The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-30
BEAT ON BICYCLES
POLICY SHOP 'LOOK-OUTs" WENT
AHEAD OF DETECTIVES.
TWO WRITERS CAUGHT.
OTHERS MANAGED TO GET OUT OF
THE WAY IN TIME.

With Drawn RevOIvers Detective
BOstick and Omcer Nose Davis
Kept seven Witnesses and Two
Writers Penned Up in House in
Perry Lane Until the Arrival of
Reinforcements-On of the Men
in the Place White Man Who
Acted as Night Clerk at the w. c.
It. L. Home.
With the aid of bicycles. and by
hard pedaling, policy "lookouts,' were
yesterday morning able to tip" policy
writer's, and at least a dozen raids
by the police resulted in but two ar
rests.
In Perry lane. between Montgomery
and Jefferson streets, Detective Bos-
tick and officer Nose Davis. with
drawn revolvers, held two writers and
seven witnesses in a small room until
the arrival of the patrol wagon. De-
tectives Murphy. Wall and Stark were
only a few blocks away and when they
reached the scene several hundred ne
groes had gathered.
The paraphernalia of the Missouri,
Original Georgia, Chatham and Phila-
delphia wheels were taken in charge by
the officers, and went with the writer's
and witnesses to the police station.
The blackboards, drawings, tikets,
stamps, etc. win be used as evidence,
after which they will be burned by
the police in the yard at police head
quarters. H. B. Brown and G.. Gibbs,
both negroes, are charged with writ
ing policy, and will be given prelimi-
nary examination by Recorder Myrick
in Police Court this morning.
White Man Was Caught.
Jesse Sexton, a white man we'll
known in police circles, was one of
those caught in the raid. He was de-
tanned for an hour or more with the
negro witnesses. Later subpoenas were
issued and the witnesses were instruct
ed to put in an appearance in Police
Court. The detectives say that they
will be able to convict without the
testimony of those who were in the
place, however.
Sexton, who has served at least one
sentence, has been employed in the
capacity of night clerk at the w. G.
T. U. building on Liberty street. He
had several pawn tickets on his person
NHGi SedICHeu dl the pOllCG SldLlOtl,
and when Supt. McConica learned the
facts he announced that Sexton could
no longer remain in the home. Sex
ton declared to Supt. Mcconnell that
he had only dropped in at the policy
shop to look at the drawing and that
he had not been playing. His state
ment, however, was not credited in the
face of the information secured by the
superintendent.
Bicycle LOOk0uts Active.
Despite the announcement in the
Morning News that raids would be
made, and that if necessary the spy
system" would be adopted. the policy
shops opened up on schedule time and
the writers began taking in the money
of the poor as usual. The police had
no idea that an attempt would be
made to do business during the day
and only the regular plain clothes
force went policy shop hunting.
The detective force was divided into
two squads and a route was laid out
that took in the entire city. But the
writers were as cautious as they were
brazen and the lookouts on wheels
did their tipping effectively. They
were temporarily fooled, however. by
the fact that there were two searching
parties out.
Not until the successful raid of
1erTy lane was IIlaue ola Ine look
outs realize what was really happen
ing. Several times afterwards the
officers encountered perspiring ne
groes on wheels leaving neighborhoods
that they were about to visit. The
news that the places were being raid
ed spread like wild-fire and the officers
covered the same territory in the aft
ernoon without incident.
No Raids Last Night.
1t was said that all of the gam
bling houses were closed last night
and no raids were made. 1t is prob
able that there was gambling in the
city during the night, but there were
no gaming houses open to the pub
lie.
Although the officers were active
throughout the day and night no one
in authority cared to make a state
TrentL 1t was said. however, that
there will be no cessation on the part
of the notice and that an honest
effort will be made to crush out the
policy lottery evil. The officers have
shown that the haunts of the policy
writers can be located and closed, and
this is taken to mean that it has
been determined not to permit then
to open again.
1t was said that the next move that
will be made will be the securing OF
evidence against those who own prop
erty that is being used for gambling
purposes. While no authoritative
statement on the subject could be Sc
cured, it was generally reported that
this policy will be adopted as a last
resort.