The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-23
UNDER A SYCAMORE TREE
CRAP. GAME HELD SWAY
When the Police Swooped Down
Upon the Players Several Ne
groes Jumped in the Water.
ALL TAKEN TO STATION

Underneath a sycamore tree a big crap
game was in progress yesterday afternoon
on the banks OF Fall creek, near Thirty
third street and College avenue. Devotees
of the double dice surrounded the oil-cloth
which decked the fresh green grass. and the
fervent Come seveni' was interminged
with the first breezes of summer In his
seat of honor upon a horse blanket the
keeper of the game perched and smiled as
the profits accrued Excitement was at
fever heat, and the interest was so intense
that rot a of the sixteen wooing tickle
fortune saw the storm clouds gathering.
BfkemaR- Duncan was cautiously ap-
preaching. from the east. but the creek still
flowed placidly on and the game continued
Bikenan Askfns scaled barbed-wir fences
and lodged behind trees he executed Il
flank 70 the west. but the bones were
passed and rolled. and no one dreamed of
danger. Bearing straight down upon the
crowd from the south were Bikemen Hull
and Griffin. and the only avenue of escape
Fall creek, gurgled and murmured i'll antici-
patton.
big colored man, whose dreams of velvet"
for a week 10 come had entirely disappeared
under the magic spell of the contrary dice,
Strengthened up and had a vision which
brought forth yell of terror DE cops"
he yelled. Hull fired in the air. just for
effect, and the exodus began. Surrounded
on all SlGeS, nine OF the men look the only
chance left tor them and dropped into the
creek like so many turtles. AT this point
there is a deep hole, which three of them
had not figured on, and the current is also
very swift. One big negro hit the water
with Il tremendous splash. sank. and. COM
ing to the surface, beloved for help. Save
me, boss! Save NE. or III DROWN he cried
between gasps, and as he was pulled TO the
bank soaked and his courage all gone, he
said: II wouldn't have jumped. boss, but
that gun of yours looked as big as the
mouth of sewer. and l just naturally got
stage fright" Others OF the crowd ran first
one way and then another, always finding
an officer IN the way. Frightened and des-
perate, six of them managed TO swim the
creek and dragged themselves up the other
bank utterly exhausted. Ten men were
captured, and three of them, sad and damp,
rode to the police station where bail was
furnished by friends. The names given were
William Meloss, 236 Puryear street; Ed
Jones 1412 West Fifteenth street. and James
Trevan. 1913 Byram street. negroes:
1921 College avenue; John Gordon, 1880
Broadway, and Merton Baird, 1881 East
Washington street.
Before the officers left College avenue and
Thirty-third street they received a message
from headquarters TO go to 300 Shelby
street, where another crap game was in
progress in a new house. Some woman in
the neighborhood told the men that unless
they stopped the game she would telephone
the police, and kept her word. The game
sters had tip and were gone before the
bikemen arrived. The run from headquar-
ters to College avenue and Thrty-third
street, from there TO $50 Shelby street and
back to the station is 40 blocks, one of the
longest runs made for many months.