The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-12-05
DISTRICT ATTORNEY DESCENDED
ON GAMBLING HOUSE.
VERY SENSATIONAL AFFAIR
Garfield, With Party Of Friends, All
in Evening Dress, Were Taken
to Police Station.

New York, Dec. 2.-One of the most
sensational raids ever made in New
York took place late tonight when
District Attorney Jerome, with a
strong force of police, broke into the
palatial establishment said to have
been conducted by Richard Garfield,
as a gambling house, in Forty-fourth
street, a few doors from Fifth avenue.
Entrance vas effected by smashing
III the basement windows. On enter.
ing the raiding party were confronted
by Mr.. Garfield, who has just return
ed from a trip to Providence, r. l.,
and who protested that the house was
simply his private residence and that
had he known that any suspicion of
gambling attached to it he would
willingly have admitted the author
tiles at any time.
Discovered Gambling Outfit.
The lower floors of the house were
vacant and unfinished. When the
police assembled to the next floor their
attention was attracted by a panel
wall, which was protected by stout
steel plating. When this had been
battered in, after about half an hours
hard work with a sledge hammer, the
police say they discovered a large
number Of checks, with roulette
wheels and other gambling apparatus.
Garfield and a half dozen men who
were found with him in the house, all
Of whom were in evening dress, were
arrested and taken to the police sta
ton.
The raid was made on evidence Sc
cured by a detective employed by the
district attorneys Office. 1t was said
tonight that it was doubtful whether
his man could identify Garfield as
having been concerned in any actual
gambling operations in the house.
The raid caused the most intense
excitement in the vicinity and enor-
nous crowds gathered while the po-
lice were breaking their way in. The
captain of the precinct in which the
house was located was ignorant of
the raid until all was over, when he
arrived at the head Of a squad of men
in time to escort the wagon contain
ing the captured paraphernalia back
to the station house.
That the raid had been anticipated
for days, the police feel certain. The
conditions indicated that such was
the case for nowhere in the entire es-
tablishment from the basement to
the fourth floor, or which are Mr..
Canfield's private apartments, was
there any sign of recent use. 1t was
also significant that Mr.. Canfield's
counsel was at the house at the time
of the raid, although Mr.. Garfield ex-
planned that he had simply dropped in
for dinner.
FarreIrs Place Also Raided.
The raid on Canfeld's house had
hardly been finished when the police
of the tenderloin precinct descended
on the house in West Thirty-third
street, known as the blouse With the
Steel Doors and reputed to be run
as a gambling house by Frank Farrell.
Ladders had been provided to the sec
ond story window, but the steel front
doors we're found to be open and no
opposition was made to the entrance
of the police. The lower floors OF the
house were found to be magniticently
furnished, but nothing of a suspicious
character was discovered until while
sounding a wall on the top floor, the
police captain discovered a secret
steel door apparently serving as a
means of communication with the ad-
joining house.
After the door had been broken
down with axes and crowbars the po-
lice entered the next house which
they found to be magnificently fur
nished from cellar to attic and equip
ped with roulette wheels, card tables
and other gambling appliances, all
of which were seized. But two per-
sons were found in the house, both of
whom were arrested. One was the
colored door mar and the other man
whose name was unknown, but who
is said to be a relative of Frank Far
rell.
Boys Life Saved from Membranous
Group.