New-York tribune., 1905-01-12
" HONEST JOHN" OWNS UP
HIS PLACE THEN RAIDED.
Jerome Assails COttrelI- I-BrookS and
McCluSky Before Mc4dO0.

Honest john Kelly, for ten years one of the
best known gamblers in the upper part of the
Tenderlon. has turned States evidence. Kelly
heard that a subpoena had been issued for
him. and voluntarily visited District Attorney
Jerome's office yesterday and made affidavits
concerning gambling in the TenderlOin. He
tered and left the District Attorneys office In
jaunty manner. but quickly dropped it when he
learned that because of his testimony all his
gambling paraphernalia had been seized and
would be destroyed. little later the District
Attorney scathingly criticised Captain Cottrell
one interesting feature of the case is that the
Tenderlon police have stationed men in front of
Kelly's place, in West Forty-first-st, for
months. Kelly has done business at all in
this place for some months, but at house
by he has been doing as good a business as any
gambler in the Tenderlon without undue efforts
at conceament.
Captain Cottrel was summoned to meet the
District Attorney at 3 p. m. Captain Cottrelrs
conference with Mr.. Jerome was short. Angry
words could easily be heard from the Office
where the two men were. and Captain Cottrell
left the Office flushed and angry. He curty
fused to discuss what had taken place.
Kelly testified that he had been a gambler for
nine years. and that his place of business
at Nos. 1871, 139 and 141 West Forty-irst-st
Mr.. Jerome at once secured a search warrant
for No 141. 1t found to be empty. An
other warrant issued for No. 1871 Assist
ant District Attorney Miner and three detec-
tives searched this house and conhscated much
gambling paraphernalia. including several
lette wheels On the first floor was a pool
room. On the second floor the searching party
found fifteen men playing roulette. and the
top floor card tables. Captain Cottrell
came around with the Tenderloin patrol wagon
TO take away the stuff, ana excitedy asked MIR.
Miner by what authority he had raided the
place The warrant was shown him. Two
locked safes found in Nos. 137 and 141,
and open I'm No. 49, In which was a
card box with considerable money
Mr.. Jerome said. after Mr. Miners raid:
Five subpGnas were given to Captain Cottrell
to serve on Honest John Kelly, nobody know
ing it but the District Attorney, his assistant
and the captain. -Four of these subpenas
found not served and the fifth the captain
not find John Kelly knew there was some
thing doing" The fifth subpoena was served on
kelly's partner.
was keeper of gambling house in his precinct
whom he knew whom he could serve a subpoena
on. Five days later he has found some
whom subpoena can be served. According to
his reports there fifty suspected places in
his precinct He has the aid of sixteen plain
clothes men, besides two detective sergeants.
The police being unable to serve this subpoena
on Kelly, simply asked him to come down here.
and he did 1t is apparent that Captain Cot
trelrs memory is impaired. This makes it diff
cult to find anybody whom subpoena can be
served After five days he is unable to-day to
recall the name Of any one person whom he
his large police force could serve a subpoena on.
Captain Cottren delighted that Honest
Johns was closed to-day that he put man in
uniform in front of No 1877. You will find him
there. no doubt. tonight warning people that
the gambling paraphernalia are at the Office OF
the District Attorney. This police activity GER
tainly shows an eagerness to cooperate with the
District Attorney, and it is commendable.
If the captain cannot close his precinct, can
at least, hope l can.
Mr.. Jerome then expressed the hope that Cap
tain Cottrell would not be transferred. He was
familiar with everything in his precinct that
it would be shame to put some captain there
who might be able to plead ignorance. The Dis
trict Attorney said that No. 141 had been run as
u gambling house for nine years, closing with
the Saratoga races when No. 1871 would open
as a pOolrOom by day and a gambling house al
night. No. 141, he declared had been prac-
tically empty for at least four months. but some
hundreds of people went to the other house every
day. He said that No. 141 had been carried on
the last three reports of the captain to the in
spector. who certified II tO'the Commissioner as
a suspected place" while No 137 was not men,
toned at all
Mr. Jerome added that Kelly. was one of the
best known men who did not pay for police pro-
lection, making contributions" to political
funds instead.
Commissioner McAdoo had Inspectors Brooks
and McClusky before him in his office yester-
day. Loud talk could be heard I'm the room and
when the Commissioner was later he
seemed flushed and angry.
He said that he had not been talking to the
inspectors about the raid Key's place
Concerning the statement, attributed to Can
tain Cottrell. that he could not close Dalys be-
cause Of the man higher up" who was de-
clared to be in the Detective Bureau the Com
missioner said, with heat, that he had never
heard it. He declared he had had Kelly's raided
in June
Captain Cottrell late last night said he had
no statement to make relative TO his conference
with Mr. Jerome. He went on TO say:
am exceedingly sorry that my work has not
been satisfactory to everybody. l myself feel
that have done my duty.
Asked if ne had any reply to make to the
statement, made by Mr. Jerome that No. 14t
West Forty-first-st vacant and No. 1871
two doors away. open for gambling he said
I had men watching No. 141 and they were
ordered to keep their eyes open and see that no
gambling took place In No 1877. The house
was known to be owned by Kelly.
In the Tenderloin last night everything was
closed the result Of the raid. on Broadway
all evening the raid talked of constantly
II Is thought that more raids would come and
that they would be made by Mr. Jerome