New-York tribune., 1903-04-26
THE FALL OF ADAMS: THE TRIUMPH OF GODDARD.
H LONG FIGHT CULMINATES WITH THE "POLICT
KING" BEHIND THE BARS.

With the conviction OF Albert J. Adams last
week not only was the 'meanest man in New
York put behind prison bars. but the system by
which this wrung millions from the city's poor
struck paralyzing blow. Further steps are
being taken by District Attorney jerome 10
still further shackle this prisoner. The man who
has secretly abetted Adams by approaching jury
and Turing away important witnesses Is being
searched for and his apprehension is likely TO
cause a sensation in criminal circles within the
next few days. Until Captain F. Norton Goddard
originated the expression policy is not gambling
but stealing. little was known to the puoHc OF
the great thief who commonly known as the
Policy King Thousands upon thousands OF the
poor knew and played the game, but few had
than The vaguest conception OF the man
who took their pennies day after day, VINO en-
ployed the runners that they sneaking in and
cut Of cigar stores who managed the system ot
numbers by which their gigs were hits or fail
ures, who tempted them on and on stirred up
the criminal instincts within them. and made their
children gamblers after them.
Captain Goddard was told when he started out
with the determine ton to stamp out policy in New
York that he was only & dreamer. There vas Il
man. he was told, whose wealth was tremendous
whose friends were powerful politicians. high in
the circles Of Tammany Hall and the Police De
partment. whose heart knew no sympathy Who ana
not to have conscience or kno" the oh-
erence between right and wrong. whose only ann In
life seemed to he the accumulation of dollars and
more dollars Who made everything bend to this
one ambition and who had stopped so low as t"
wiring his revenues from TIE poorest and most
ignorant classes Of the great metropolis
This man. Captain Goddard was told. was known
among his criminal associates as NJ Adams.
MANY had been the attempts to catch him. but ali
the attempts had failed Many had stormed
against policy in public utterances and called down
the wra tn Of God those who thus Increased the
misery of their poor fellows fer the sake Of their
own greed; but these crusaders did nothing Oc-
"a sionsI vreches captured redhanded IN East
Side Easements with the tetale policy slips in their
pockets with their pockets filed with pennies ana
ntckels that they collecting for some back,
ar and on being hailed court they were SEN
fenced and publicly stamped criminals. But the
master criminal remained in obscurity. The police
did not molest him. Policy still dourished-
Slowly and carefully Captain Goddard began weav-
ing his net After two years struggle at Albany ne
succeeded in passing the new policy act, which
made the mere possession of policy slips prima
facie evidence Of guilt Despite his large business
interests Captain Goddard devoted time to a de-
tective system of his own and quietly began TO col
lect evidence. Several attempts were made by the
District Attorney and Captain Goddard Whlen were
thwarted by mysterious police tipstevs. and when
the raiding party arrived at a policy office there
was nothin dom the loungers in the gutter
said But al this time the net was being drawn
closer.
At last Captain Goddard. with The cooperation OF
Frank Moss executed a master stroke. On Decem-
Der r. 1901 they broke into the very citadel of the
Policy King and found books, papers. letters and
all The paraphernalia necessary for the playing OF
policy and enough evidence to make Captain God
dard remark after the raid; THE finding Of the
policy slips and other papers in Adamss office
ought to be enough to convict him
But even with evidence enough to convict a hun
dred petty subordnates. the Policy King" seemed
to think he could defy the law. Despite the