The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-01
PREACHED ON GAMBLING.
COLUMBIA MINISTER'S THUNDER
AGAINST THE EVIL.

Three Sets of Laws Against 1t and
Yet None is EnfOrced-Sentiment
Aroused Against 1t by AcquittaI of
Gambler W. b. Smith for the MUIR
der of Howard AIlen-Newspapers
Haze Proclaimed the Facts Time
and Again, but Preachers Have
just Walked Up.
Columbia, S. c., June 30.-Yesterday
for the first time in the history of the
city all of the preachers delivered SER
mons against public evil. In a num-
Der of instances the reverend gentle
men used very plain language regard
ing the failure of the city admins
tration to carry out the laws. The
immediate cause of the sermons was
the acquittal of w. B. Smith, a gam
bier charged with the murder of How
ard Allen, in a gambling house @on Main
street, in September 1900. The State,
Columbias morning newspaper, had an
editorial on the subject and the preach
ers all used this as the basis for their
sermons.
There are three separate sets of laws
against gambling in Columbia-one
contained in the city ordinances, an
other in the state laws and a third
prohibiting gambling, under very heavy
penalties, within ten miles of the South
Carolina College. 1t is notorious that
for years large gambling houses have
been conducted on Main street in the
business center of the town, and the
police walking their beats can bear
the rattle of the chips and the talk
of the players. Time and time again
the attention of the authorities has
been called to this matter by the news
papers, but not one of these gambling
houses, where there are thousands or
dollars piled upon the tables has ever
been raided. Every now and then
wagonload of negro crap shooters is
hauled up and the participants are
fined, but the white houses have in
no way been disturbed At the trial
of Smith no denial was made by the
police or any one else of the existence
of these places, and the solicitor open
ly declared that the existence of the
gambling houses in Columbia was no.
torious yet no attempt has ever been
made to indict them in the state courts.
All Equally Responsible.
One of the strongest sermons was de-
livered by DIR. s. NJ. Smith of the First
Presbyterian Church There was moth
ing at all sensational in any of these
sermons but they were strong, earnest
pleas for observance of the law and the
protection of the youth of the city who
were led into temptation to gamble
and then to steal ana forge to cover
their losses. DIR. Smith while holding
that the Mayor was responsible for this
lawlessness and the resultant crimes,
also put the blame upon himself, each
member Of his congregation and each
citizen of Columbia who had not before
raised their voices against the crying
evil. lie said that he had not himself
done so because he dreaded the appear
ance of sensationalism and bringing
himself into notoriety. He continued:
Just as sure as you live if this city
of Columbia rise up in the might of
its moral force and says this thing
shall stop It will stop. You
will find that the police will
enforce the ordinance; you will find
the police to enforce the ord-
nances; you will find that the Council
will raise a unanimous voice in favor
of the enforcement of the ordinances,
whenever the citizens of Columbia rise
up and declare that the thing shall be
done. We are all responsible. | feel
now that l have been remiss in the
matter and / do believe that if the pull
pits had been as earnest and outspok-
en- as the press something more might
have been accomplished
DR.. Mark L. Carlisle of the Wash
ington Street Methodist Church did
not confine his remarks to the gam
bling dens of Columbia, but extended
TENN to the social card parties and the
ladies' euchre clubs.
Jack Kelly, a negro preacher of
Beaufort county, has been sent to Jail
in default of 5000 bond on the charge
of breaking into a house and ravish-
ing a negro woman.