The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-19
RAID ON MERCHANTS HOTEL;;>
 EIGHT GAMBLERS CAPTURED


 | before the Recorder and fined not less than Si and not more than $1o0. This section provides further. that if tho Recorder shall have probable cause to think that the person or persons SO ar rested were keeping the gaming house, that person or persons may be bound over to the grand jury under Section 47ss of the State Code and be indicted and tried for the felony of keeping a gambling room.
 The Police Had . Chart.
 Captain W. H. Taylor said last night that the Merchants Hotel had been watched for a week. The police de- partment was in possession of com plete chart of the third floor of the hotel building. on which the gambling hell was located. The description pub lished in The Advertiser of the place some time ago was an accurate one and the police knew that they had to cope with the hotel clerk and his electric button. whenever an attempt was made l to raid the place. This was their chief obstacle to get past the hotel clerk be- | fore he could touch the button and send the message of alarm to the gamblers upstairs.
 | Patrolman P. L. Carrigan was put | in citizens clothes and directed to work up the evidence in the case and to select the critical moment for the -a khn at nI o~ trolman Carrigan spent on the opposite side of Bibb street watching the hotel building. The signal for the raid was given Saturday night but before the police could reach the hotel the clerk had in some way gotten wind of their movement and the crowd In the rooms poured out on the sidewalk as Cap tain Taylor and his squad went by the Baptist church.
 The signal came to Police Captain Taylor and to his waiting squad at the Police Department last night, a few minutes before 9 o'clock. The patrol men had 6 number of the pavement rammers handy and they hurried to the hotel. After a few minutes the clerk walked away from the counter and the police rushed in.
 Police Met no Obstacles.
 Led by Captain Taylor, the police hurried up to the third floor without meeting an obstruction on the way The rooms on the third floor are all built around a square arcade and they all open upon this arcade. The only entrance is by . stairway and this en- trance is on the side of the arcade op- posite the rooms which are used for gambling. These rooms. numbered, 1s 90, and q are on the southern or rear portion of thf third, floor. Sincas Alex ander leased the hotel conpectins doors have been cut in between all these rooms in the southern portion of the building and in addition connecting doors have been cut in all the rooms on the western side of the building next to the commercial and industrial | Association.
 This was done in order that men who might be engaged in gambling could at the alarm of the approach of the police rush through the rooms to those on the western side of the build ing and jump in beds.
 The entire third floor was blocked by a bolted door at the only entrance. the stairway from the second floor on the north side of the building. At this | bolted door, which was partially of glass the police found Tom Naftel, who was stationed as the lookout Their l demand for admission met with a re- fusal and Naftel hurriedly ran to the side of the arcade where he touched the button, which was established for the second alarm.
 partially dislodgeh the door. Mattel called to them not to break 1t down any further as he would open it. He l unlocked the door and the police ran In and broke down the double doors to room 21 which was the entrance to the gambling suite. These doors were broken down while the doors to room 19 were being battered in by other members of the raiding party This was done in order to cut of the escape of the men from the bedrooms on the western side of the building.
 No Time to Get in Bed.
 This move was only partially suc- cessful as some of the men got in the bedrooms. but none of them had time to undrsss and get in bed.
 The door to Room 20 was found. as the police knew 1t would be, nailed m with weather boarding and every win- dow in the room was weatherboarded In Room 21 billiard table and desk and some chairs were found Eyerv- | thing in the room. including the car- pet, was brand new. In Room 20 a pool table was found with several chairs and the hats and overcoats of the men who were in the rooms. 1 In one of the rooms on the western side of the building Strauss was found in bed, but with all of his clothes on except his coat. In the bed with him was found an iron box containing $123.45. At the side of the bed the police found Joe Perry, one of the deal CTS. sitting. Neither the attaches or ! the visitors made any attempt to resist the police.
 Fully Wanted the Money.
 The rooms were thoroughly search. ed and the crowd was marshalled for the parade to police headquarters, Al the door of the suite with Captain Tay- Tor leading and carrying the box with the money the party met J. A.. Fully, an attache of the place, who had pre- viously escaped notice, and who must have been in some other part of the building at the time of the raid. Fully stopped Captain Taylor and said. What have you got there in that box?"
 I've got the money I found in these rooms." replied Captain Taylor.
 That's my money" said Fully, "and you can't take 1t out of here."
 Its your money is it?' asked the Police Captain. Well then we'll take you to the station. Come on with us."
 At police headquarters all the men arrested were found to have money on their persons. Fully and Perry she'll l ed money out like a mint. They had silver and bills in every pocket. Every time the policeman who was searching them ran his hand into a pocket 1t