The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-26
TRAIL OF PROTECTION MONEY.
JERO VIZ STRIKES 4 LEAD ~ /
POOLROOM CASE.

RSO q Wefk Webb somewhere 0nSh wen
who Must Tell or Go 90 jail Gamblers
vino Have Kept On IN Their sinful
ways Are 10 DE Tackled Next IN order
When District Attorney Jerome con-
tinues his poolrOom investigation to-day
an effort will be made TO find out who got
the money which, has been paid by at least
one poolroom keeper for protection from,
police Interference. Ibis particular pool
room owner, who is not so well known as
others In the game, has been paying $50
" week, and Mr.. Jerome will devote a lot
Of time TO tracing the money. He has
certain information already which, he
thinks. will enable him to find out where
the money went.
The poolroom keeper has been questioned
before the Grand Jury under the Bowling
law and Mr.. Jerome believes he has told a
straightforward story. II is understood
that he says he doesn't know to whom
the money went; that il passed through
the hands of others, From testimony that
has been elected from him and from some
OF his employees Mr.. Jerome thinks he
knows some OF the persons who handled
the money. but he doesn't know where IL
stopped. In connection with this case
one or two witnesses will be examined
by the Grand Jury to-day IL they can he
found.
Mr.. Jerome has a twofold purpose in
the investigation to close the poolrooms
! and gambling houses and TO discover who
processes TO sell protection. His investigs-
tion SO far shows that in some Instance
the police got the money. II it was passed
along by them to somebody elsa poll
~tician, for instsnoe-Mr Jerome wants to
know. The policemen who got the money,
il they cannot be prosecuted for blackmail
or bribery, will be questioned under the
Bowling law, The bowling law makes IL
compulsory for a witness to testify or go-to
jail; but his testimony M be used
against him in a criminal proceeding.
The men who have been working on the
poolrooms for Mr.. Jerome have reported
to him that many are closing. This is true
in a case where one man has been operating
a number of rooms. According to Mr..
Jerome's information a string Of twenty
three rooms which a politician has been
credited with owning or being directly in
terested in closed on Friday. TIC en-
ployees were told that they wouldn't be
needed for a long time. Persons in the
Criminal Courts Building are wondering
whether this politician will be called before
the Grand Jury by Mr.. Jerome and asked
il he owns the rooms. what interest he has
in them, il he has ever been in them and il
he ever consulted the police about them.
IL is expected that Mr.. Jerome's gam
bling bureau" In charge % Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Murphy. will he pretty busy
this week. Most OF the time will be devoted
to preparing evidence for the December
Grand Jury, which will be sworn in next
Monday. q.
Ep to date Mr.. Jerome has obtained a
! pretty good directory OF the poolroom
owners. He expects TO get the name Of
some more. When he has the list OF pool
room keepers as complete as he can get it
every one Of them will be called before the
Grand Jury. They will not only be ques-
toned about the places they run but also
about the payment of protection money.
Mr.. jerome fees confident that from these
poolroom keepers he will get pretty close at
least to whoever gets the poolroom graft.
After the pooIroom men have been dis
posed Of Mr.. jerome Oil take up the gam
blers. There has been a general impression
that when a numbe Of big gamblers called
on Mr.. Jerome a year ago and promised,
after FORGETTING their gambling parapher-
malta, which was burned, that they would
close their houses and keep closed during
Mr.. Jerome = administration they did 80
under the influence of the Downing law.
1t has been learned that Mons of the gam
biers testified under tho bowling law.
although Mr.. jerome made no pretence
Of correcting the impression prevalent AZ
the time that they did.
The gamblers, it now appears, got the
choice of going before the Grand Jury
or making a statement TO Mr.. Jerome
which was not even sworn to. The Dowl-
ing law is operative only when it is used
in connection with a Grand Jury investiga-
ton or a court proceeding. Any one OF
these gamblers can now be called before
the Grand Jury and questioned under the
Bowling law. A few OF these names with
the location OF their joints appear in the
Mordeoai bankruptcy case published yes
terday.
All the gamblers int rvie we'd by Mr..
Jerome last year told him that they would
keep the houses they we're then running
closed. Some OF them have kept their
word. There are several who have! not.
and they will he tackled first.
The Sixth avenue poolroom of which
The. Allen is the reputed proprietor will
be closely watched by Mr.. Jeroms's men.
A warrant has yet to be served ON the man
who was indicted with Charles Bennett.
said to be The. 3 manager. At the same
time Mr.. Jerome has receive an intimstion
from The. that he would like to have peace
on a promise to be good.