The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-04-04
IN THE TIGERS LAIR.
How to Get in and what you see After
You Are In

GU Arc III
To those who have never penetrated
the mysteries of one OF these resorts, a
description Of typical gambling house
may be interesting. Take one in West
Thirty-iirst street, Manhattan, familiar
~ known as THE Awning" because
the ground floor was until recently
used as an awning store and awnings
covered the windows on all the floors
above. This place was also referred
to as THE Eagle Bird" from a large
gilt eagle over a large safe in one cor
ner of the place.
The place, like all others, is guarded
on the outside by an outside lookout"
who while apparently strolling casually
alone the street, keeps a sharp watch
for raiders and carefully scrutinizes all
who approach the entrance. If any
thing seems wrong he may press an
electric button concealed under some
adjacent stoop, give a loud and pc
culiar whistle, knock in a prearranged
way on the door, ring the bell vigorous
ly, or, as in one particular instance,
push the lid of the letter Stat in the
door violently back and forth. In this
case the metal SLOT when pushed back
struck two nails driven into the door
just above it on the inside. These nails
were connected with electric wires, and
the circuit being complied a warning
bell was rung upstairs.
If all is well, the regular client
knocks at the door or rings the bell,
and Immediately a little wicket in the
door is opened and a Negroes face looks
out. If it be night time light behind
the guard shines full in the visitors
face. If the doorkeeper who in the
more pretentious places is always in
full dress after nghtfall, recognizes
the caller, he opens the door and care
fully locks it behind him again. He
then calls to a second doorkeeper who
unlocks a second door, and the visitor
is now within the place proper.
Before you climb the steps to the
second floor you may notice a lattice
work door of thick iron bars folded
back against the wall. This is an
innovation that has only been brought
into general use since Jerome began
his raids. 1t can be streached across
the narrow hall and locked in a few
seconds, and is stout enough to with
stand many minutes batterng, during
which time the authorities upstairs
get busy and secrete behind secret
panels all the gambling utensils, while
their patrons are racing over the roofs
or passing into adjoining houses
through secret doors.
L lie SeCOHu IOOT Oh the mouse is
mainly taken up by one long room
running the entire length of the house.
In the front left hand corner is the
safe, with its genius the Eagle Bird"
against the right-hand wall at the rear
| is a large sideboard, covered with eat
ables and liquors, and the remainder
of the room is occupied by three rouet
and one faro table. Two of the for
mer are double and one single, the lat
ter having the green baize cloth divid-
ed off into squares and number, only
on one side of the wheel.
Regarding the professional gamblers
| themselves, there is little to distinguish
| them from the ordinary habtue of the
| Tenderloin, whose tastes incline to be
sporty. AS a general thing a profess
sional gambler is clean shaver and
wears considerable jewelry, although
the gambler of the comic papers, with
a diamond headlight in his shirt front
is an extinct type, at least in New
York. They are almost invariably
hail fellows we'll met, and are exceed
| ingly superstitious on the subject of
luck. AS they make money easily, so
do they spend it freely. A middle
aged gambler who has saved enough to
enable him to retire from the business
| is a rare exception. Broken down
I specimens of this class are as thick as
leaves in Vallambrosia Perhaps the
most marked characteristic common to
them all is their contempt for the great
public upon whom they prey and whom
they generally refer to as Suckers
Brooklyn Eagle.