The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-08-28
"Lid' LOosened, Say Persons Ac-
quainted With New York
Gambling Situation.
NOW IN RESIDENCE PARTS.
INSCRIPTIONS Operators Find
More Profit in Such Dives. but
There Are Many Problems
Connected With Them.
REPUBLIC SPECIAL.

'otbit Npu, Al
II a man looks as If he had money &c
lose and would lose it cheerfully. he ear
lind plenty of walters in cafes and res.
taurants of the better class these summer
lays who Will steer" him In such "A way
that he can Place a few chips or play a
horse without fear of getting himself into
trouble with the police.
Maybe it will be a clerk. who Will whis-
per a lew words or hand out a card, oil
PERHAPS a casual acquaintance. VINO has
been ioaiing about a MOTEL corridor and
Will drop a hint that can be easily fol-
lowed.
For 1t Is a fact patent to those who find
pi.dshe III l1sklns their money at roulette.
faro or on the t~horuughbrcds. and wLo are
IN light" that there is more gambling
being zone III New York now than at any
Tune since Mayor McClel!an's edict last
JANUARY drove the gamblers in large num-
oers I" seek other cities in which to follow
their calling.
very loosely.
The poOlroOm business In New York has
Seen a decided change in the manner in
which II is conducted. Where formerly
there were large rooms, where 100 or 30
men would gather of an afternoon to place
lheir WaSerS and hear the news from the
Track as the races Were being run. the
most frequent practice row is to place all
bets by telephone.
ALL OVER THE CITY.
In the case OF a room having a clientele
OF perhaps 100 men, the police, II they
made a raid. would not be likely to find
mere Tran a dozen. and probably a small
er number, IN the room itself.
formerly located In semipublic places.
over saloons or perhaps occupying AN en-
IRE mouse. the pooirooms are now scat
tered over all sections OF the city. Many
OF the large office buildings have one or
more rooms on which are unocent-appcar-
ii.g signs indicating that a brokerage or
similar business is conducted within. but
"iIch ~ reaiity are VIA have come to be
Known as Telephone rooms"
To avoid suspicion a building Is in all
cases selected where the coming and going
OF a dozen or SO men would not excite any
COMMENT. Tor even III the case OF the tel
.phohe rooms the usine Is not c....eiy
~ndUct by wire. There are ALWAYS Il
rev particular customers Uho like to near
OF the races as they are run and lind il
a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.
put even with a dozen men in a room
evidence. unless they could spirit them
selves into the room without an instant's
farming. There Is a small card with the
names or the horses printed on it for each
race, and with the names Of the Jockeys
and the odds written in. The only other
paraphernalia Is the sheet upon which
The bets are registered. and this is made
so that II can be crumpled in the hand
and concealed in an instant II necessity
arises.
Even more than in the case OF the rooms
known to men who follow" the horses
the women's ~poolrooms have scattered TO
fiat houses. where they are finding them
selves much more free from liability to
trouble than when they occupied a fioor
OF a dwelling or had quarters in a build
Ing the remainder of which was devoted to
bore legitimate business.
And this freedom from danger. together
sir tho orn, - a.
suited in Il great increase In the number
Of poolrcoms conducted solely for women.
It is estimated that there are not less
than a score OF such places running. but
most OF them so quietly that only those
who have been properly introduced"
know anything about them
occasionally one of these women's rooms
main ~thoroughfare of the city. as was the
one raided by Captain Cottrell of the
Tenderloin Police Station. in the heart OF
the Broadway theatrical district on last
Friday afternoon. but such a location Is
exceptional. As a rule, these rooms are In
the larger fat n apartment houses,
where the coming and going Of a consid-
cradle number OF women would not neces-
sarily arouse suspicion.
ASSEMBLE IN FLATS.
Nor are they confined to any particular
locality. In Harlem there are half a doz-
fats where women meet of an after
noon to place their money OH a favorite
horse or risk their all on the "tip'' some
man friend has given them. Here and
there ON the east and west sides they are
TO be found. II even Brooklyn is not to
be overlooked.
Only four or FIVE years ago there were
not a half dozen poolroOms conducted
especially for women, where there are a
score to-day. despite the efforts not only
Of the police bat of many professional
gamblers to suppress them.
The increase is a natural result NJ tho
law Of supply and demand. II many
women were not anxious to bet on the
business as the situation has developed,
especially az most gamblers owl on the
women's rooms. and deplore the fact OF
their increase.
BY the police greater efforts are made
to suppress such rooms than in cases
where men are alone allowed to play. and
public yentiment against them
is stronger than against other forms OF
made from this branch of the business
there is an attraction which. taken to-
with the demand for them. &C.
for the increase in the number of
such places.
For women are far more profitable Gus
toners than men. They only occasionally
use good judgment in placing their wag-
ers. a horse with a name which appeals 10
them very often carrying their money.
are more ready than men to follow
which the management has had
uDVeu OUT 10 tNeIu. ulu even II IDe con-
in other respects were equal they
would be more likely than their brothers
to leave all their money with the manage
ment.
somewhat below the track odds. but in the
rase OF the women's poolrooms the shad- |
ing becomes almost a blot at times.
a horse is 3 to / at the track. the
would generally he not more than 3
10 ] I'm a women's poolroom.
GREAT ELEMENT OF RISK.
But in spite OF the attraction IN the
large profit to be made there is a greater
element of risk In conducting a women's
than in any other form OF |
Gambling in the city. Ir the first place.
women are not allowed-and cannot safely
be allowed. so the gamblers say-such q |
line of credit as can he given to men.
They are bad losers" as one man ex-
pressed IL. !
Consequently. 1t is necessary to have
hem present when the bets are placed.
money must be in the hands of the CASH
.erI The result Of this Is that In the case /
women the telephone system OF ac-
bets is not practicable. and the
of having women present in the poI-
-oom while the races are being run must
with from a score to fifty women gath
.jonsiiy. becomes impossible 10 convince
he police that nothing more than an
,fterncon tea is going on. and every once
n q while there Is a raid in which one
n two women. who have been engaged in
he conduct OF such a place are arrested
the others get a fright. which. how
,ver, probably lasts in most cases only
,nfU they are introduced" into a MACE
n similar character. When a woman be-
.oroes infatuated with "the ponies' she
3 quite likely to become an inveterate
ard 10 lose hcr head over the
same even moro than her hrnthnrS>
In the case Of the women's poolrooms
here is an element Of expense which is
,reater than is true NJ the mems rooms.