New-York tribune., 1903-04-26

characteristic energy of District Attorney Jerome,
every legal method and device was exercised 70
cause delay in his rial To him was sranteu
his liberty where ordinary man "ouIu
have been conpeUed TO go to the TOmbs. He
said he was dying from diabetes and could not
survive an Incarceration Jurfes mysterlousE uls-
agreed. Witnesses mysteriously disappeared Ihus
month after month went by. and though Alfred j.
Adams was caught in his office surrounded oN the
policy paraphernaia No. 40 West Thirty fourth
St. year and four months ago. it was not unth
last Tuesday that he sentenced as 4 crirnlndl
to a year in prison and fine of $1,000 Consigned to
a cell in the Tombs. the mask Of elegance was at
last torn off. and the Policy King who was
formerly supposed TO be all powerful. was led from
the courtroom convicted lawbreaker-
And 1t has not been until recently that the true
character of Alfred J. Adams. better known as AT
Adams has been known to the public. Until he
was caught in the fatal raid In West Thirty fourth
st. he succeeded in keeping out of pu5c notice by
his peculiar methods of life He avoided making too
many friends" friend to him was only such
when he could be put 10 practical use story Is
told Of how Adams standing In the lobby of the
Bartholdi Hotel one evening when Jimmy Oliver.
his counsel" UP to him and said;
There's 4 fellow out there ] want you to meet
He's done me mighty good turns. and think he's
got big heart. Come and meet him
4 don't want him if he's got heart Jimmy.
was thc answer. "A nan with heart is likely to
play foul in my business"
The career Of Al" Adams Will probably never be
known in all its details Its current has run too
deeply and mixed tco darklv with other streams
OF crime which flow far beneath great city to be
wholly unearthed. Ii has been learned, however,
by those enemies or vice who have pursued his
career closest that Ee earned an honorable hvelf-
hood when he first camo TO this city from Provi-
dence thfrty-fve years ago. He then twenty
seven years old. In Providence he had worked as
a messenger for express company When he
came to this city he became byake man in the
employ OF the New-York. New-HaTen aud Hart
ford Railroad.
1t was not long before he made the acquaintance
Of some sports and among them were Jimmy
Hope and johnny" Nugent. who later figured In
the Manhattan Bank rotb berry. He also met
"Shang'' Draper. in whose gambling house in later
years he is saiG to nave become d partner.
Through "Shang'' and other sports the brake
man was induced become runner for the
simmons Brothers who controlled the policy sys-
TEN of NeN-York Al that time. Zachariah Sim
mons the chief ~ the brothers had greatly
prospered by the protection of Tweed. and naturally
Adams as well as the other employees of the
Sframonses. allied themselves with Tammany Hall
It was not long before Adams began to envy the
wealth which his employers had accumulated. and
ne began policy system Of his own. II was small
at first but grew under his watchfulness and
,iaorous solicitation Adams used the Simmons
drav wings at first. and then his own figures. and
bv a more scientific manipulation Of the gigs,
b,- nyotectjug himself better against losses from
,,Iuckv.' winnings he managed 10 crowd his former
emniayers out of business and obtain the monopoly
of the trade for himself.
Wealth now began to pour in as from a gold
mine The game was operated so that its profits
we're enormous From policy Adams started sweat
games in the negro quarters of Thompson-st. He
aivavs sought the pennies OF the poor, knowing how
prone ignorance and superstition are TO the vice
of gambling. From the sweat games Of Thompson