that
the city is not in need Of conveyances
from the racing gamblers.
This announcement had a depressing
effect. The betting booths remained
deserted. The boards upon which racing
odds are posted remained untouched.
The bookmakers did not relish ride
through the city in a pelting rain and
they refused to begin business. Ach
and his associates We're in a dilemma.
They could not permit the day to pass
without at least a formal violation of the
law. The races We're progressing and
hand books were being made wherever
the police were not looking. The bet
ting ring was practically deserted and
in the grand stand the hollow echoes
of the band told the story of empty
benches. The gamblers were forced TO
do something and they hired twelve
men to go into the booths and post odds
on the races.
As soon as these men appeared on the
blocks they were placed under arrest
and taken without delay to the Central
police station. The gamblers of Ingle-
side had done nothing more than ex-
press their contempt for the laws of
the city. The same process will be re-
peated to-day and Chief Lees says he
will exercise the same vigilance as be-
fore. He says that gambling at the
racetrack must stop as long as the or
dinance of prohibition is a law.
The men that were arrested yester-
day were as follows:
Frank Hanna, w. Norvell Leroy Ep-
pinger, NJ. RosenthaI, z. Myers, John
Stanley, Frank Laceste, r. Nathan,
Walter O'Donnell. Frank Hilton, f.
Howard and J. Deposter. All gave their
occupation as clerks except O'Donnell,
who gave his as a poolbuyer. They
were all released soon after being
booked, each on $500 bonds.
Judge Mogan's courtroom was crowd
ed yesterday morning with habitues of
the racetrack in the expectation that
the cases of the twenty defendants ar
rested Tuesday at the track for violat-
ing the new ordinance would come up
for hearing. They were disappointed.
Immediately on the opening of the
court Attorney Ach for the defendants
renewed his motion to dismiss on the
ground that no complaint had been
filed, but the Judge drew his attention
to the fact that he was busy signing
the complaints and declined to grant
the motion.
Prosecuting Attorney Joachimsen,
beside whom Chief Lees sat, said he
was ready to proceed as soon as the
complaints were all sworn to by the
arresting officers, but Ach asked for a
continuance till tomorrow. He said
he wanted time to examine the COM
plants, as the ordinance under which
the defendants had been arrested was
new. and he might have occasion to
enter a demurrer. The Judge remark
ed that as the prosecution had pro-
cured a continuance Wednesday 1t was
only fair that the defendants should be
granted a continuance. and he would