New-York tribune., 1901-04-19
MAY WAR ON RACETRACKS
BOOKSELLERS WILL ASK MURPHY IO
ENFORCE THE LAW.
DO NOT SHAKE HIS FAITH IN THE IN
TEGRITY OF THE POLICE CAPTAINS.

DO NOT SHAKE HIS FAITH IN THE IN
TEGR1TY OF THE POLICE CAPTAINS.
Police Commissioner Murphy is man OF
wonderful faith Notwithstanding the demon
stration made Oh Wednesday by the Committee
OF Fifteen that poolrooms were running in many
parts or the city. he refused yesterday to be-
HeVe that his captains had wifully deceived
MN "hen they had told him that the poolrooms
were all closed In his efforts to prevent this
confidence from seeming Iudicrous he
driven yesterday into declaring that he be-
!leVed the seven poolrooms entered by the Fiji
teen on Wednesday were law abiding clubs. and
In his effort to escape from the fulflment Of his
own promise to break captains who failed to
close poolrooms he declared that even If the
clubs on which raids Were made by the Fiji
teen were proved to be poolrooms he would not
break the captains, unless it could be clearly
proved to him that the captains knew them to
be such.
WARRANTS FOR BOoKMAKERs.
Since nobody is likely to take the trouble to
prove that to hin-though efforts are being
made to prove 1t to the grand 1ury-the Com
missioner must have drawn a sigh of relief
when he finally shielded himself behind that
barrier, and hoped for little of that peace
which he used to enjoy in the sleepy Health
Department. But new troubles are preparing
for him. Benjamin Stenhardt counsel for the
booksellers, says he will request Commissioner
Murphy to-day to do his sworn duty by causing
his police to eject from all racetracks within the
city the men who gamble there. If Murphy fails
to do this. warrants will be procured against the
bookmakers at the coming races on the Morris
Park track. Murphy seems to have inspired the
booksellers with the hope that he will act when
he replied yesterday to this question:
What do you think of the statement Of De
Lacy the pool king. that he and others intend to
Keep right on in quiet way until the courts
have decided their rights"
DE Lacy never said any such thing" replied
the Commissioner hotly. What he did say was
that he would fight the principle involved till all
men were treated alike"
And would you welcome any such decision as
he seems to be after?'
Il would welcome anything that would give
peace TO this department and give it an op-
portunlty to do legitimate police duty It don't
seem that IT is equality of law that a man may
be innocent in one part of the State and guilty
in another
SAY LAW is UNCONSTITUTIONAL
Murphy referred to the contention of the pool
sellers counsel that the law providing penalty
through civil suit only for betting on the race
track is unconstitutional unless the same penalty
Stciuhardt. however, will base his claim for
action by Murphy against the racetracks on
that section of the Percy Gray law which saws
that the police must eject from the race grounds
all bettors, and take them at once to the
nearest magistrate, for the nfictfon of the
penalty referred to- Instead OF doing so Mr.
Stelnhardt declares, the police actually aid the
bookmakers at the tracks by keeping the crowds
in line before their stands. He will ask Murnhv
10 order the police to eject the bookmake and
if the police do not he will then proceed
against them individually.
HOW MURPHY Is BADGERED.
Under these conditions badgered by the pooI
sellers on one side, the racetrack people on the
other. the Committee of Fifteen in front and
just behind him Richard Croker demanding
that he make a good impression on the entire
public for the next election peace seems far
away from the Commissioner That the political
side Of it is weighing heavily on his mind wa
proved yesterday. when he accused the Fifteen
of making their raids for political effect onlv
and said that the committee would dron ont or
make political capital for use in the coming
campaign. The committee contains Republicans
Democrats and Labor men, but Murphy did NOT
dwell on that
The Commissioner affected to regard nc ha
meath his notice the charges that some Of his
police tipped off" the poolrooms TO be entered
on Wednesday. When told of rumor that
Governor Odell was about to remove him from
office. he replied: Let them do so. They have
the power. Let them do so IL they want to,'
ROOSETELT WATTS on NEWSBOYS.