New-York tribune., 1906-11-17
GAMBLING In DANGER.
FACES DEATH STRUGGLE.
Rosalsky and Jerome Unite in At
tack on, Track Betting.

A public death sentence was pronounced on
gambling yesterday by Judge Otto Rosalsky
and District Attorney Jerome. following the ar
raignment of 1SO alleged proprietors and en-
poyes of gaming houses and poolrooms before
Judge Rosalsky IN Part II of General Sessions
to plead to indictments which have been piling
up for some time in the District Attorneys
office
While the cases were up before Judge Rosal-
sky Mr. Jerome declared that after January 1.
when Governor-eect Hughes will hold the reins
at Albany, he will frame law and have 1t in
troduced into the Legislature which will repeal
the Percy-Gray law and kill legalzed gambling
He also praised the Rev Thomas r slcer.
When one Of the first prisoners to plead
stroed up to the bar smirking at the District
Attorney, Mr.. Jerome turned on him and ex-
claimed
This is no smiling matter. I'll break the
neck of gambling In this town 1t will break
mine"
| Judge Rosalsky told Mr.. Jerome that he was
thoroughly in accord with him on the gambling
situation, and that he. too. believed that the re-
| peal of the Percy Gray law would be the most
! serious blow possible to racetrack gambling and
! the poolroom industry.
! From their remarks It plain that both
! Judge Rosalsky and the District Attorney be-
! Iieved that they would receive much help from
however would not discuss the situation or his
probable course at Albany when seen last night
JEROME VISITS BINGHAM.
! Mr. Jerome also visited General Bingham at
Police Headquarters yesterday. the examination
of the poolroom evidence long promised by 'he
| Society for the Prevention OF Crime having Just
/ been finished
."rbere's big bunch OF it, said the Police
! Commissioner, land there's lot OF good evi-
| dence in 1t, too Since the bundle was received
two or three days ago. Mr. Mathot has been
| looking It over Now I am going to send 1t TO
! the inspectors. and they Will be ordered 10 so'
! busy and make some arrests
The Commissioner was asked II he was going
to cooperate with Judge Rosalsky and Mr'
Ieronoe in their anti-gambling crusade and he
replied:
arrhe Police Department and the District At
! torney always work together. ana et piesoh'
| everything is harmonious
| or the gamblers arraigned before Judge TO
| salsky who opened court ahead OF time, rnore
than seventy entered pleas OF guilty Wheh
some OF the men, who were hrst oHehoerA'
pleaded guilty to a felony the District Attor-
ney recommended that sentence be suspended,
since the men. having pleaded guilty under their
own names, would be DISTINGUISHED Judge
| Rosalsky followed Mr.. Jeromes recommenda-
! ton.
Three men arrested in an alleged pooroom
in East 14th street were acquitted by jury
Other cases had to be continued adjourned
until next week.
When Mr. Jerome addressed the court before
the cases came up he praised highly the work of
the Rev. Thomas r. slicer. saying that he be-
lieved that he had done more to prevent pool
| room gambling than all the district attorneys
| and courts in all four metropolitan counties
The Rev. Mr.. Slicer would not discuss the sit
| uation last night. except to say that he was
ready to cooperate with anybody in reducing
any evil to its lowest terms.
Mr.. Slicer is one Of those reformers who be-
lieve that half loaf is decidedly better than
no bread In the last session Of the Legislature
he fought and was largely instrumental in de-
| feating the CassidyLansing bill It was said
! at the time that largely contributory cause
| Of the bills defeat a promise made by
the racetrack men to keep the necessary racing
J information from the poolroom keepers The
continuance Of the poolrooms, in spite of the
| agreement. IL one were made. has furnished Mr.
SIicer, his friends believe. with an added in
centlve to aid the District Attorneys effort to
abolish racetrack gambling.
JEROME DENOUNCEs GRAY LAW.
Mr.. Jerome said yesterday when court
| opened:
AS your honor we'll knows when the new
constitution was adopted in 1894 a provision
| was inserted in that constitution prohibiting
gambling in the State of New York and the
Legislature of the state enjoned to enact
appropriate laws to prevent It. The Legislature
did enact appropriate laws in all reSpects save
one 1t wilfuly and deliberately enacted a law
known as the Percy Gray law, and surrounding
It's enactment there were the gravest scandals
! The iaw was framed that while nominaIly
| 1t imposes penalty. and was enacted in obe-
dienCe TO the constitution it was craftilv
n pGi adj
bIng on racetracks In this state The result
of it has been that side of barbed
wire fence man commits felony If he does
certain acts, while the other side of the
same fence the acts are perfectly innO-
cent and legal.
! From my observation OF this evil believe that
at least 90 per cent Of the employees in these
| poorooms and tracks there at the behest Of
district leaders. They do nothing but draw S.
or $40 day as their Jobs warrant, and prove
useful in politics. l positive that the Police
| Commissioner and some of his assistants are in
| sympathy with this movement. l can't say the
same Of all the captains and inspectors and
believe it is a fruitful source of blackmail
After January l next will frame a law and
| submit it TO your honor, and later will have 1t
introduced in the Legislature, looking to the
repeating of this Percy-Gray law. L know your
honor knows of this evil. and I expect your CO.
| operation
I think sometimes with shame that minister
} in the cit yOf New York all alone, has done
more to strike a blow at the evil connected with
poolrooms than the whole administration Of JUS
tice in the four counties of the city of New
! York / think the Rev. Thomas r. SliCer all
alone, by his persistent patience. has done more
to abate this nuisance than the four District At
| torneys in the counties included in this greater
/ city and all the criminal courts combined and
| take X that that condition is shameful when
! such g statement can be made with truth. / will
draw bill to meet this situation and I know
| your honor will cooperate with me in the effort
to have it passed by the Legislature
ROsALsKY WILL HELP JEROME.
Judge Rosalsky Immediately announced that