The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-29
ton be made we win endeavor to ascertain
the extent of the citys authority"
VIII Enforce the order.

Alderman Tiedeman said that as Acting
Mayor ne would see to IL that the order is
enforced. or rather. H. expects that the
police VIII attend TO this part of IL. lie
anticipates no difficulty on this score.
however lJc was not prepared to discuss
the question further nor to express any
opinion as 10 the wisdom of the order nor
to state the reasons which led the Mayor
and his counseioTs to adopt the course they
did.
Mayor Myers is expected TO be absent
about two weeks. It is understood that he
viii stop a day or two in Richmond and
viii then 20 on 70 New York.
Naturally there WI be considerable
speculation as 10 the motives which
prompted the Mayor and his advisers to
such q sudden change in the policy TO the
contrary so recently laid down by tho
Mayor. Whether the agitation begun by
The grand Jury and continued by the
preachers and the Morning News had
reached the point where the Mayor was
convinced that public sentiment demanded
a change, or whether the Mayors advis-
ers informed him mat he was on the wrong
tack and that he had better change
his base could not he ascer-
tanned yesterday. There is ground for sus-
picion that news Of a couD d'etat planned
by the preachers Of the city and about 10
be put into effect had reached the ears
Of the councilman. The preachers have
been announcing mysteriously to their
friends that bombshell would be explod-
ed within a short time. II is understood
that the Mayors refusal to adept the very
course finally taken by him had prompted
the preachers to undertake something on
their own hook and hat with this idea in
view they had raised fund and engaged
a detective from another city to make
thorough inves legation OF the gambling
business here with the purpose of making
a complete expose and securing wholesale
Indictments against everybody engaged in
the business. II may be that the prospect
of a move Of this kind was not pleasing 10
the city fathers, and that they preferred
that decided action, If it must come should
come from the city.
The members of Council who were in
consultation with Mayor Myers upon this
subject were Aldermen Tiede-
man. Haas. Bacon and Dixon.
Alderman Williams, who had expressed
his opposition to the Mayors view of the
question was telephoned for but did not
receive the message.
Supt. Screven Says Nothing.
supt. screven was seen last night about
the order given the gamblers and the
manner in which ii had been carried out
! The superintendent was strongly averse
to talking on the subject and repeatedly
insisted that the representative of the
Morning News should consult the Mayor
! That the Mayor was already far ON his
way to New York and that it would be
difficult to overtake him, did not serve 10
soften the superintendent oOduracy nor
! induce him to yield more definite infor-
nation. He was strongly entrenched be-
hind wall of reticence and to every in
quiry returned the stereOtyped answer.
| You must see the Mayor" The superin-
tondent averred that he was not response
/ BILE for the policy of the department and
that in all his actions he was guided by
eF,e IF NTx,k,
word of the tour of the gambling houses
| that the detectives had made, nor of the
success that they had achieved in endeav-
oring to induce the gamblers to see the
error of their ways, would he admit
Just before the departure of the Mayor,
he and the superintendent had confer
ence and the details of the effort for the
| suppression of gambling In Savannah were
worked out and agreed upon between
| them. 1t was soon thereafter that the de-
! tectives' tour of the gambling rooms was
| begun, when they spread CONSERVATION
| among those who had hitherto thought
! themselves safe from the city authorities.
| They had gathered this feeling of security,
! they said, from published interviews with
the Mayor, in which he had said that the
| city was without power to proceed against
| gambling, and that nothing could be done
without the Intervention Of a county Of
ficer.
They were amazed to find that they had
! been wrong, and that the Mayor had IN
| derestmated the extent of his powers and
| authority. They gathered on every corner
/ they frequent TO discuss the situation but
| all of them were at equal loss to know
| just what 1t meant. Many had been ex-
pecting a raid upon their places, but none
| had thought il at all likely that this raid
or the warning that preceded it, would
| come from the officers of the city. They
told their troubles to every passer-by Of
"a hne nlf nv faIf oil ,Y,1
| their Indignation and resentment were ri
vailed only by the intensity of the enthu-
siasm, with which they have hitherto up
| held and applauded the position that the
Mayor has occupied.
Couldn't Tell why.
Not one of them could offer solution of
the problem that was at all reasonable
| Many were Nentured, among them one 10
the effect that this was only a spasmodic
ebulliton on the part of the City Council.
and that within a week or less it would
have run its course, and they would be
permitted 20 run their rooms with the same
freedom from molestation as had been
their wont. Another solution. that they
talked of among themselves, ascribed the
action of the authorities TO a desire on the
part of several of the more prominent
among the gamblers to shut out an indi-
Vidual nom they had come to feel was pa =
taking too largely of the spons and who
| they desired TO force either to accept a
more equab,e division or to run out of the
business. None of them seemed able to
reach what is probably the truth of the
matter that he City Council has heaa
wrought up, by the persistent attacks Of
press and pulpit upon the continuance Of
the vice, to pitch where it could not be
longer tolerated.
Every indication points to this as the
true solution Ii had been known for some
time thai the ministers Of the city were
gathering their forces for a final and de-
c!sive battle with the evil and that they
intended TO adopt such measures as woull
assure their complete success in the con
hict. This had been known. and lis effect
had been undoubted CONSERVATION in the
ranks of the gamblers ana their allies Be
cause there had SUN more lately been an
effort on the part Of the preachers Ia
gather the sinews Of war, their plans had
become more genera ly pubic and at / asst