The San Francisco call., 1905-04-04
OPEN WAR ON PooLRooMs.
Nine Arrests i'm Grand Jury Raid on
Abrams Resort

Abrams Resort.
The Grand Jury started it's war on
the poolrooms in earnest yesterday.
Nine arrests were made at Zick
Abrams resort and nearly all the big
poolrooms suspended business.
information of the Grand Jury's in
tentlons had reached the poolrooms in
some manner. otherwise wholesale ar
rests would have been made. Fore
man Andrews is greatly disappointed
over the small number of arrests.
Places that were running full blast
last week were deserted yesterday. One
resort the NJ. and NJ, where eighty-
nve persons were seen last Saturday
supposed to be buying pools, went out
OF business entirely. When a posse,
IN eharge of II. ]. Cordes and John H
Speck of the Grand Jury and Under
Sheriff Hynes, arrived in front of 1t,
the furniture was being moved into
! the street. Grand Jury detectives will
trace 1t and any effort TO re-esta blish
the illegal business in another quarter
will be forestalled.
The raid on Abrams place was in
charge of Secretary W. V. Bryan and
Deputy Sheriff j. j. Donovan. A posse
OF deputies from the Sheriff's office
accompanied them. Here, too, the
gamblers seemed to have had tip"
AC QldCe Was QeSerIeQ.
Bryan gave up the attempt and left
Donovan. Later the Deputy Sheriff
returned with his posse and dashed
into the cellar. Eight men and the
proprietor were arrested. Papers and
tickets with the names Of horses writ
ten upon them were also seized
Following is the list of arrests: Zick
Abrams, Samuel Harris, Daniel Cray
ton, Isidore Levy, E. Bradford, John
1 4 mi.
b House, A. Haas and E. Prether
| They were taken to the City Prison.
There was some uncertainty as to
/ what charges should be made against
/ them. Finally it was decided to
! charge Abrams with running q pool
room. and the others with visiting one.
one.
The bail for Abrams was fixed at $50
ano for the others $40 apiece. The
money was promptly furnished by the
/ proprietor and all were released.
Foreman Andrews declares that the
! Grand jury and the District Attorneys S
office have in their possession complete
| evidence to show that Abrams place is
a notoriously open betting place Mem
bers of the Grand Jury and detectives
employed by them have placed bets on
Oakland races in the place Evidence
has also been gathered that the horses
ran on which the bets were laid. This
J evidence was secured to prevent any
! technicality from being raised to avoid
/ conviction. The proof is now ready
against eighty-seven pool-selling places
Foreman Andrews is puzzled as to
| how information of his intentions got
out. He ordered Jurymen Bryan, Speck
and Cordes to meet him at the Califor-
MIA Hotel with the posses. 1t is thought
! that spotter' employed by the pool
room men was watching them and that
! he gave the alarm.
Il am rather disappointed at the re-
suit of the raids said Foreman An
| drews. Still, we have accomplished
one thing-we have caused them to
suspend business. II they had not got
wind OF our movements we would have
made some wholesale arrests"
The Grand Jury is determined to car
ry the fight to q finish. They will take
/ up the suggestion of President Poheim
OF the Police Commission. Poheim de-
clared that il 1t were shown the Com
I missioners that pools were being sold
/ al any cigar store or saloon the board
would revoke the license of such resort
The Grand Jury will at an early date
furnish evidence against a number of
places of this sort.
The raids yesterday were made un-
der advice from District Attorney By
1 ington. Foreman Andrews did not con-
suit with acting Chief Spillane, prefer
ring TO use men from the Sheriff's Of
fee