Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-04-05
POOL AND CIGARETTES.
Chief of Police Dolan to Require Rigit
Enforcement of the Laws.


Chief OF Police Dolan's crusade
against pool room proprietors and cigar
dealers who are entering to the youth
Of Wilmington in violation OF the laws
will undoubtedly be productive Of great
good 10 more ways than one. 1t will
have the effect of deterring the
offenders in their fragrant defiance of
the statutes will make the boys who
have been lured by the temptations
realize how they have been leading
reckless life and deter them from con-
tinuing the practice, and will have the
effect OF making parents and guardians
more watchful over their children and
wards. The chief has made thorough
investigation of the reports which, at
| first, he was unwilling to believe were
wholly true, and has obtained this in
formation:
He has personal knowledge Of four
| pool rooms in the business part of the
city which are frequented by boys
under Is years of age.
He has visited all four of the places
and in ons of them found the sons of
| two prominent citizens playing pool.
Both are under IS years OF age and at
tend school.
He has positive knowledge that at
least three Of the pool rooms referred to
are frequented by boys under IS years
Of age, who play pool therein and smoke
l'eigarettes.
Through confession made by one Of
the boys he has learned that in one Of
the places, IL not more of them. the
boys carry whisky in with them and
drink from the bottles.
He also knows that somebody is
violating the cigarette law and may get
| positive evidence on this point The
chief became possessed of these facts
through an accidental source. 1t came
to his notice that the 16-years- old son
Of prominent Citizen, who Is attend
ing school, has been neglecting his
studies for the past three weeks. This
came out through the weekly report.
Last weeks report showed rather I'M
satisfactory state Of affairs. The father
OF the boy became alarmed, took the re
port to the school and inquired of the
teacher why the marks were so low.
The explanation set the father. to
thinking and he decided to keep q clost
the following day in one of the POO
rooms. The boy confessed that be hat
heen neglecting his studies and passins
much of his spare time in the poo
room playing pool and smoking cigar
cites.
As soon as Chief Dolan heard o
these facts he began his investigation
and found there were many school boy
besides the one referred to above VIII,
were indulging in the same practice
He also learned that some of the boy
who, are provided with lunch money b.
their parents do without lunch ant
spend the money for cigarettes and il
the pool rooms.
AS a result of this discovery the che
has warned the proprietors of pool room
that they must not permit boys unde
Is years Of age to enter the pool rooms
This is 10 accordance with the pho
visions of the law, which imposes
penalty as high as 800 for violations
In addition to the warning the polio
have been instructed to watch the poe
rooms and arrest any rroprietors foun
violating the law.
The statutes also prohibit peopl
from selling or giving cigarettes t
boys under II years of age, and this Ia,
will also be enforced, SO far as is pos
, sible. Several arrests have been mad
10 the past under the law, but in mos
cases the offenders, we're poor women G
foreigners who were not familiar wit
i the law, and there have been few cor
victions. A more rigid enfoi
promised for tine future.