Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-04-24

/ Fred. G~oldstrohm, whose gambling
house, at 114S Water street, was raided
about two weeks ago by the police.
! deputized as special officers, made a
statement to a Register reporter yes
terday containing very sensational
charges.
They've got a spite against me-"
said Goldstrohm, "and they intend to
either drive me out of the city or break
me. They're trying to make a sucker
out of me, but before they do there
will be something doing. I'll tell you
about the whole game. Sign my name
to it and I'll stand for it.
1T began about the first week Glenn
n was in Office. They had a war
rant for Perkins; they chased him.
He ran up my steps in the old build
ing and dropped out a back window
into the Windsor yard. Somebody in
there hid him. l didn't know any,
thing about it until after it was all
over, but they blamed me for his get
ting away, and ever since then they
have been trying to give me the worst
of it."
Il had been giving up $25 a month
for protection money prior to the time
Clemens came into Office. Shortly af-
ter the Perkins affair I went up to
police headquarters to pay my dues.
Mr.. Clemens told me that didn't go
with him and | came away. Shortly
after that the slot machines came in.
l had n of my own. A friend OF
Clemens came to me and told me I
could do business by giving up a little
more money. / told him l wouldn't
stand for any more. A little later I
got orders from the police to move all
my stuff gambling devices) up stairs.
l did what l was told.
Even since then any one who lost
any money in my place would go to
the police with a cry about being
robbed. They commenced to give it
out that | was running a long hand
game (crooked). Even If l was I
wouldn't be fool enough to work it on
anybody but a stranger, and not rob
townspeople, like the rest of these
joints are doing around here, and
never a word said against it.
Then came this last pull, when they
took all my stuff. ! got word from a
certain gentleman in town that If I
would give up 5000 l could get it back.
A little later the police sent word that
if l would quit the business I could get
everything back"
Chief of Police Clemens was seen
last night, and when told of Gold
strohm's statement he said: I'm glad
he was good enough to say that | never
took any money from him. He came
to the office just after | went in and
reached his hand in his pocket. /
guessed what was coming and told
him nothing like that went with me.
l would like to say right here that l
never took ven a cent of money from
any gambler in town. AS to my send
ing any one to him to say that he could
get his stuff back if he would quit
business, l brand it as a lie. On the
face of 1t it's not true, as | have no
Jurisdiction. It's in the hands of the
State and will be dealt with according
to the rulings of the court after the
trial, as you know Attorney Boyce
waived a preliminary bearing or that
charge. 1t don't look like I'm trying
to compromise with him, does it, when
I'm pressing that CASE | brought
against him for pulling that gun IN
me the night of the pull? The reason
the case has not been heard sooner Is
to accommodate Attorney Howard"
Justice Greer, before whom the ac-
ton was brought, bore out Chief Glenn
ems statement in regard to the case.
He stated that in all probability the
case would be heard Wednesday.
The gentleman mentioned by Gold
strohm as stating that he could get
his stuff back for 5000 denies the allie
cation. He said that he might have
stated to a third party that Gold
strohm could have settled the case for
5000 before the pull, but that he had
not even talked of the matter since the
pull.