The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-10-24
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SON 81 1AoWss5SuA Inc law o09o, but the
t judges ok tho courts do. Yes, sir. viii
tell it 20 you very plainly: I have had
here In this room the mothers and
! fathers OF hayward boys telling OF their
wronG-doings. and were TO send them
/! to the Police Court. they would 70 over
| this hill to the penitentiary, ana hnvc5
had one boy kneel on this floor and
offer 40 pretty prayer a. you have
ever heard, thanking ma for my kind
ness to him.
Or. Hawthorne: The question I ash q,
does the Law givs you any discretion7
Major Howard: am telling you the
facts. I will use discretion just as Ions
| as am chief OF police.
| DR.. Hawthornss This law gives you
discretion?
Major Howard: The officer that don't
use discretion is not worth cent. II
every police officer in the United States
and Canada and Europe don't say the
same thing will resign tomorrow.
EXISTENCE OF GAMBLING AD-
Nl1TTED.
Dr. Hawffo-Re: Major, In reference to
the gambling houses. want to ask you
q question or two. When you were first
elected and went into Office you knew of
the existence OF gambling houses in the
city. didn't you; that they were here.
4
must close?
Major Howard: I will make a state
ment. i
Commissioner Bosher: do not see
| any use In going into the gambling house
/ matter. We concede to you that gamb-
/, ling existed and the courts nave shown
that. We have broken gambling up The
| courts have already done that and the
places have been broken up.
Dr.. Hawthorne: If Your Honor please.
my sermon had reference to state of
affairs existing for many years. want
to say that this police department has
| not complied with the provisions OF the
| statutes in reference to these gambling
institutions, and that supports the state
| nent which I made in my sermon Z
want to prove that some OF these gamb-
!! ling houses had existed for years and
years to the knowledge of the police.
and that they have not complied with
| the law for SURPRISING them. in break
| ing them up. The law provides that they
| shall be broken up. Il want to show that
these institutions have existed here for
many years to the knowledge OF the po-
| lice and that they were not interfered
| with.
| Commissioner Jacob: II 1t pleases your
Honor: The sermon that the Doctor
/ delivered said. What ARE the condi-
tons. We gentlemen OF the Police
Board have been laboring faithfully for
a good many months as well as we could
on some things that were In existence
that formerly had not come directly to
our knowledge, Last March an effort
| was made, and Mr.. Wyatt will tell you
| when you ,ut him on the stand GER
/ tain things which will corroborate what
am going to say: the gamblers were
carried into court and were convicted.
With the exception Of one district there
were none detected. It was thought by
the Board that they had knowledge 6
what was going to occur. The Board has
thoroughly investigated that matter and
tried to place the responsibility on some
body for that with the idea that he should
be punished. They have been utterly un-
able to fix the responsibility on any In
dividual. These gambling houses as well
. as we believe and from the best informa-
ton we can get. even in that district,
! have not been running since the latter
part of last March.
Major Howard: Since the 18th OF
March.
Commissioners Jacob: Now you say in
that sermon, .tW hat are the conditions?
We want the people to know about aii
our acts. and whether we are trying 10
De 1dllulul III Inc OISCHdl 2Ott A1SASN'
here as public servants. and We want
them to know that this thing was done,
and that to the best Of our knowledge and
belief that even In the Second District
these gambling houses were suppressed
at that time, and have been under sup
preston ever srN. You did not say this
months and months ago.
Major Howard: I just want to say, Mr..
Hawthorne. that we do attend to little
b,,e ic " annual report I'D
to December 81. 1901; arrested and brought
before the Police Court that year, So
gambling houses.
Dr. Hawthorne: Big or little places?
Major Howard: am not prepared TO
say now. but they were gambling houses
Last March, will just make short
statement as to my action in March On
the 18th of March I had a conversation
with the Commemorative Attorney In
regard to gambling in the city. The SUI
preme Court since 1879 has decided that
poker-playing is not unlawful within GER
tain limits; man had to lose or win
twenty dollars.
Dr.. Hawthorne: How about In gambling
houses?
CLAYTON AND ALLEN CASES.
Major Howard: That Is the point I
in every section Of the town on Broad
Street, Main Street, Seventeenth Street
and on Church Hill and everywhere else.
Just about week or so before had
my conversation with Mr.. Richardson q
man was killed. He was found near
Sixth or Seventh, and Leigh. think
named cayton- He was an employe IN
one Of these poker rooms. Then young
Allen lost a great deal Of money in what
are supposed to be poker rooms. and I
asked Mr. Richardson again: Cant we
do something to these people: can't we
break them up?'' He said: I'VE can pun
ish them under the common gaming law"
| That was on March 18th On the 18th
Z assembled my captains here and told
them Of this conversation with Mr.. Rich
| ardson, anu that wanted them to de-
tail men to get evidence against every
house where there was gambling; 40 bring
in evidence so I could prosecute them
They brought me evidence against eleven
| places, and they went into court and
were fined by Justice Crutchfeid thirty
dollars and costs. Then we had this In
vestigauon in regard to the leakage IN
nicfv; M report