New-York tribune., 1903-04-06
NAMES P0OLROOMS.
DIR. MYERS READS LIST.
Denounces from Pulpit alleged Po-
Ice IneHciency

After reading from the pulpit list of fifteen
places where, he alleged, handbooks or full
hedged poolrooms were being operated in the
borough, the Rev. DR.. Cortland Myers. in the
Baptist Temple. Schermerhorn-st- and Third
ave- Brooklyn last night denounced the ponce
and the District Attorneys office, declaring that
they were responsible for permitting gambling
TO go unchecked.
Deputy Police Commissioner Ebstein, who is
In charge of the department in Brooklyn, at his
home, vigorously denied the sweeping assertions
Of Dr.. Myers to the widespread prevalence OF
gambling. He declared that although there
Were undoubtedly some handbooks in the bor-
ough and that gambling being carried on in
some clubs, there were no open poolrooms in
Brooklyn.
When DR.. Myers had read his list. which gave
ten addresses where he said handbooks were
being made and fifteen addresses where alleged
poolroonls We're being conducted. he said in
part:
New-York gamblers have been fleeing 10 this
borough and invading il with startling bold
ness They are driving them out of Manhattan
6DC the sufferers. While the ponce are
their friends instead OF their enemies Some OF
the policemen are either criminals or bind, and
II is our disgrace to have either one. The Dis
trict Attorneys office must also be wrapped in
sleep, when other men are discovering an abund-
ence of this crime of which they claim 10 be ig-
norant- We ought to get the Manhattan de-
partrlent to visit this borough and show
helpless officials how to do it. There may be
more blackmail in it than blindness; more in
Equity than ignorance Our policemen stand in
front Of these very gambling dens and walt for
some one to pay them 10 go out of the way, in
stead Of making any honest courageous eff
fort to secure evidence or place the guilty par
ties in patrol wagon To make Brooklyn the
gamblers resort is crime added to CRIME. and
present blackest disgrace. The condition is
far worse on this side of the river than on the
other side, and the public and the pulpit and the
press ought to demand immediate action.
have received the most heart breaking letters
recently from mothers and wives pleading that
something be done them and their homes
from the wreckage Of the gamblers. oh, what
awful tragedies are now being enacted in this
city because make il so easy for these
gambling emissaries Of darkness TO ply their
guilty trade l call halt to this host Of Satan
and before GOD shall do my duty in relation to
that part Of our society suffering now at their
bloodstained hands. The District Attorney will
have this list TO begin on, and these must be
closed or there will be a further hearing and a
more emphatic one.
Deputy Commissioner Ebsten said:
There are no open poolroons in Brooklyn, al
though there are some handbooks. and always
viii be. We are keeping after them, how
ever, and the fact that there are handbooks
shows that the gamblers know that under the
present police administration il is not safe to
open a poolroom The who keeping
handbooks kept the move by the watch
fulness of the police. Some of the places men,
toned by DR.. Myers are so-called clubs, and
have doubt that bets made there, still
against them Some Of them are in Captain
Miles OReilly's precinct Most Of the places
on the list have been under police surveillance
for some time
While / regard the utterances of DR.. Myers
sensational. still I shall be glad to get any
trustworthy information that he any one
else may have the subject Of gambling or
any other violation evasion of the law.
am sure also that District Attorney Clarke
will work with anybody who is willing to fur
nish reliable evidence.
1 want TO say. however, that 1 never have
had any interview with DR. Myers, neither
did he lay of this information before me
prior to exploiting it from the pulpit Nor
have / heard that he gave his information to
any police official with the request that it be
acted upon
Among the places mentioned by DR.. Myers
are No. 5o Ralph-ave. and No. I, 40 Broadway.
They are incorporated clubs. according TO
Deputy Commissioner Ebstein. Two other
places on DR.. Myers's list were No. 1878 Full
ton-st and No. COS Fifth-ave-. both of
which raids made last week