New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-07-21
BLACKMAIL IN FULL BLAST
TANIMANY's PERCENTAGE OF STOLEN
MONEY.
THE PROFESSIONAL CRIMINALS FORCED TO
DIVIDE WITH THE BOSSES.

Well informed politicians say that Tammany Is
drunk with power. and is brazeny avaficious III
Ievying blackmail upon the resorts which the or
ganization allows flourish under the eyes of the
police. There is murmur Of protest gong up
from keepers Of poolrooms, gambling houses as
orderly resorts and unlawful places OF all KINDS.
The proprietors say that the police and Tammany
exact from them in the way of blacxmail nearly
all they can possibly make. and in some instances
more. A poolroom keeper said to Tribune re-
porter yesterday:
The more you feed them the more they want
now that In each poolroom eight employees are re-
tanned, and the Tammany district leader d9si SIS
patronage. With dozens and scores OF poorooms
means. They are bleeding to the last drop.
Another poolroom keeper said:
Tammany blackmails most excessively II we
were assured of anything like half way decent
treatment by the other side We would turn in and
Tammany's heart out. We don't love Tam
many.
Aside from the regular assessments which these
keepers of illegal resorts pay, they are subjected
to all kinds of extortiOns and impostons from the
police and Tammany officials and recently there
has been started what is known as the special
assessment" This is an assessment along the line
for special purpose Last winter IL will be re-
membered that there was a special assessment for
the purpose of defeating certain proposed legisa-
ton Albany 1t Is freely and viciousy
stated by poOlroom men that certain Tammany
Senator quietly pocketed large part OF it. as ne
needed IL badly to meet debts, and did not do
as he promised This raised storm, and he fled
to an inland resort until the air became clearer.
new edict for another special assessment for
the campaign this year has just gone out and there
is much bitter talk over it. One poolroom man said
plaintvely yesterday: 81 suppose the only way
can make ends meet is to sublet the pickpocket
privilege in my place for so day.
The police are particularly arrogant and insolent
Women who conduct resorts in the TenderloIn ten
OF visits from police officials who boldly ana I'M
pudently demand money over and above the regu-
lar assessment drink wines for which tney pay
nothing, and abuse and impose upon the inmates
until the keepers of these houses are IN terror
The condition Of the police force Is most ue-
moralized. This was exemplthed when an inspector
on the night of the McGovern- Erne hight cluooe9
and drove before him iuoffensive people ana
drove people from the tables where they were
dining. His friends say his head was turned oy
the heat but others say he was intoxicated
A police captain in charge OF one or the "rlchest
precincts in the city the same night was taken
home HELPLESS by two of his ward men ana put
to bed in state of disgusting tntoxicatlon mere
seems TO be curb the wild license OF the
police and the Tammany officials, and the black
mailed gamblers and poolroom proprletors are
many out Of power and II there were another
Iexow Committee in session to-day II IS sa1e 10
saw that the committee could obtain great deal
of evidence similar in revolving details TO the test-
mony which was brought out when Alexander .
Williams told the story OF big investments IN
Japanese real estate in Cos Cob and in the Ten
derloin.