New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-12-02
TO PROSECUTE PLAYERS.
JEROME HOPES TO CLOSE GAMBLING
HOTsEs BY SOARING PATRONS

District Attorney Jerome is So determined to
close I'D the gambling houses in the city tiiaI
he has about decided to send some OF the play
ers to prison. If he make gambling so dan
gerous that the places will not be patronized
thew will have to close for lack of business
II suppose it will have to come down to this
Mr. Jerome said yesterday afternoon, Significant
w. that we shall have to nail some of the
players and send them to the penitentlary TOT
thirty days. That will shut up the gambling
houses if nothing else will.
Mr. Jerome said that in all the raids which
he had caused to be made gambling houses
while he was q Justice of the Court of Special
Sessions and since he has been District Attor-
ney no attempts made to hold the play
ers even as witnesses. The frantic attempts of
players to escape at the time of the raids had
caused much amusement. because the police and
the District Attorneys men only wanted 10
arrest the men who were running the houses.
1t will be no joke. however. If the District At
torney sets about convicting every player caught
in raid. No plea of looking for hayward
son will save a politician.
There would be no difficulty in convicting
player caught in a gambling house, Mr.. Jerome
says and the player could not refuse to give
evidence against the managers Of the house on
the plea that his evidence would tend to in
ceeding against the players has been distasteful
to the authorities, but if the on the gam
bling houses cannot be carried on successfully
in any other way some of the players taken in
coming raids will have to suffer.
One urgent reason for shutting up the gam
bling houses is that it would go far to stop
police blackmail. The illegal revenues of dis
honest police captain would be cut down almost
to nothing in precincts if the gampllns
houses. poorooms and policy shops were closed
for good, Mr.. Jerome has been fighting the 'sys-
tenn of police extortion, believing that il is one
of the greatest evils in the city government For
that reason he has worked hard with Police
Commissioner Partridge to drive out of the
police force officers who we're believed to have
been a part of the system
Mr.. Jerome yesterday would not confirm a re-
port that he was preparing TO get warrants for
the arrest of several high police officers. He said
he intended to continue his work of aiding the
Police Commissioner in the investigation or
charges at Headquarters. and II evidence in
any case seemed to justify an indictment there
would be a resort to the grand jury and an
arrest without delay. He intmated. however
that there was no immediate prospect OF any
sensational arrests Of police officers. He would
not talk about a report that ex-Captain Moyni-
ham, recently arrested the charge of extor-
tion had "squealed." Moynihan denied the re-
port but said he was determined to show that
he had been made the victim OF clique in the
department because he had brought about the
conviction of Patrolman Sullivan for clubbing
prisoner in CELL
Because of the reports about coming arrests
of police officers something of sensation was
caused at Police Headquarters yesterday by an
attempt Of Captain William r. Haughey to be
retired on a pension Roaring BILL as
Haurhev is Familiarity called by some OF the
captains Is in command In West Thirty-seV-
en,h-st but he formerly commander IN
East one hundred and -fourth-st. where Moyn-
han was captain for time Captain Haushey
has heen a policeman thirty years. but he Is
only hfty-two years and a few months Old me
charter saws policeman must serve twenty -nTS
years on the force and be htty-nVe years i Oir
before he IS eligible for retirement on MS own
motion unless he has some physical lhnFh'i's
'l t1hay Was apparently in a hurry to retire
Yesterday when he consulted the police CLERKS
At beadauarters Acting on their ADVICE, ne
ID three attempts to see Commissioner Par
tridpe and finally obtained an audience or
three minutes He was tod thal UNI, unae - an Az
,,resent charter ht could not be retired undef
The age Of dfty-five. He contended, however
that he went into the department under the re-
quirements of the old charter ana , tr Sr
nothing about an age limit In appIcatohs toa
retirement He further declared that ~neh .ie
new charter went into ehect lncofPoratiils ,,ne
age limit clause. il affected only those neili-
hers Of the department who joined II AFTER the
80, cbarter had taken effect. The Commits
stoner said he would have to ask Corporation
Counsel Rives to pass on the subject pelore ne
could consider IT further. IL,
In the mean time Captain Haugheys apphca,
tion for retirement stands In allowance and
while he verbally asked for ana received s iHi
NAL application blank, the plahh "as Hot Hi'eu
out by him Il, ... 1r,,,z,a,,
Yesterday afternooii' ia III" ''Nt'i' A9''N'
IT haven't made application for retirement
and when | do you know It, / want II DIS
tinctlv understood that | have been on the
poiice force over twenty five years, and that
am fffty-two years of age
soon after Mr.. Jerome's arrival at his ofhce
yesterday. Police Inspector clayton hao a con
ference with him Clayton said only the routine
business of his branch of the department had
baep talked about.