The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-27
RAID ON GAMBLERS
Forty-fve Arrests Made in the Hotel.
Du Canada Resort at
Winnipeg.
Other Players Threw Themselves
From Windows and Effected
a Their Escape.

Hpecia to The Journal - S,s=.es. 81
Winnipeg, Man., April 27.--The Hotel
du Canada, which has long been known
to be one of the principal gambling resorts
In the city, was raided by the provincial
police at o'clock Sunday morning and
forty-five arrests made. There were six
crap games in progress and fully 800 play |
onlookers In the hotel at the time
the police entered. ...sy''
The provincial police. who had no assist |
ance from their city brethren. had made
arrangements in advance for the raid. |
bringing in constables from different parts
Of the province. All the windows were
guarded. The officers had not the least
trouble in gaining admittance. for they
did not have to open a single door to ac-
compltsh their purpose. The front door
of the hotel, adjoining that of the bar,
was open. inviting all and sundry to enter. |
Inspector Penrose and Constable Cox of
Portage la Prairie were assigned the post
of danger and honor. Chief Elliott formed
a skirmish party on the west side of the
building, where he found his operations
greatly impeded by a nine-foot fence and
litter Of old tin cans and packing cases,
while Houston Mackenzie stormed the
side. The attack was made with precision
and effect The inspector and Cox dashed
thru from the front just as the flanking
parties made their presence felt at the
sides.
The game is over, boys" said the genial
constable. I'VE want your attention j
moment"
Piled Thru the Windows.
The good ones in the crowd began to
show themselves. They had been in raids
before. One look at the money and they
began to collect their bets. 1t did not make
any difference whether they had any down
or not, they took the chance and collected
anyway Then to the woods. The doors
were blocked by the officers and the win
dows might conceal a big policeman with
a gun; but then again. they might not,
and it was worth the gamble. Ihe crash
of glass was heard and the far window on
the west side went down. They jiled thru
until more than seventy had got out, and
then Chief Elliott put a stop to the exodus
On the east side another window met
similar fate and many broke cover and
went free headed by a burly game
keeper" who forced the guard Of that por-
tion.
1t was on the west side that the real
trouble took place. The seventy odd who
got out there found themselves in small
quadrangle bounded on the east by the
Hotel Du Canada, on the south by the
Bank Of Ottawa on the west by the old
telephone or Burland block and the Mer-
chants bank, and on the north by a nine
foot fence and the Merchants bank.
They were tangled up in all kinds Of bar
rels, boxes. bottles and tins. It was all
getting in and no getting out.
Used the Fire Escape.
A few tried the fence and made it.
but it soon became evident that if this
were the only means of exit the thing
would devolve into survival of the
fittest. The case seemed desperate, when
at last in the darkness the fire escape
on the old telephone block was noticed.
and by this means the prisoners in the
yard escaped, passing thru the block to
Main street. r.
--- Within. the police were complete mas
1ters of the situation, and after they had
thoroy impressed this fact upon the five
End forty youths, for there were about
that many of tender years, things went
along smoothly.
Inspector Penrose telephoned to Magis-
trate McMicken to come to the scene with
all dispatch and accept bail from such
as were disposed and able to give it.. The
magistrate came and the two score and
five were informed that on the payment
of 500 each to insure an appearance at
the police court they could 60 There was
a good deal Of financing and borrowing
before the $500 necessary was raised. |
The crowd which was left was made up
almost entirelys Of persons whose expert !
ence in the game of craps was limited.
They had started short and were then
much shorter. and to ask them to give
up was to rub it in.
Many "Prom Cts"
A grave feature of the whole affair is
the number Of we'll o-do citizens who
were in attendance at the game, as well
as larger number of young men. en-
ployed in banks and other business COR
porations, offices and stores It has been
discovered 5of late that gambling has been
largely on the increase in the city, and
especially on the Sabbath, and the au
thorites have requested every good citi-
zen to do his utmost to wipe out the
evil. The attorney generals department
Is determined to use stringent measures
in bringing all offenders to justice.
Hormidas Bernard, proprietor of the
hotel, was seen on Main street after the
raid bewailing his bad fortune. -'I had
just gone up stairs" he said, when they
started" He intmated that he hated
gambling in all shapes, and especially
craps. His house has, however, been long
known as a resort and he may now lose
his license. 4. :