Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-24

discretion. Is
Major Howard: claim that it does.
DR.. -Hawthorne: Does the law give you
any discretion in reference to thefts
Major Howard: Yes, sir; it gives me
! discretion in that-at least I do not know
that the law gives me discretion, but the
judges of the courts do.
DR.. Hawthorne: You exercise your dis
cretion?
Major Howard: Yes. sir; and 1 VIII
tell it to you very plainly. have had
in this room mothers and fathers with
their Maynard boys, telling of their Short
comings, where could prosecute them or
send them to the Police Court and from
there to the grand jury. and they would
go over the hill to the penitentiary, and
I have had one boy kneel down on his
knees and offer as pretty a prayer as
you ever heard, thanking me for my
kindness to him in not pressing the case
against him.
LAW VERSUS TENDER HEART.
DR.. Hawthorne: But the law
Major Howard: I am not telling you the
law, I am telling you the facts. will
use discretion as long as am Chief of
Police.
DR.. Hawthorne: That shows your ten
der heart; but does the law give You
such discretion?
Major Howard: AS I said, an officer
who does not use discretion is not worth
a cent.
Dr.. Hawthorne: That is your interpre-
taton?
Major Howard: Yes, sir; and If any
Chief Of Police in the United States. Cana
da, or Europe will not say the same tdlnS,
1 will resign tomorrow.
DR.. Hawthorne: Now. in reference to
gambling houses, I want to ask you a
question: When YOU were first elected
and went into Office, you knew OF the
existence of gambling houses in the city:
Major Howard: thought they We're
here.
DR.. Hawthorne: Didn't you notify thenl
that they must close2
Major Howard: 1 will make state
ment on that subject, too.
SPEAKING OF GAMBLERS.
Mr. Bosher: Are YOU speaking OF the
gamblers now?
DR.. Hawthorne: Yes. sir.
aIr Bosher: We concede to you that
gambling existed in Richmond and the
courts have proven that already.
DR.. Hawthorne: I want to know what
| has been done by the Police Department.
Mr. Bosher: We have broken the gam
bling up We concede to you that there
has been gambling in the city of Rich
mond and the courts have decided that.
and these men have been punished and
| the places have been broken up, and L
see no use in going over this gambling
part.
! Dr. Hawthorne: My sermon had refer
! ence to the state Of things for years ana
| years wants"to show that this Pohce
! Department has not complied with the
provisions Of the statutes in reference to
| these gambling institutions. and that sup
/ no state
| sermon Now, want to prove
| as to these gambling houses that We're
reported here the other day by Mr.. Wyatt.
| and that pleaded guilty-and he sum-
/ moned a hundred witnesses to convict
| want to show that Some of those gam
| bling houses have existed here for years
1 and years to the certain knowledge OF
! the police; and that they have not COM
1 piled with the law in SURPRISING them.
| in breaking them up. The law provides
| that they shall he broken up and what
t shall be done with their gambling nipple
| ments and furniture. / want to snow
/ that these institutions have existed here
i for many years to the certain knowledge
| of the police and that they were not in
| terfered with.
DOING THEIR BEST.
Mr. Jacob: May it, please your honor,
/ the sermon that DR.. Hawthorne delVerea
I saws: >'WhaC are 'tlle+ CoAditAoL7. ~ ~
| gentlemen of the Police Board. have been
/ laboring here faithfully for a good many
months to try to correct. as well as We
! could. some things that were in existence.
i that formerly had not come direct to our
! knowledge.
DR.. Hawthorne: There is no dispute
| about that.
! Mr.. Jacobs: Last March an effort was
made (and Mr.. Wyatt will tell you when
| you put him on the stand, certain Things
| that will corroboratc what l am going 70
! say gamblers were carried into court ana
| they were convicted. With the exception
of those in one district there were none
detected. 1t was thought by the board
| that in some way they had gotten knoWl-
| edge Of what was goinG to occur. Inc
I board has thoroughly investigated that
matter and tried to place the response
| bility on somebody. if they could, with
!. the idea that he should be pushed ihey
! have been utterly unable to fix the re
| sponsibility any indlvlddal. hese
| gambling houses as weli.aS we believe
! as we'll as we know from the pest m
| formation we can get-even in that dis
! trict, have not been run since the iattei
| part Of last March.
| Major Howard: The 18th Of March.
| Mr.. Jacobs: You said in your sermon
"What are the conditions?' We want the
! neople of Richmond to know-you want
| them to know aboul your statement we
i want them to know about our position
| whether we are trying 70 be faithful III
| the discharge of our duties here as pub
lie 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. this gam
| bling was suppressed at that time ana
| has been under suppression ever since.
| In your statement you did not say SIN
! months ago, or one one year ago. You
said: what are the conditions?
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE
Major Howard: I just want to show Dr.
/ Hawthorne that we do attend to some lit
/ tie business. This is my annual report
/ of the 31st day of December, 1901, tex
| hibiting report) There were arrested and
! brought before the Police Justice that
| year fifty-three gambling houses.
DR.. Hawthorne: Were they little places
OF, bis, places in the heart of the city
Major Howard: am not prepared tc
! say what they were now. They We're
! gambling houses.
| :. Dr. Hawthorne: Were they these big
! places in the heart of the city:
! Major Howard: I will make short
| sta tcment with reference to my action III
| March On the 18th day Of March / had
a conversation with our Commemorative
! Attorney in regard to gambling going on
| in the city. The Supreme Court since
i 1879 has deemed poker playing or so de-
t ciGed. that poker playing was not unlaw-
J 10 raj nyte0t-o man h1 r.,