New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-21
THE Raid IN PARK ROW.
Schmittberger'S Hen Get Race Re
turns IN Skyscraper.

Inspector Schmittberger. with Captain Hold
gins. of the Oak-st. station. and several de-
tectives, raided the alleged poolroom exchange
the seventh floor OF the Park Row Building
Three Offices were occupied by what is known as
the -York-New-Jersey Distributing and
Circulating Company
The raiding party rode to the seventh floor in
elevators and went directly to Room No. 725.
There was an outer door, which was easily
opened; then a small reception room. and door
leading from that TO the main office. This lat
ter door fastened, and was burst open by
Schmittberger and HOdgins.
Inside, according to the police. the was
one Of activity. Nineteen men stood at many
telephones. and all were talking. One was
pacing up and down behind the operators and
was seeming to direct them. Two telegraph in
struments on a table were clicking busily. and
there was third instrument that remained idle
About the walls OF the were thirty-two
telephones. The operators were not disturbed
at first by the entrance Of the police. and con-
tinued at their places until the detectives rushed
forward and tore the receivers from their hands.
The detectives brushed aside the operators
and took up the receivers. They say they got
returns from the Morris Park races
Inspector Schnittberger waited until he heard
the changing Of a bell. and then marched the
prisoners in single file to the elevators The re-
serves of the Oak-st. station were on hand and
with policeman to each prisoner the men We're
taken TO the street and placed in the patrol
wagon. The wagon made three trips with pris-
oners to the Oak-st- station and then returned
for the paraphernaLa-
In the corridor Of the building and in Park
Row outside great crowd had been attracted by
the patrol wagon and the uniformed policemen.
The corridor had to be cleared before the pris-
oners could be taken out.
Telephone and telegraph instruments were
pulled from tables and walls and even the cell
holders of the telephones were confscated.
In the main Office was telephone switch
board, or private branch exchange" equipped
with forty trunk lines and forty local connec-
tons. This was confscated. There were taken
in all thirty-two telephones. thirty-two cell
holders. a switchboard. three telegraph instru-
ments-two marked Western Union Telegraph
Company. and one Western Electric Company
eighty-nine racing sheets and various other
cards y desk in the office was broken open
and its contents dumped in a bag and also
carted away.
Ex-Assistant District Attorney Daniel O'Reil-
" counsel for the prisoners. at the station said
the company was an incorporated stock COM
pany, which sold racing news. baseball news
prizehght news and special bulletins.
Inspector Schmittberger said after the raid:
This place not poolroom where bets are
recorded and accepted. No money is handled there
racing news by telephone TO poOlrooms and other
places desiring the racing consider this one
Of the most Important raids made in this dis
trtct IN connection with pOoiroOns and gambling.
1 think ii viii be a big factor IN closing up thosa
goolrooms which receive their news BY telephone.
The telegraph instruments were clicking when we
entered the place. 7 did not see any operators at
them
The men arrested in the Park Row Building.
twenty in number. bailed in $500 each.
Magistrate Whitman signing the bonds at his
home The thirteen prisoners taken in the
Broad-st. raid were similarly bailed.