The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-20
NO EVIDENCE FROM DR.. MYERS.
GAMBLING HOUSE JOHN DOE PRO-
CEEDING COLLAPSES.
Agent Britton Makes IN Onslaught on
Commissioner MathOt. VINO Gives Out
Letters and Says the Criminal Law
Enforcement Society Was Bluflng.

Enforcement Society Was Biuning.
The John Doe" proceedings begun
Monday before Magistrate Finn in the
Jefferson Market police court to investigate
certain allegations regarding poolrooms
and gambling houses made to Mayor cClel-
Ian bv the Rev. Cortland Myers, as presi-
dent of the New York Society for the En-
forcement Of Criminal Law, came to an
end Yesterday. Third Deputy Police Com
missioner Mathot announced that no
further action would be taken by the Police
Department.
I'VE have made every possible effort
TO obtain information that would aid us
TO secure evidence that would hold in a
court of law and we haven't succeeded. "
said Mr.. Mathot. I'VE believed all along
that the society was bluffing, but we wanted
TO get the facts IL they had any. When
2 man and a society write as Mr.. Myers
and his society have done, we're going to
rut it up to them every time. The corre-
epondence speaks for ITSELF
Mr.. Mathot gave out full copies OF all
the letters in the case. First there was
the letter written by DIR. Myers to Mayor
Mcclellan giving the list Of alleged gam
bling resorts. In it DR.. Myers said;
The above are known and open poolrooms,
and L il perfectly clear that with the police
covering the districts in which they are
located they could not be open except through
corruption or negligence.
The Mayor, Ger. Bingham and Mr.. Mathot,
all three answered the letter. Among other
things the Mayor said he did not share DIR.
Myers's lack of confidence In the uniformed
force and was sure Gen. Bingham would
do all he could to enforce the law.
Con Rnplnm wrote RlppaHtlnH n OOns
ference between DR.. Myers and the Third
Deputy Police Commissioner. He said
that in the meantime the list furnished
would be investigated. The department,
the places, but lacked evidence that would
hold good before the courts. He said:
Mere raiding. of suspected places does little
good" and added:
ItIyou yourself would once und ertake to
close UP one OF these places through your
society, You would gain experience as to the
difficulty of getting the necessary evidence.
Mr.. Mathot wrote urging Mr.. Myers. to
make an appointment for an immediate
interview by telephone, and asked him to
have ready at such interview sin the form
Of statements or dispositions the evidence
upon which we can proceed"
We got mad, " said Deputy Commits
sioner Mathot, when the Rev. Mr.. Myers
sent us a 'calldown' letter on April9 o. 1t was
the last straw"
ms letter WIS Senl uIblBu6u ny any
one, but the Rev. Mr.. Myers explained that
the signature had been forgotten. 1t
should have borne his name, he said.
When the hearing was resumed in the
jefferson Market court yesterday, George
K. Dunbar and William Moore, who had
been employed by DR.. Myers's Society as
detectives, were asked to tell about an
alleged poolroom which they said was at SO
Dey street. They explained that they
we're connected with a detective agency,
Tbo,. hol ,isitaI tha prarnicao in nav al raat
several times, they said. Blu they couldn't
remember any one who seemed to rave been
in authority at the place, they didn't re-
member any names and they hadn't been
able to see to whom they paid their money.
Both witnesses had to admit that they had
secured no evidence against any one.
John B. Britton, the chief agent for the
society, when called to the stand, accused
Mr.. Mathot at once of unfairness in the
investigation. -.
Il want to know, your Honor" he said
to the Court, what case | am t%estifying in.
III answer along one line only, and l don't
intend to be bullied by this Commissioner
! wish you would explain to me, anyway,
you that l came here to-day to show up
what l could about this poolroom business.
My father is being buried to-day, and l
neglected his funeral because OF the sub
ppna to come here ,
Have you any knowledge OF any OF
these places mentioned in the letter to the
Mayor, Mr.. Britton?" asked Mr.. Mathot.
NO, SIR"
Haven't O any knowledge whatever2"
sNone, except that l ! knew Of the list"
But how did you know that the law was
Leing violated?"
Through our secret agents"
who are those agents? l want their
names"
Il wont tell them, burst out Mr.. Britton.
THAT s the surest way to protect these gam
blers that | know of-tell right out in public
who is after them. / think you ought to
know better. Your attitude has been dis
me uncivilly. You're making a plea about
injunctions, too, and you ought to be enough
Of a lawyer to know that there is no injunc-
ton that can stop the police in the discharge
Of their duty. Why don't they go ahead
and do it?"
oh, come now answered Mr.. Mathot ,
lust quit playing to the gallery. Do you
know that in the past few days no less than
fifteen new injunctions have been served on
the department."
The Third Deputy Commissioner con
Guided his examination of the witness. Mr..
Britton didn't look happy about it.:
The Rev. DR.. Myers wa then called. He
said he didn't NOV of anything else, but he
did think that an investigation should be
the proper kind of an investigation always.
Mr.. Mathot replied:
We'll, Mr.. Myers, / want to tell you that
we are willing to pay for evidence, We
don't want to buy a pig in a poke and pay
But if you will secure any legal evidence
that will gain us a conviction we stand
ready to pay the piper every time. That's
ALL