The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-11-05
POLICE WATCHING GRAFTERS.
Men in Uniform May Do Extra Duty
During Fair.

Men in Uniform May Do Extra Duty
During Fair.
The grafters have TUNED no tricks
yet, and the police do not expect they
will get in any of their work before
the opening of the Fair tomorrow.
1t is said that the arrival of Gov. Can
dler and the Legislature will be the
signal for the forces to scatter.
The police say they have information
that most of the stealing in Columbia.
S c., from where a large number of
the grafters have come, was done dur
ing the parades. Supt. Reilly desires
to warn the merchants of the manner
| in which the robberies were commit
ted, in order to prevent similar opera
tions here. In Columbia the thieves
| entered the rear of stores and other
| buildings while the occupants ran to
the front to witness the parades. Supt.
Reilly advises merchants to see to it
! that the rear doors of their places are
! kept closed so that when there is any
excitement in front the back will not
be left unprotected, and really an invi-
tation for crooks.
Not a report Of the working of any
crooked game has been made at police
have got to live. and they can't do it
| by legitimate work. The police say
they are probably looking over the
ground and laying their lines for in
tended operations after the opening of
| the Fair.
Supt. Reilly intends to keep posted
on everything that is going on in the
city. and has prepared to place the en-
| tire uniformed force on extra duty II
the occasion requirs it. If this is done
the force will be divided, and there will
| be as many men on the street during
the day as at night. Under the pres
ent system one-half of the force is on
duty during the night and the other
half is divided into two day reliefs.
Positive instructions have been is
! sued to every man in the department
to report Immediately to headquarters
any game that he may see going on
| in his precinct, or the opening of any
| new place that appears at all suspi-
cious. 1t is the intention of the super
intendent not to allow any game of
chance to be run in his bailiwick, and
the reports of suspicious places made
| by the patrolmen will be investigated
+ Immediately by the detectives. No
such places have yet opened.
The grafters are not at all pleased
with the publicity that has been given
them and would have much preferred
! to have remained in the back ground.
! II damages their business very much
to be advertised. and it pleases them
immensely when they are ignored.
why you'd think we guys were mem
| bers of some royal court by the way
we are noticed in some places" said one
of the bunch yesterday 1T makes
folks leary, all this talk about things
| we do. and of course, it queers our
| game with those who read the papers.
| Between the newspaper men and the
police it is hard lines lin some places.
| Il makes me weary, all this talk and
| frightening people whom we have it
| framed up to teach wisdom. They've
| all got to learn some time and. they
can't expect to get wise without pay
ing something for it. They had to pay
to learn to read and write, and they IL
have to pay to learn the ways of the
world. We don't rob anybody, and are
nothing more than teachers of things
that are not dealt with in the text
books"
While they have not been throwing
it away the grafters all appear to have
some money and could probably run
along for several days without turning
a trick, and then not lose a meal. From
all accounts they got along nicely at
the other fairs throughout the South
and with an average rake-o off in Sa-
Ndnnan VIII De able TO hang around
until the celebration at Charleston be-
gins next month. AS long as there is
anything doing in the South during the
winter the grafters have no desire to
go to the chilling North. They promise
the Charleston Exposition their liberal
patronage and express the belief that
they will be able to do very much
more there than in Savannah They
are beginning. to fear that they will
have to work under difficulties while
here.
member of the Society of
Grafters said yesterday that
affairs have greatly changed since
his last visit to Savannah and that he
had no idea tina the would find so
much difficulty in stalking a claim. The
man remarked that Savannah had
gained a national reputation as
wide-open town and a place where
anything would go, if the claim could
be properly staked. The CRATER SEEM
ed distressed when he learned that as
conditions now are the people will not
stand for strong games. According
to this CRATER if Savannah continues
to hold a tight line on those of his
kind she will find herself passed up by
the fraternity on future occasions.
-S~1-S-