The evening world., 1903-06-27
$50 Irate Men Captured by Pc.
lice in Pool Rooms Besiege
Magistrate in Centre Street
Court-AII but Eleven Freed.
LAWYERS REAP MANY FEES.
Wives Of Prisoners Beg Them to
Employ Counsel, Although Masls.
trate Had Decided to Liberate All
but Warrant Cases.

The right of the police to lock up $40
men on eleven warrants calling for
eleven specific persons Is to be tested
conclusively IS n result OF the remark
able pool-room hearing IN Centre Street
Court to-day. After being herded X
pigs in Mercer street police station the
greater part of the night. 500 men cap
tured in yesterdays spectacular raids
were set free.
when Inspector Smith applied to me
for warrants" said Magistrate Breen,
~ assumed that he had the persons In
mind he wanted to arrest. / didn't is
sue a blanket warrant. He had no
right to hold these men, other than the
eleven he had warrants for"
/ Anxious to He Heard.
Ignorant OF the fact that hey were
to be discharged, they alamored for a
chance to lire up and be counted, fear
ing dire ~onsequen should they fail
to pot in All appearance.
The Centre Street Court Bar Associa-
don was swamped with r%etainers.
Many of the members were around be-
fore the doors of the courthouse were
opeI.ed. The prospect OF 800 clients in
n bunch robbed them of sleep.
When the great horde OF the raided
got around they were easy. Few of
them a ever been arrested before I'M
those who had were none the less
frightened. By agreement between the
barristers in the association the fee
for getting the prisoners off was $40.
The barrtsters were exceedingly careful
to forget to tell their clients IA the
Magistrate would discharge them to a
certainty. and the air was full of $40
bills.
whole Crowd Discharged.
At the request of the Acting District
| Attorney his assistant. Mr.. Lord. went
into the court and asked that all
the prisoners save those mentioned in
the warrants be discharged. Magistrate
Breen gave the necessary riders and
sergt. Walsh shouted from the bridge:
"All you men can get out!"
Attorney S%teinhardt made application
for warrants for Inspector Smith. Capt.
Hogan and Policeman Lynch. The
Magistrate took the case under ADVISE
| ment. MI. Steinhardt said that one OF
the men arrested was so badly assaulted
by the police thai 1t became necessary
| TO send him TO a hospital.
Policemen Caught, TOO.
/, with the consent OF Assistant District
| Attorney Lord, the prisoners were
paroled In h custody OF Steinhart.
There were at least half a dozen police
men in the crowd gathered by the raid
ers, but to And their names was i'm
possible, as they were protected by the
uniformed men.
Seymour Sabboth. who never saw the
inside OF a pool-room in his life. was n
of the prisoners, and Will sue the city
for false Imprisonment. Lawyers say
he as good as has the money in hand.
His home is next door to the Twelfth
street pool-room that was raided. He
was on the roof of his house beating a
carpet when policemen swarmed
through his dwelling To the roof TO cut
! off escape from the pocl-room. One of
the intelligent raiders, seeing him beat
ing a carpet, evidently concluded that
he mad been trying TO beat the races
and arrested him.
At the Charles street station Sabboth
sent for a ~bondsnGn. The bondsman
arrived. but in the confusion Sabboin
| did not hear his name called and n
! quick witted prisoner stepped up, said
ne was Sabboth and walked out free.
Consequently. Saobotn was locked up
all night and his mental state when he
was released to-day resembled that OF
the wild man OF Borneo. He will sue
for n .O00,O 600 more or less,