The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-17

now on against gamblers and ~poolroom
keepers by District Attorney Jerome, who
will have the cooperation of Police Com
missioner Bingham and Judge Otto A.
Rosalsky Of General Sessions. In addition
Mr.. jerome will make an effort, and in this
he will also have the assistance Of Judge
Rosalsky, to have the Percy-Gray racing
law repealed. Should he accomplish this
it would mean, in the opinion Of many per-
sons, the killing OF racing in this State.
: IL il said, not on the authority of Mr..
Jerome, that Governor-elect Hughes il in
sympathy with the movement TO have the
Percy-Gray law repealed, and that, even II
he isn't. so keen a lawyer as Mr.. hughes will
recognize the arguments that will be adj
vanced to him by Mr.. Jerome and the
supporters Of the movement.
Az any rate, Mr.. jerome will draw up .
bill to repeal the Percy-Gray Law. This bill
will reach Mr.. Hughes in such time that
should he care TO call attention to it in HE
first message a. Governor he will have
plenty of opportunity TO do so.
Il will break the neck Of gambling in this
city or il will break my neck, said Mr..
Jerome yesterday. He announced that he
was sure of The aid Of Gen. Bingham and his
assistants, but that he wa = fearful that he
would not get 40 much assistance from tho
ms ectorS and captains. In the hight
he will bring into play his most powerful
weapon. the bowling law, which oompels
q witness to testify but gives MIN inn
munity. The employees of gambling
houses will be dragged before the Grand
jury and made to testify against their en-
ployers. The BOSS gamblers will get a dose
Of the same meiicine. The poolrooms we're
10 ckled yesterday in the preliminary Skin
mieh and next will come the gambling
house kee ers.
PRISON FOR SECOND OFFENCE.
Mr.. jerome relies in no small measurs
on the support OF Judge Rosalsky. In the
past it has been an unwritten rule among
the Judges of the Court Of General Sessions
to fine gamblers and never impose a prison
p~enaltv. In some instances Judges ha .
said. they would send second offenders 10
prison. but when they got the chance they
baked.
Judge Rosalskv announced yesterday
that in the future he would fine a gambler
only once and that those who came before
him a second time might expect a much
heavier penalty. This could only mean a
prison sentence.
About 100 poolroom men-cashiers, o
outs and men who hang up the racing cards
with the entries had been summoned to
General Sessions yesterday TO answer in
dictments against them for gambling.
They thought it was the usual field day.
that they would he lined up before a Judge;
lined s25 and walk out. The crowd, so far
as the records showed, was composed OF
Jim Jone-es, John Smiths and Harry
Browns. On the side lines outside Of the
court room were several well known pool
room keepers ready with bank rolls.
JEROME oUN THE Law.
Right at the start of the proceedings
Mr.. Jerome o. ened fire. In an address TO
the Court he calleI attention to the new
Constitution of 1894. in which there was
provision prohibiting gambling and direct
ing the Legislature to enact appropriate
laws to prevent il. The Legislature did
enact the Ia W.. except in one instance,
Mr.. Jerome said.
1t wilfullv and deliberately enacted a
law known a. the Percy-Gray law, con-
timed the District Attorney. Surround
nag it, enactment there was the gravest
scandals. and the law was 50 framed that
while nominally it imposed a penalty and
was enacted in obedience TO the new Con-
S%titution it Was c%raftily and designedly
framed 80 as 10 permit gambling on race
tracks in this State. The result Of il has
hc-u that on one side Of n barbed wire fence
a man commits a felony if he does certain
acts, while Ua The other side Of the same
fpIg1 the -Ir,teA pgfa ara t,nrfEftlF lnnOpRnt
and legal.
The purI oor and design of it are so
perfectly IlLiu that it was and is and con-
tinu"s to - and will apparently continue
to to y gros. -candal TO the jurisprudence
Of thir state. The law has created a -enti-
ment in the community that these offences
are comparatively a no importance. There
has grown up in this community a large
class practically Of men whose business
il Is to commit felonies a. a living in VIC
lation Of this statute without any adequate
check from the courts, the police or the
District Attorney"
Mr.. Jerome added that it was not neoes-
sary 70 try to apportion the responsibility
for the blame in the Judicial and legal
machinery, but he felt sure that if the
courts, the police and the District Attorney
NONPNAhNDA w " HAOAb NAhN kntnDtAAk
could he suppressed. From his observa-
ton he was sure that 90 per cent OF ths
employees Of the poolrooms, gambling
houses and raoetracks we're there at the
behest Of politicians, mostly district leaders.
All they did was TO draw S. or so a day
and be useful in politics.
Il am positive" said Mr.. Jerome, that
Police Commissioner Bingham in in SYM
pathy with me, but l can't say the same
for all the inspectors and captains, and I
believe that it il a fruitful source Of black
mail"
Mr.. Jerome said this with great posi-
tiveness. On Thursday he had a long talk
with Gen. Bingham at Police H~eadauarters,
but he wouldn't say what il was about.
Gen. Bingham admitted yesterday that h
had talked in a general way about the
gambling situation, adding that Mr.. Jerome
would get every possible help from him.
WILL URGE PERcY-ORAY' LAW REPEAL.
Il will frame a law and submit il to your
Honor and later will have IL introduced
in the Legislature looking 10 the repeating