The San Francisco call., 1905-08-04
OFFICERS TAKE
GAMBLERS BOAT
Chicago Bluecoats Have a
Merry Time Chasing Pool
sellers Oh Lake Michigan
SOME MAKE A GETAWAY
Steamer Follows a Mud ScOW
Through Drawbridge and
Gives Officials the Slip

CHICAGO, Aug. 3-Gambers, intent
upon playing the races, and policemen,
determined to prevent all race track bet
ting on the high seas, furnished to-day
on Lake Michigan unique and spec
tacular gambling raid. The police and
gamblers raced around the lake, first
into Michigan waters, then close to the
shores of Illinois, and then into the juris-
diction of Indiana. the one seeking es-
cape and the police determined to cap
ture them. The net results OF the day for
the police were the capture OF fourteen
weary marine gamblers who hoated
ashore at South Chicago in launch. All
of the others. after hot chase by the
police in a numbering fire tug. escaped
to Indiana Harbor Ind, and made their
way ashore outside of the Jurisdiction of
the Chicago police,
Chief of Police Collins said to-day he
would no longer permit the operation of
the floating poolroom City of Traverse.
He asserted that he would arrest all the
gamblers when they attempted to board
1t, claiming that they were about to COM
NIT an Illegal act, which brought them
within police jurisdiction. The gamblers
circumvented the Chief of Police at the
outset by causing the steamer City of
Traverse to be run out into the lake
into the waters of the State of Indiana,
where she lay all through the morning.
Large details of police were placed on
the shore guarding approaches to all the
docks from which the gamblers might
make their way to the lake
1t was the expectation of the authori-
ties that the betting fraternity would
leave Chicago on the City of Traverse,
but instead of this a small excursion
steamer, the Eagle, had been chartered,
and the gamblers, walking past the po-
lice, embarked and started for the City
of Traverse, which was rolling around in
midlake.
The police were powerless to intercept
the 'excursionists,' as they called them
selves, and with deep chagrin watched
them sail away to place their money on
the races
The announced programme of the man
ayers Of the floating poolroom was that
all passengers would be landed at the
foot of Ninety-second street in South
Chicago, where the Calumet River emp
ties into Lake Michigan. Chief Collins.
baked in his attempt to prevent the
sailing of the gamblers on the Eagle,
transferred his forces to Ninety second
street and posted them along the shore
IN such manner that it would have been
practically impossible for any man from
the City Of Traverse or the Eagle to set
foot on shore and escape arrest
Late in the day the Eagle steamed into
the harbor at South Chicago loaded with
2OO men who were anxious to reach the
shore. As soon as the boat was well in
side of the first bridge it was swung be-
hlnd It, With escape to the lake cut on
by the bridge and no possible chance of
a safe landing on shore, the case of the
gamblers for a time looked desperate
The Eagle circled around and around in
the harbor footing it's whistle in frantic
fashion for the bridge tender to turn the
bridge and allow it to steam back into
the lake. The police stood on the shore
and laughed, feeling confident that it was
only question of time before the pas
sengers Of the Eagle would be in their
power
small, insignificant mud scow hap
pened along at this critical moment,
however, and blew its whistle as a signal
for the bridge to open. The bridge tender
was compelled to swing the bridge and
the Eagle, planting its bow squarely in
the stern of the mud scow, crowded in
closely as it passed through the bridge
and then made a run for the open lake
and freedom
AS soon as the police discovered the
approach of the mud scow and realized
that the bridge must open they made
rush for the fire tug Yosemite and by
the time the Eagle was entering the
WdleIS OI the lake the Tug was tearing
after it, loaded down with policemen
The Eagle, however, steadily drew away
from the tug, and after run of ten
minutes the police gave up the chase.
The Eagle landed at Indiana Harbor, it's
passengers returning to Chicago by train.
Before the arrival of the Eagle at South
Chicago a small launch, the Panther
came in bearing a number of gamblers
from the City of Traverse and several
fishermen. All the passengers of the
Panther were lined up on the pier and
compelled to stand in heavy rain while
the police weeded out the fishermen from
the "excursionists. Fourteen men who
could not prove that they had been fish
ing were loaded into the partol wagon
and carried to the police station.
The gamblers who returned to Chicago
this evening declared that even though
the police had arrested all the passengers
of the Eagle. they would have found it
impossible to prove case against them.