The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1903-11-14
AFTER THE WHITE GAMBLERS.

AFTER THE WHITE GAMBLERS.
The Lincoln county grand jury
of last May, and Judge Miller and
District Attorney Greayes, at this
term of court, have rendered the
morals of this community a dis
tinct service by the active and
vigorous policy pursued toward
the white gamblers. The grand
| jury, at the last term of court,
probed into the bold and habitual
operations of this class of law
breakers, and the result was the
finding of a number of true bills
against such professionals as Bud
Hunsucker, Arthur Tibbs, Sam
Tarbutton, etc., and also a group
of more prominent individuals Of
the community addicted to the
manipulation of the paste board
for filthy lucre. When these cases
were brought before Judge Miller
by the District Attorney at this
term, instead of letting off the
offenders with a nominal fine of
$3.50 and costs, Judge Miller gave
Hunsucker an aggregate of $780,
90 in fines; Tlbbs, $4,000; Tar
button, $4,000; and the group of
more prominent gamblers referred
to $4,000 each; while the more in
significant white and negro crap
shooters we're let off with much
smaller penalties.
It has long been a matter of
wonder TO many citizens of the
community how men like Hun
sucker, Tibbs, Tarbutton ct al can
hang about the streets of the city
from day to day and week to week
watching for suckers, without
being pulled for being common
vagrants as we'll as gamblers; but,
by the faxity Of local officials they
have until lately escaped. When
Bud Hunsucker and Arthur Tibbs
were arraigned before the court
to receive their sentence and the
Judge, before pronouncing same,
questioned them as to what en-
pIoyment they were engaged in
and invited any citizen in the au-
dience who would to speak word
in their behalf, showing that they
had been engaged in some honest
calling, the silence was profound.
1t is reported that one local official,
at this juncture, toward whom one
of the accused cast an appealing
glance, lodged behind the Judges
stand and hustled off down the
back stairs, for fear he would be
called on by name to testify on
this point.
Though not SO notoriously
known as members of the gam
bling fraternity, the $4,000 group
and number of others of this
class, who were not caught in the
meshes of the law this time, do far
more toward demoralizing young
men Of the community and leading
them astray than Hunsucker and
his pals. A prominent citizen
said to The Leader the day these
fines we're imposed, "The only
difference between gamblers like
these and the Hunsucker class is
that they have visible occupation
and own some property in the
community, while Hunsucker and
his associates do not, and hence
are more dangerous to young men
by their example and deserve the
seyerer punishment. =
1t is not known to the public
and probably not as yet well
known to the presiding Judge.
that after the indictment was
found last May against this $4,000
|group, at least some of its mem
bers continued to gamble at the
same rendezvous, with extra pre-
cautions to keep from being dis
covered, in few feet of the Z.
M G.. A.. looms, and only
changed their quarters wher
considerably notified by a loca
officer that he would have te
"pull" them if tie thing wasn'l
stopped.
/ They have accordingly moVee
to other quarters not quite SO pub
lie, but which the present grane
i jury or the next will likewise 10
cate unless it is done by the city
lor county officials earlier.
Judge Miller, District Attorne.