New-York tribune., 1903-07-26
BURNS RAIDS P00LR00M
SAID TO BE LEVIEN'S.
Police Break Into Second Story
Windou-FiUe Arrests.

With twenty plain clothes men at his back,
Captain Joseph Burns of the Church-st sta
tion, broke into an alleged poolroom on the sec
ond floor of the four story building at No. ~
Dey-st. yesterday afternoon, just after the
fourth race was run off at Brighton and capt
ured five prisoners They gave their names as
Charles Levien of No. 770 Lexington-ave, this
city. but living at Long Branch for the sum-
mer John Anderson, Of No. III F1fth-aVe''
Brooklyn; Percy Lewis, of No. 80 Rogers-aVe.,
BROOKLYN; William Bradley, of No. 7S3 Marcy
ave- Brooklyn, and George Hill, the negro door
man. Charles Levien, who, the police say, is
Charles Reginald Levien. betters known as
Ridge" Levien, is charged with being the pro-
prietor of the place. Percy Lewis, whose real
name Captain Burns says is Levien is charged
with acting announcer. Bradley is charged
with being the cashier of the establishment
Anderson, whose alias is also Levien, is said to
have been the telephone operator.
Besides the five prisoners, thirty-tWO other
men were found in the rooms, but they were al
lowed to go after Captain Burns had gathered
all the evidence he wanted. According to the
charter Of the establishment. which hung in a
frame on the wall the rooms were occupied oy
the Royal Pleasure Club but the police say
the place has long been known as the Parole
Club. It was under that name that the place
was raided in April, 1901 by ex-District Attor-
ney Philbin, accompanied by District Attorney
Jerome. then magistrate when the latter heid
court amid the ruined paraphernalia OF the pace
Captain Burns has been watching the place
for some time, and several weeks ago imported
Detective Wolstenhome, Of the West forty-
seventh-st. station, and set him TO work as
sleuth WoIstenholrne, 50 the captain says, has
been a regular visitor in the place for month
has played the races there and has convincing
of an
there as is charged.
Yesterday wolstenholme and the captain
thought they were ready 10 act and the de-
tective went to Magistrate Ommen, IN the
Tombs Court and secured warrants for the hVe
men wanted. Detectives Mahoney and Sullivan
went TO the entrance adjoining the saloon OF
James Stedman and rang the bell at the foot
Of the stairway leading TO the second floor The
prisoner who gave his name Percy Lewis
hut who is said 10 be Percy Levien, answered
their call and they promptly arrested him, that
he might not give warning 10 the others up
stairs.
USE = BORROWED LADDER.
simultaneously the rest of the attacking party,
led by Captain Burns himself, advanced on the
place by means of a long ladder which they had
borrowed from the engine house in Fulton-st
The ladder was placed quietly against the sill
tective NIaIoney. with Captain Burns after him
and the rest of the squad close behind. climbed
up The window was open to give the club
members air. hut strong wire netting intend
ed evidently for other invaders than mosquitoes,
blocked their way With their sticks and the
butts of their revolvers Detective Maloney and
Captain Burns tore this away although the
captain dropped his revolver to the street below
In the effort BY this time a big crowd had
gathered. and it not one which seemed
wholly to sympathize with the police, either.
Maloney got through the screen first, but he
tripped ON the torn netting and fell forward on
his face, and Captain Burns fell over him.
striking on his head and smashing the crown of
a new 81 straw hat. They recovered themselves
in a moment, and. backed by the rest, began
search of the premises for evidence and for the
men named in the warrants. Wolstenholme was
able to point out all of them easily, and most
of them submitted nonchalantly, although
Charles, alias Ridge" Levien, the alleged pro-
prietor, showed a disposition to be nasty and
required some forcible persuasion by Captain
Burns before he allowed himself to be placed
under arrest.
Among the material which the police confis-
Gated as evidence We're three telephone sets, the
speaking tube, 500 in cash, racing charts for the
Brighton, Chicago and St. Louis tracks, dope"
books and, what Captain Burns considers espe-
cially important, the betting sheets for yester-
days races on those three tracks. The place
was fitted up luXuriously.
Last evening Magistrate Pool teephoned
from his house, at Nc. 267 West Seventy ninth
st, to Sergeant Macauley. at the Church-st. po-
lice station, to send the prisoners up to his
house. as he wished to admit them to bail. Ac-
cordingly each prisoner, under the escort of a
policeman, sent to the house of the mag
istrate-
1t was said by Captain Burns last night that
a man who had been a frequent visitor at the
place. had gone to him recently and complained
that he had lost so much money there on the
races that il had broken up his business and
left him penniless. and that he had not even
money enough TO provide for his sick wife He
expressed q willingness TO furnish evidence
against the place, and for the last three weeks
has been q constant patron there along with
Wostenhome. The captain said he would
rather withhold the mans name until exam
ination was held.
HHD nTTTHD