New-York tribune., 1905-01-19
SUSPICIOUS OF PHONES.
McAdO0 Also Wants to knO1C About
Wires-FiUe Raids.

Five raids on poolrooms were made by the police
Yesterday afternoon. The sudden activity of some
of the captains indicated fear that Commissioners
McAdoo would be after their scalps If they ala not
bestIr themselves Commissioner McAdoo did not
summon more keepers of poorooms to Headquar-
ters to be examined, but he talked a little about
the information he had wormed out Of Tom
Callahan, the poolseller who went through the
ordeal on Tuesday He said Callahan had denied
having police protection in running his pooiroom'
ana had refused to peach other poolroom men,
although he had told good deal about his own
place.
Mr. McAdoo said he not willing TO believe
that the New-York Telephone Company had broken
its promise not 10 furnish telephones TO poouooms
He added:
There is not doubt that when the telephones
were taken out of poolrooms the pooiroom ,e men
made connections with various places in the neigh
at another numbeT further G up the avenue which
was also raided by the police. know Of one store
that had three telephoneS-a corner Store-and am
quite sure that they have leased wires for pool,
69 ii s the Iaa seems hss qeephon for
its own use. To the poolroom man connection
tain amount of money is paid by the pooroom keep
er During the time that the results of the races are
coming IN the telephone in the store Is DEAD, anu anu
any one who attempts to use 1t Is told that the
A certain amount of money-some $40 or s12 a day
Is paid by the Pooroom man in leasing such a
phone Company % know %" Of II This? am informed that
when the telephone make their inspection they
- 80
afternoon This may be because the poolroom man
notlnes TIE company to have an inspector theTe IA
companys agents report back to the company any
and all suspicious circumstances which they find.
1t was stated last night that the Commissioner
was anxious to learn how the racing news from
New-Oreans was placed so quickly on the pool
telephone wires. Mr. McAdoo was said to
have information that managers of a poolroom news
syndicate had made contract for a direct wire
to New-Orleans. and the informant of The Tribune
explained 1t in the following way;
The managers of the poolroom news syndicate go
TO the Western Union office and ask: How many
words an hour over wire must we send to be en-
question is answered there is a contract made for
New-Orleans and New-York between the hours Of
and 4 p. m. each weekday. The managers
the racing announcements. to keep the wire busy.
but they have gained their point to get direct
wire.
Two of the five raids poolrooms yesterday
were made by Acting Captain Bourke. the new
commander of the police in Mercer-st. and in
both cases Mr. Howell, Mr. McAdoo's secretary.
was present The radlng party first went to a
place in Mercer-st. between Bleecker and Hous-
sts., where a door the second floor was
battered down, Bourke cutting a finger badly in
using the axe. II said to be Sonny" Smith s
place. but Sonny not found when the raid
ers broke in. One man was arrested The names
Of nearly one hundred other were taken for
the of the District Attorney, and the police
Jagged four telephones and lot OF racing dope"
Bourke's next raid was at n place in East Tenth
ST. which had been opened, he was Informed, only
a few hours before he broke In A large switch
board with nine telephones and fifteen men were
taken in the place When the police entered there
was intense excitement and several of the men
made a rush the door to escape. Clubs were
used to stop them and they returned.
Acting Captain Hughes and ten detectives and
patrolmen raded alleged poolroom in Canal-st..
between Mercer and Greene SITS. The pooroom was
on the second floor. and was known as the Hard
tack Club. The police had to use axes and crow
hars TO force their way through two doorways
barred by what they call 'refrigerator doors
doors encased in sheet iron and reinforced by bars
and bolts The place was thoroughly surrounded,
and none OF the seventy-eight persons inside es-
capped.