Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-05-20

Policy playing. which is the kinder
garten Of the gambling mania, is draw
ing nearly $4,000 every twenty four
hours from the pockets of men, women
and children of Chicago, according to
correspondent. Politicians and officials
who are members of the gambling clique
are gathering in n harvest of dollars and
political influences are protecting the
game. The city is honey~c.1hed with
policy shops, whose source Of ntainte-
rance is chiefly amoug the poorest peo-
pie There are 1.4Qo of these gambling
places in Chicago, controlled by a syndi-
cate. So extensive have become the
operations of the syndicate among the
poor and eredulous that II is practically
impossible to estimate accurately the
number of dens in which 1t thrives The
branch offices are but the principal CEN
tiers from which the evil throws out its
tentacles. In each of these shops four
or five different books are operated, as
rule, and If the shop has only one rook
II is sure to have several subsidiary dens
within radius of half block which
are dependent upon 1t for forwarding tne
bets and distributing the returns.
Along Milwaukee avenue, West Mad
lson street, Ogden avenue, Halsted street.
North CLARK street. Clybourn avenue,
South State and Dearborn streets aud
Armour avenue the shops are almost
countless. They vary in pretension all
the way from whole floor brick front
TO ramshackle coal sheds, back alley
coops, and open air loafers corners. In
some sections of the city. like the black
belt and the Ghetto, almost every kitchen
is policy shop where women policy
writer's can call and take bets
One feature OF the situation Is the
swarming of the policy shops about
schools and churches. The syndicate in
augurated campaign among the school
children about three years ago, and since
then the mites Of the urchins which would
have been expended for candy have been
poured into the Golfers of the policy
graft" One inspector made an inyes-
tigation which revealed shocking CON
dition Of affairs in his district. He
found that eve.y school building had its
policy complement Of half dozen policy
shops
As soon as the bell for recess rang the
children We're accustomed TO troop out
TO play the gigs" and saddles" of the
penny lottery. There were even bark
ers' at the doors of the shops whose
business il was 10 attract new patrons
among the pupils.
Boys, old men. working women and
even starving people scrape together
daily pittance TO stake a last hope on
the cast of the policy die. 1t is no I'M
usual sight to see a woman burst into
tears at the announcement of the draw
ing, and confess that she went hungry
to save her last nickel for the morning
bet.
How Drawings Are Held.
The drawings of each book" are held
twice q day, Seventy-eight numbers are,
theoretically, held in a wheel Twelve
are withdrawn for each OF the morning
drawings. The most simple form of
gambling at policy is a wager on the
first number drawn. AS there are IS
numbers the odds against guessing the
first out sheuld be n to /. Instead of
those odds. 80 TO / is paid Twenty five
TO one is paid that the number cannot be
guessed which will be first out in either
of the morning drawings. The odds
should be IS TO l.
Most familiar of the policy plays is
known as a gig" The player attempts
to guess three of the II numbers drawn
in the morning or three of the Is num-
bers drawn in the afternoon.
With negro players 4-11-44 compose
favorite gig" and when the three num-
bers appear, as they do on an average of
about once a year. the fact is well ad-
Ferti5ed. The dead gig" be played
after the death of a relative or some
noted person. is made up Of "9-19-29."
The fire gig" is "6-46-69" The "shoe
gig is 80 l6." The eating gig" in
"2-l2-2l." The "straw hat gig" which
is played by all policy players on the
appearance Of the first straw hat on the
street. is ISL"
Strange as it sounds. policy has caus-
ed the greatest revival of church going
among Chicago colored folk that has been
witnessed Ia many years u shouting re-
yiyals. In one Of the dream books was
thrown out the hint that especially lucky
tips were all numerical utterances Of min.
listers in their puipits. II the pastor an
nounces hymn ~ ON page IS play 26S;
If he breaches from John ill.,, II. play
317. Soon the negroes were flocking
to the churt. es aud securing sacred
tips" enough to last them whole week
of policy playing,