The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-03-07
ALL CARD GAMES
WILL Be PINCHED
nti-gambling Order Takes
in Everything.
BELIEVED TO BE
TEMPORARY SPASM
Election Coming on and Church
Vote Needed.

The sudden crusade against vice, be-
gun Tuesday evening. was extended
yesterday. Orders were issued from
police headquarters that all games of
cards for the drinks or cigars, or for
any gain whatever. be abolished in all
saloons. hotels and other public places
of the city.
One of the first results Of the cru
SADIE is that twenty-five or thirty gam
blers have already left the city and
gone to Denver, Butte and other points.
1T is predicted that many others win
follow. The owners CT the gambling
houses state that they VIII close for a
time to see if the war is to be perma-
nent If so they will sell out and seek
other fields.
In spite of these facts and the feel
ing of depression in sporting circles,
the impression was widespread that
the reform would be temporary It was
pointed out by one in authority that
many such raids have been made in
the past, and that soon after the games
were running just as before Many are
of the opinion that this last raid is
for the purpose of wedding out the sur
plus and running the small fry out of
town, and that in a short time after
the excitement has died out the old
time gamblers will be permitted to open
quietly and run along as before
A Temporary Arrangement.
One who is closely identified with
this crusade gave it as his opinion that
within a short while some club rooms
would resume business without any in
reference on the part Of the police
This is just Il periodical move"
said ne. 1.-The gambling houses have
besn running now longer than at any
1T
closing was expected as matter Of
course by some Some pressure was
brought to bear on the mayor and ne
issued the order TO the chief of pO-
lice
But you just watch how the sport
ing element gets around the PROPOSE
ton. Every deniZen Of Commercial
street, not alone the gamblers. will
start something that viii make the re-
formers look pale. There are about
1,500 in the sporting element possibly
more, and when they begin to work
among the business men with whom
they spend money so literally. a most
powerful pressure may be brought to
bear on the mayor. The bankers of
these gambling houses, for instance,
will hardly see their business dropping
away without making an effort in be
half of their custom. Neither viii the
furnishers, the tailOrs, the restaurants.
the liquor houses, the furniture con-
Germs. Before thirty days you will see
the police department, unless am mis-
taken, begin to weaken and the first
thing we know. two or three of the
old concerns viii be allowed to run on
the quiet. This is history and it Will
repeat ITSELF
Extension of Crusade.
But in spite of all this, there was
trouble in sporting circles yesterday
A report was current in police circles
to the effect that women of the deni-
monde were to be compelled to vacate
the lower floors and cOnfine themselves
TO the upper rooms, and that they were
all to be confined to the Commercial
street district. This would purge Vic
houses in the city that are now the
abode of this class of women
Another report found circulation, to
the effect that baseball and all other
Sunday games were to be prohibited
within the city limits during the COM
ing season, and that the city was To
be closed up as tight as a Puritan town
in the days Of the Connecticut blue
laws" Chief Hilton said that no ac-
ton had yet been taken in the matter
of Sunday closing.
There was kicking all day long among
the gamblers, saloon men and Testaur-
ateurs on Commercial street. One saloon
man predicted that in = short time
Commercial street would be dead and
the property worthless. The aIl-night
restaurant men argue that they will
d
clOsing-up policy.
Naturally, the political side Of this
raid was much discussed 1t is well
known that the mayor is already a.
candidate for a second term, and en-
braced the opportunity to square things
with the church vote, having given the
gamblers full swing for a year and q
half.
The Mayors Denials-
Tho mavor laughed last evening
when the political phase was men
toned to him. although he was care
full not to say that he was not a can
didate for reelection
Politics had nothing whatever TO
do with my action in this matter, ne
: said Il consulted no one as to the
political effects Of the order, and moth
! ing was farther from my thoughts than
| a second term as mayor. took no ad-
vice on the subject and 1 am alone re-
| sponsible for what has been done
| 1t was suggested to Mayor ThOmp-
son that many considered that ne was
/ PLAYING favorites, that he intended to
/ run out the little fellows and later
/ permit favorite gamblers TO open
Time alone will decide that point
was the reply. I have no excuse TO
/ make for what has been done in the
matter, and the people must be the
/ Judge as to whether / mean business
/ or not The Instructions to the police
! department were TO pay no ActNuA AlEc.
but to treat all alike, and close up all
! the gambling places. This is not 2
bluff-it is business. and the people will
/ find that out
In regard to the action of the Min
! isteriaI association of the city and the
| report that it was that body that
/ brought about the raid, Mayor ThOmp-
| son said:
.-The ministers had nothing what
ever to do with this matter 1 am re-
! SpOnsibIe. l have no excuse to make
and will assume the entire responsible
4 ity ] consulted no one in the matter
1 and took no ones advice 1t is true
| some of the ministers called upon me
! some time ago in the matter Of minors
| frequeating bad places and in regard
| to the saloons being open on Sundays.
but that was a different matter and
had nothing to do with the closing or
der"
AS to what prompted him to make