Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-27
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JURORS.AS.W|TNESSES
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Unusual Move Made Against
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LaWbrHeakers.
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INDICTMENT S FOUND
MEMBERS OF GLAND JURY VISIT
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ST. ASAPH'S.
Evidence Obtained Upon Which Prose-
eutions, Are to Be Instituted
Recommendations Made.

Pursuant to the special charge of the
court to carefully investigate all lawbreak-
ing, the grand jury sitting in the circuit
court for Alexandria county, Va, now in
session on Fort Myer Heights, visited the
pool rooms at st. Asaph, in Jefferson dts
trict, yesterday afternoon at 4:3O O'Clock.
and made an inspection of the premises and
a detailed Inquiry into the business being
conducted there. Every one Of the twelve
members OF the jury was member Of the
visiting party. Their arrival was unheraId-
ed and their official capacity and business
during the stay were not disclosed
The jurymen mingled with the crowd OF
FOUNDERS which reached the ST. Asaph
station on an electric train from Washing
ton shortly past O'Clock. The twelve men
sauntered into the grounds, entered the pool
rooms and saw what was going on. They
remained in the place half hour, each man
on the alert for whatever information he
could gather by observation and contact
with the crowd and the employees.
To satisfy themselves beyond a doubt
that gambling was being conducted and to
obtain unquestionable evidence for the
commonwealth, three of the jurors bet on
the races. Their success was encourage
ing. One juror won s., another won 81 and
a third split even, losing 81 and winning
the same amount.
The visit of the jurymen was exceedingly
opportune for their purposes. They found
the pool rooms In full blast. Business was
rushing. The sheet writer's, the board
writer's. the telegraph operators and other
hands were on the move
Races at distant points were about to
come of and the familiar picture of inter-
est. anxiety and excitement was written on
the faces of the devotees.
In all there were about 500 people within
the rooms. This was the motley gathering
of old-timers, confirmed gamblers who had
gotten next" to the inside of the game
years ago; young men more or less new to
the business; women who had followed it
consistently, and even boys.
Full of Interest.
To the jurymen, intent upon probing to
the bottom for attractions of the law. the
spectacle was full of interest What they
witnessed was just about what they had
expected
Their experiehce as newcomers was re-
garded as typical. The usual bunco game
was attemptedsesOnee of the jurors was an
preached by asyoungi man with an enter
prising air, who stated conf1dentiaIfy that
he had just put up $500 on a certain horse
about to run, and that he had been put
next to the tip While engaged in CONVEX
sation on the merits Of the animal In aues-
ton, and while the juror was still showing
reluctance to accept, propositions to part
with his cash, another young man came
around and ESCORTED che stranger up to a
Combination table. % where he asked him
to put his $40 down for "a dead-sure thing"
It was not long however. before the two
young men, finding their intended victim
wary. decided to abandon the game.
The jurymen reached the determination to
secure eyidenesr for themselves after there
had been protfacted and fruitIess investi-
CATION In the njury toom. Since Monday
morning session after session was held and
witnesses were examined without result 1t
see med impossible for the commonwealth
to get held Of anybody who would or who
could throw any light upon the real nature
of the business transacted at st. Asaph
II was the desire OF the court, as an
nounced by Judge Nicol In his charge, that
every facility should be afforded the jury
In the work of making a full and free In
yestieatson into all violations OF. the law,
and Commonwealth i Attorney Crandall
Nackey had worked with great energy to
obtain evidence In relation especially to the
St Asaph pool rooms But 1t began to
appear that the sitting of the grand Jury
world end without anything definite Ii,
that direction being accomplished.
Late yesterday afternoon. however after,
a communication. with; the commonwealth
attorney and actingssin accordanna with
his advice. the jury petiticned the court