Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-03-19
INSIDE A GAMBLING HOUSE.
Precautions Used to Guard Gamesters
in New York

IN new YORK.
To those who have never penetrat-
ed the mysteries of one Of these re-
sorts, a description of typical
gambling house may be interesting,
Take one in West Thirty-first street,
Manhattan, Familiarity known at "'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 large gilt eagle over a large
safe in one corner of the place.
The place. like all others, is guard
ed On the outside by an "Outside
lookout" who while apparently stroll
ing casually along the street, keeps d
sharp watch FOR raiders and carefully
scrutinizes all who approach the eh-
trance. If anything seems wrong he
may press an electric button conceal
ed under some adjacent stoOp, give a
loud and peculiar whistle, knock in a
prearranged way on the door, ring
the bell vigorously, or, as in one par
ticular instance, push the lid of the
letter slat 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 co1l-
nected with electric wires, and, the
circuit being completed, warning
bell was rung upstairs.
t. no al
knocks at the door or rings the bell,
and Immediately a little wicket in the
door is opened and a negro's face
looks out. If it be night time a light
behind the guard shines full in the
visitors face If the doorkeeper, who
in the more pretentious places is al
ways in full dress after nightfall, rec
ognizes the caller he opens the door
and carefully 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 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. It can be stretched across
the narrow hall and locked in few
seconds, and is stout enough to with
stand many minutes battering, 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.
The second floor of the house 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 it's genius ''the
Eagle Bird" against the right-hand
wall at the rear is a large sideboard,
covered with eatables and LIQUORS,
and the remainder Of the room is oc-
cupied by three roulet and one faro
table. Two of the former are double
and one single, me latter having the
green baize cloth divided off into
squares and numbers, only on one
side of the wheel.
Regarding the professional gamblers
themselves, there is little to dis
tinguish them from the ordinary ha-
bitue of the Tenderloin, whose tastes
incline to be sporty. AS a general
thing a professional gambler is clean
shaver and wears considerable jew
elry, although the gambler Of the
comic papers, with a diamond head
light in his shirt front, is an extinct
type, at least in New York. They are
almost invariably hail fellows well
met, and are exceedingly superstitious
or the subject of luck. AS they
make money easily, SO do they spend
it freely A middle-aged gambler who
had saved enough to enable him to
retire from the business is rare ex-
ception Broken down specimens OF
this class are as thick as leaves in
Vallombrosa. 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.