New-York tribune., 1902-08-20
COULDN'T EXIST WITHOUT WIRES
SURROGATE sILKNAN WOULD HOLD TELE-
GRAPH AND TELEPHONE COMPANIES
RESPONSIBLE IN POOLROOM CASES

SURROGATE sILKMAN WOULD HOLD TELE-
GRAPH AND TELEPHONE COMPANIES
RESPONSIBLE IN PooLRooM CASES.
Surrogate snkman. of Yonkers. in talk yes
terday with Tribune reporter. declared that
there was nothing political in his charges that
A gambling trust existed in that city and that
protection money is being paid by the violators
Of the law in consideration of their freedom
from molestation," In running poolrooms and
gambling houses.
In matter Of this kind" said Surrogate
SHkman, there should be no politics. The ca D
tain OF police is a Republican and client Of
mine, and I addressed my letter to those who
I thought were responsible for the conditions fr-
respective Of their political any other affilia-
uons. II is evident that booksellers have been
driven out of the city OF New-York and are
settling in the suburban towns They have re-
Gently started up in Mount Vernon and New
Rochelle They have been more fragrant in their
violation Of the law in the city of Yonkers than
elsewhere and I attribute that fact to a certain
sense Of security which they may feel in that
city. Somebody had to take UP this work, and
as nobody else has done so. 1 have undertaken
1t, much as 1 dislike the notoriety which It
brings.
4 want to say. further. that it is time the
-co+1-S'1I4S leiSSeu some law WDlCh would hOld
telegraph and telephone companies strictly re-
sponsible for aiding and abetting violations of
the law Without the aid Of the telegraph and
telephone companies. poolroons could not exist
Then. again, the Raines law so-called should
be amended so as to make the liquor license
forfeitable where it was proved that poolsenng
or gambling was permitted within the premises
covered by the license. Amendments Of this
character might affect to some extent the divi-
dends of the stockholders Of the telegraph and
telephone companies. and affect the value of
liquor license; nevertheless it would save
great deal Of misery. There is no evil that
reaches far and causes more misery than
the poolrooms
In regard to the means which propose to
adopt l am unwilling to speak for to do so
might defeat the ends Of Justice In NV letter
10 Mayor Walsh, President Lowen of the Police
Board and Captain Woodruff l said that if
there were any poolrooms running within forty
eight hours after its receipt | would take such
means TO see that the law was enforced as I
might be advised. The reason I fixed limit
was 10 be perfectly fair to the city authorities
taat they might have the opportunity TO per-
form the duty which they owe to the public and
which they should not compel private citizen
TO be put TO the expense Of doing.
Anybody who has had any municipal expert
ence knows that poolselling is not tolerated in
any municipality unless the booksellers con-
tribute TO somebody for protection 1 presi-
dent OF the Police Board Of the city of Yonkers
for some years. and a member of the board for
SIX years. and know that crimes or that char
acter do not go unchecked and unpunished un-
less somebody in authority winks 1t. All that
IL IS necessary to do is to point to the result Of
the advent of an honest police captain of Brook
lyn, Miles O'Rey, at the Oak-st station. He
has cleaned things up in that precinct as clean
as a whistle"
Surrogate Silkman added that, now that he
was at 1t. there would be no let up his part
until Westchester County was cleaned up. On
Saturday, after the receipt of his letter, his
ports showed that nobody could get Into pool
room in Mount Vernon. except by card. and il
would henceforth be more difficult each day
until business became unprofta bic.