Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-02-07
Another Bit of crininology.

Another Bit of Criminoiogy.
It was promised that this paper
should be study of Sabbath-brealS-
Ing and gambling In Norfolk. 1t Is
very difficult to convict gamblers un-
der the present law. The law is con-
fusing and lax, but has always been
So Any one who has worked UP ev-
idence knows there Is wide difference
between the proof necessary to estab-
lish his private convictions, and that
necessary to make out a case. If there
are some vino don't want TO see, ana
If the gambler is tried literally before
a jury of his peers. instead of before
upright citizens, and If such jury
weighs both the law and the evidence
conviction ds almost impossible. 1t is
VIGOROUSLY hard to convict a gambler;
when the spirit of tho administration
is as liberal as it is at present, Nor
folks gamblers are safe The police
records Of the present regime show
many cases carefully Worked up by
men who understand their business. but
no convictions have been accomplished
Although conviction is 50 uncertain.
the Faulty law became at one time such
terror to evil-docrs that nobody could
De seen from the street playing cards
ABOVE q saloon on Sunday night Just
as 4 Maynard urchin may be effectual-
ly thrashed with crooked rotten stick
In the hands of q strong man, so black
legs We're cowed by the application of
the faulty law in the hands OF u de-
termfned administration. The man will
throw away the stick and spank, and
the crooks may be made to feel the
moral support of the people back of
The administration IL 1t has any moral
support.
1t is hard to conceive of a statute less
useful or convenient than the gamb-
ling law which now disngures the Code
OIL Nlrgnila Why ~ man should he
legally justified in making $3.50 at
gambling and be a criminal if he makes
$40 in twenty-four hours. it is imIossi-
BILE to tell. If the law would define
gambling as the winning by chance of
anything of value during any period OF
time. 1t would put n stop to tlle voting
for prizes at church fairs and make
much clearer the way of NorfollS's
police department.. Things are as as
they are. not as we wish they were.
however.
1t is true that upon any Sunday even
Ing men may be seen through the win
dows of rooms above many saloons i'm
Norfolk engaged In playing cards 1t
is not necessary to skulk In corners to
them while driving through the street
In buggy. Ut is true that there are
many unlawful gambling places in the
city 1t is also true that no one knows
the number and capacity of the gamb-
ling places so we'll as the authorities of
our city. 1t is true. as has been said
before. that this administration was
elected by n majority of the people who
voted In SO. They wanted a wide
open town, they voted for 1t, and they
got 1t; they have no right to complain
about it; they are faithfully served.
The other people knew the question of
a wide-open town was In the balance.
They did not vote or organize against
1T. One might reasonably conclude they
wanted what they did not oppose. The
only hope in the present gambling law
is to have q strong moral support for
the authorities whose business 1t Is to
execute 1t. If one part of Il constit-
uency demands wide-opcn town and
the other part OF 1t does not oppose at
the proper time, there is no moral sup
port of authority. A law cannot be
carried out without the backing OF
public opinion. The public opinion of
Norfolk, as expressed at the ballot box
and the jury box. is not opposed to
gambling. In the office of our Chief of
Police are records of over thirty gamb-
ling cases dismissed by the court dur
ing the past fiscal year The evidence
was as thoroughly prepared as could
be. conviction before the justice was
easy. In the Superior Court the Gull
prFts were early tTfeu before 4 jury, It
jury of theeir peers. for the juries arc
drawn from set OF hangers who
want ITO stand in with the boys" and
in every case failed to convict 1t costs
the city n great deal to keep it's pro-
fessional jurors in proper style, and
professional jurors exist because right
eous men refuse their plain jury duty
Present conditions exist by the consent
| and Through the silent partnership of
our best men.
A study OF police reports relating to
gambling. Sabbath breaking, &c, re-
veals q few interesting facts The re-
cords for the fiscal years ending June
30, '9S and 90, are just now in the
hands of the printer and not accessi-
BILE. A comparison has been made of
| the eight years-'90 to '97 The term of
| office of the reform chief of police
| began nearly year later than that OF
other reform officials. 1t lasted through
| a year of the administration which fol-
! lowed, which fact seems TO account for
the very large lumber OF arrests made
| that year. A larger total of arrests
was made during the year 95-'96 than
during any year of the decade, except
the one just closed. The right years
TO be here considered cover five years
preceding the reform" chief. include
his term Of office and one year follow
ing it. We find that during the five
years prior to 95 the records show in
the first year of each administration q
small number of arrests, or none, for
| fragrant moral offences, and in the
second year an astonishing increase,