New-York tribune., 1901-08-29
OPEN AND SHUT GAME.
HARDY CLOSES A POOLROOM
WHICH SOON RESN.NES.

,urr DISTANT. AND GAMBLING GOES
ox AS BEFORB-PoLCE CAPTAIN
WON'T BELIEVE 1T.
s,en M ard make your befs' Senfs' Ctos-
a, Saratoga. Get your money on.
-. at the post at DeImar. Step mp and
Ii. xour bets. They both win.
,o--ain Hardy told a Tribune reporter yes
-, that he had closed the poolrooms at
,,.s,erb Long Island. Yet that is what the
..,or+er heard at Columbia Hall. in Metropoli-
Ave TWO squares from Flushing-aVe.. Mas
-, Borough Of Queens. at about $50 p. m.
-. same afternoon. The poolroom in Columbia
u.u was Mike Minden's place" 1t had
-roved there from Fedmans Queens County
park an hour two before
.hout D m Captain Hardy. with six po-
rosrosn. left the seventy-seventh Precinct sta
~, in Newtown with the expressed intention
:, r,osing the poolrooms in Maspeth-if there
-s,e any there The location Of the poolroons
sccuratelv described in this MORNINGS Trib-
,s end though Captain Hardy lad been able
% rauk around them without discovering them
=, Tuesday he was compelled TO fnd them
yesterday He went directly to " Nike Min
as,,s Mace" in Feldnlan's Queens County Park.
:, waa nearly . o'clock when Captain Hardy
reached the place. and about five hundred men
vsr. there before him. waiting for the betting
N he posted for the hrsC race. Racing charts
rere hanging on the walls. and the cashiers
sheet writers and telegraph operators We're in
their cage ready fer the days work. Some of
the patrons OF the place ware comparing the
mast performances OF the horses named to start,
some were figuring out combinations and some
were posting bets on future races. Captain
of men swelterlng IN q low ceiled room. gath
cred as though by accident and staying there
because they could not find any Of the three
doors leading TO the open air. He did not see
the racing charts His eyes were blind to the
employees.
COMMUNES WITH HIMSELF.
Captain Hardy retired TO a dark corner and
communed with himself. Why are these men
here?" he thought Can II be that they are
gathered for an evil purpose? Is II possible
that they have come 10 gamble on the horse
races?"
'Trllon looks about right for the first Sara
toga," said a man near Captain Hardy to
friend.
Mr.. storel for me-" answered the friend.
Captain Hardy called his six satellites to
him. Why 90 you suppose these
herey" ne asked
His satellites shook their heads in ignorance.
They could not imagine. Il don't think they
mean anything wrong but suppose we had
better send them home" said Captain Hardy,
'or some r~ef1ess spirit might offer 10 gamble"
Fhereupon the poolroom was cleared No ar
rests were made.
Captain Hardy said II was not a raid. The
employees Of the place gathered up their racing
charts and other paraphernalia and started in
fha ffrecffor 80 To-,
go far, however. They soon turned and went
10 Columbia Hall. about half mile from Field
mans Park. There e hastily rugged up pool
room was started in full blast
Captain Hardy says that he also cleared out
the Gernana Club. IN Germania Park. yester-
Day II he did the work was not done so that a
discerning man riding by Germania Park on the
blushng-aye. would notice It The Ger
mania Club was running. The only difference
between yesterday and Tuesday that there
was discretion used IN the admission Of bettors
large man, with a determined looking mouth
ata square chin. stood al the door In his shirt
sleeves and prevented the entrance Of all who
could not pass his critical inspection.
Mos, Most Of those who were turned away went to
Nike Minoen's place." for the news OF it's clos
ing nad not spread. There they found IN Mr.
feloman's liquor store red headed barkeeper
sitting az round table and reading a news
paper He did not read very rapidly. he
kept Dusy saying, Nothing doing, boys"
why not?" the question that usually
folowed the barkeeper's terse statement.
Don't know They all left this afternoon
Where did they go?"
Don't know They went toward Metropolitan
ave Maybe If you went up that way you might
hho something" The barkeeper was cautious.
DISAPPOINTED CROWD
crowd collected in FTushing-ave. at the lit
lie street that leads to Feldman's park. The
crowd changed constantly. Men got off the cars
ana Joined IL, and after a few questions and
disappointed remarks drifted away. TO have
their places taken by others Then a man with
sandy mustache and without a coat
acng Flushing-ave from Metropolitan-avs.
anere were expressions of relief from the crowd.
ne works there" they said. The man directed
NE crowd TO Columbia Hail. and they went there
s.a found all the betting they wanted.
me Tribune reporter went TO see Captain
nsfoy I hear you have made a raid he said
10 the captain.
No, replied the captain There wasn't any
ralu; we went to Feldman's and sent the peo-
rae nome But there wasn't any poolroom there.
.ue. iot or men standing around told you
peth" '
:. The Germania Club is running to-day" said
:, No il isn't" said Captain Hardy You just
Halk aII II Is. l was there. too Nothing doing
o.r row about Columbia Ball where Mike Min
oens place moved top
There isn't anything there"
10 you know where Columbia Hall is?''
no Never heard Of IL before"
well II you go there you'll find Mike Min
:. place there running full time and crowded
% the doors"
No, won't go. There's nothing there. I've
-, all over this precinct to-day, and there
4sht a poolroom in it.''