The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-20
How the Police Broke Up q
WOman's Pool Room.
Dressed as Plumbers and In
Yaded a Private Home.
FULL OF PLAYERS.
Had q Roulette Wheel, Chips
and Pile of Racing Sheets.
Merchant Complained That His
Wife Lost Money There.

New York, April 2O.@Three men
dressed in overaIls and greasy coats
walked into the areaway of a private
dwelling in Eighty-fourth street, be-
tween Columbus and Amsterdam ave-
puess yesterday afternoon. One was
puHing on cigar and strobe with all
the hauteur of a boss plumber. The
other two carried kits, in which tools
.jingled as they walked. The boss"
pounded heavily on the basement door.
ana the summons was answered by a
meek-lool1ing man.
t.. We've come to fix the mines 2" said
the huaty one. do " know what's
1.-THE matter with emp
me meek man looked astonished and
SAID ne had not noticed anything
wrong. The boss mentioned the
I4ame Of the owner of the premises
and said that individual had sent him.
me meek man looked blank
w eel, said the boss" there's a
leak somewhere, and I'm going to find
So saying. he entered the hallway.
followed by his helpers " went into
the Kitchen, examined the pipes, and
then announced his intention of going
upstairs to look. The meek man did
not hinder him.
you stay down here, Nike said
the boss to one of them, and then told
the other to follow.
| A moment later the boss and the
other. man were outside of a door on
the second floor.
They're off at Aqueduct," came a
voice from within.
The helper" dropped his kit and
tried to enter the door. 1t resisted.
Both men put their shoulders to ftand
it flew open. There were II screams
from as many feminine threats, and a
scurry of frightened women. One man
stood at a telephone in the room and
another was near desk
II m sorry to disturb you" said the
boss" but I'm Acting Captain
Thompson, at present in command of
this precinct If you will quit that
screaming L will explain"
The man with Thompson was Detec-
tive Neggersmith, of the West Sixty
eighth street station and the man ad-
dressed as Mike was Detective Isbel,
of the same precinct.
Captain Thompson and Detective
Neggersmith had some difficultys in
quieting the fearful women in the
room, and only did SO after they had
promised not to arrest any of them.
You women have been playing the
races here. and. you ought to be
son, now ffsge52 ,pEg1flise neveryto do.dt
again. YOU can -. ,-s1s-sss ea@ M
The acting captain then arrested the
two men IN the ROOM They said they
were William Williams. of 120 West
Eleventh street; and Frederick Walker,
of 42O West Forty-second street The
police also seized. two telephones a
roulette wheel, $50 schips, and about 20
racing sheets, on Which were the en-
tries at Aqueduct and Memphis, with
the weights of jockeys and odds.
Acting Captain Thompson said after
the raid that two, days ago a man
complained to him that his wife was
losing his wages in a poolroom in
Eighty-fourth street. The man said he
had followed her and gave the number
of house which he had seen her en-
ter frequently. On Thursday Thomp-
son and his detectives looked over the
ground and found that it would be
almost impossible to get into the house.
Then they planned the plumber"
scheme.
Thompson says that when he first
entered the room he encountered a
woman about 20 years old. She was
deaf, and not knowing what was go
ing on about her. thrust some money
into his hand and asked him to place
it on a horse at Aqueduct. He took
the money and marked it for evidence.
All of the women in the place were
we'll dressed.