The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-29
DEFIED THE POLICE
POLICY WHEELS TURNED AS U.s.
UAL YESTERDAY.
WORKED WITH HAND-Bo0KS
WHILE DETECTIVES WATCHED
PLACES FREQUENTED BY
WRITER'S.

DRcers visited n Place in Congress
Lane, Between Jefferson and
Barnard Streets. but Writer Es-
capped in the Rear-POIice Author
titles Appear to Be Exercised and
Are Said to Have Hit Upon "A Plan
for Making Raids That VIII Re-
suit in Arrests-"Spy system" May
he Adopted.
In defiance of the police and public
sentiment. the policy wheels turned
yesterday, although the operations of
the policy writer's were conducted in
a somewhat different manner.
During the morning two city detec-
tives swooped down on a place in Con-
gress lane, between Barnard and JEFF
ferson streets. but it was evident that
there was a lookout" on duty. When
the plain clothes men reached the
scene the writer had disappeared
through Congress street.
While none of the regular stands
of the policy writer's could be found,
in operation it was known at police
headquarters that there had been both
morning and afternoon drawings. AL
though the superintendent of police did
not care to go into a discussion of the
subject, it was stated by one on the
"inside" that desperate remedies would
be adopted by the police and that the
policy lottery would be stamped out.
Policy Writers Active.
BY the handbook system the policy
writers We're able to reap their usual
harvest during the day. but it is said
that the police have found a way to
copper" even this smooth play of
those who are running the policy
shops. 1t has not been discovered
where the drawings of the several
wheels are held, but this information,
too. will be forthcoming, and raids by
uniformed as well as plain clothes
men, will be made.
While no one would talk it was evil
dent from the activity of the detectives
that something had gone wrong. Pol
icy tickets were being sold in the face
of all that had been said and the police
We're being actually defied. In place of
having players call upon them in
shops throughout the city the writer's
visited their customers with the hand
books and wrote their tickets wherever
they found buyers.
Worked Handbook System.
The handbook system had been
worked in Savannah before and the
writers found no difficulty in making
the rounds. even while the detectives
watched the places where they were
supposed to do their writing. All of
this came to the knowledge of the Off
GERS after their days work had been
done. Then they were shown tickets
that had been bought both during the
morning and afternoon.
The officers "gritted their teeth but
refrained from expressing an opinion to
be given the public. Determination
was stamped on their countenances,
however. They had been laughed at
by the policy writer's and their work
had counted for nothing. Probably the
usual number of tickets had been sold
and the usual amount of money had
been lost by those who could least af-
ford to lose it.
Bootblacks in the barber shops and
on the street corners. had been able TO
play their last dream" while the de-
writers. It was plain that the so-called
"spy system" would have to be adopt
ed and it is said that plans in this di-
rection have been laid for the future.
Were the Houses Closed:
1t was said that the gambling houses
were all closed last night, but doubt
was expressed in some circles as to
the truth of the claim. The usual lights
that shone into the street were not
in evidence, and if there was gambling
in the regular places the games were
played in the dark. The detectives re-
manned in the down town section un-
Til a late hour. but no raids were
made
A number of the sports were notice
able on the street corners and this
was taken a evidence that there was
nothing doing" One gambler stated
that even if he had nerve enough to
open he could not get a play from
the outside because of the threatened
raids. He declared that even a threat
of this sort kept players away from
the houses