The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-01-30
GAMBLING RUNS
IN FOUR PLACES
Tiger Is Loose in Zion Under the
Very Eyes of the Reform"
Police.
is BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
MANY PRECAUTIONS TAKEN BY
ADMINISTRATION FAVoRITEs.

Gambling is running behind closed doors
in Salt Lake City. Despite the fact that
the present administration promised to
close UP every house permanently, the
favored ones who supported Mayor
Ezra Thompson in the recent election
have opened up club rooms"
Open gambling was closed Jan. 9, and
the next day The boosters and rousta-
bouts were ordered to leave town The
element OF the gambling fraternity which
was 10 receive special privileges was par
ficularly pleased with the situation and
commenced packing off their gambling
paraphernalia- Most Of 1t was trans
ferred to some storage company's estab-
l1shment, but the poker tables and the
faro layouts were deposited in one or two
saloons. When the time came they were
taken to the club rooms, and the best
known gamblers and boosters" are now
working in these places.
Running In Four Places.
-Four club rooms were located last
night where men We're seen to come and
60, and the news that a little game on
the quiet" can be found is rapidly spread
ing. Following are the locations of the
clubs" now in operation:
The Argumot club, in the rear of the
Kenyon hotel.
The Keyting club, on the second floor
OF the D. F. Walker building.
The Montana club. 8 East Second South
street.
The White House club in the rear of
the White House hotel.
Fifty men were counted last night go
ing and coming from the ArgumOt club
in the rear of the Kenyon hotel. From
the hotel lobby the door can be watched.
Over the door is a. bright electric light,
so that WhoSoeVer comes up and pushes
an electric button can be seen from the
blind.
The door is opened by means Of a
string which springs the lock. Inside
the door d partition is built, and those
admitted find themselves in & dark hall
way. A few yards back there is a knot
hole in & door. which serves as a guild
ing light. This door was guarded last
from this door turns at right angles to
the left and runs back about ten feet
into the card room.
Three poker games were ia operation
there last night, and occasionally the
faro board was flashed out and a few
ceais made when there was enough mon
ey in sight.
This club is evidently owned by the
tavorite bunch. Some of the best
dealers who have been in Salt Lake for
the last two years are working the place.
Several OF the most successful boost
erS WeLe supplied with meal tickets dUI-
ring the past two or three weeks and
held here sunttl the club were opened and
then put TO work. Two were working for
the club last night on the street and
picked up several live ones" who were
tipped to the game and taken to the
room
One Place Is Select.
The Keyting club has been running for
some time and a more select crowd
gathers there The main hall on the
west wing Of the building is boarded up.
The door is covered by a curtain and a
push button IS TO be found on the west
wall The hall is kept dark and the
Elrlfrr mo- ha
enc of the hallway. Attempts to get in
last night were futile. The doOrkeepeT
took a glimpse through the curtains but
said there was nothing doing" The rat
tie of the chips could be heard distinctly
IN the hallway 1t was learned from sew
e. al persons who had gambled in the
house that there were two and sometimes
three poker games running. 1t is pos
slble to get in front of a faro table but
only certain favored ones are admitted.
The Montana club is also secreted be
hind series OF doors but enough men
passed IN and out of the place during
the evening to warrant suspicion. Many
OF them were gamblers, who left the
place last night, and a. mum Der of Jap
an6Se, including a well-known booster of
that nationality. entered the place.
The entrance IS on East Second South
street. Ine first door IS covered with a
blind The second set of doors is on
the first landing of the stairs There is
another door at the head Of the stairway
where a peep-hole is cut through Every
body can be seen who comes up the
stairs To the right of the stairway is
another door built up in a narrow hall
way. Through this an entrance is gained
TO the club rooms. After passing down
a hallway several yards it turns to the
left and the club rooms are situated in
the rear Of the old Wasatch gambling
house.
At the White House.
In the rear of the White House hotel
another private poker Teom is running.
Few are admitted TO this place and they
are. generally picked Up, on the. street
81 me is prospecting, however, and its pat
rCnage is growing nightly Other small
games are running in the rear of sew
eral saloons In the city. A slough
game is easily changed into a game OF
draw poker. The chips cost fifty cents d
stack. The hand is dealt when nobody
is around who looks suspicious and there
Is generally one man playing for the
house.
The same conditions prevail now as die
during Mayor ThOmpson's second admin
istration. At that time eight gambling
houses were running in full blast. The
proprietors were known but were not ar
rested. Every kind of q ''braCe game
was In operation from roulette wheels
fixed with an electric battery to ''phony'
dice and short card games
When Mayor Thompson took his sea
for the second term he served he pledged
himself 10 stop gambling. At first every
game in the city was shut down but
few months later the faVOrite ones were
allowed TO open up behind closed doors
as the games are now being run.
No effort has been made by Chief o,
Police George A. Sheets TO close up the
games The police know where the club:
night that they were satisfied that ganlb
ling games were running.
DICK GOES FREE