The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-15
new POOLROOM INDICTMENT
BENCH WARRANT Issued FOR
SONNY SMITHS PARTNER.
Petite Davis showed Fight and Jerome Is
After Him Now District Attorney Talks
OF the Need or Health Inspection or
Gambling Houses See Gen. Bingham.

GamDifnB HOUSES sees zen. Hingnam.
District Attorney Jerome took action
yesterday in the case of one poolroom
man who disobeyed a Grand Jury subpoena
and showed a disposition to fight Mr..
jerome. Petite Davis, who with Sonny
Smith is credited with having run the
poolroom at 23O Mercer street. was indicted
by the Grand Jury for running a gambling
house. A bench warrant was issued for
him and a general alarm sent out through
Police Headquarters for his arrest. Mr..
Jerome's information was that Davis is in
asked to get him.
Davis is looked upon as a friend Of Little
Tim Sullivan. Sonny Smith has not yet
answered Mr.. Jerome's public invitation
to him to call at the District Attorneys
Office. Neither has Cumiskey dropped in.
Il would not be surprising if Mr.. jerome
summoned a few district leaders. as he
threatened 20 do a few days ago.
Mr.. Jerome minated yesterday that in
a few days he would nave some Of his men
appointed health inspectors. which would
give them wide power in inspecting pool
rooms and gambling houses. In a casua
way Mr.. Jerome said that such places as
the old Dick Garfield house in East Forty
fourth street, Lou Ludlum's and the old
Frank Farrell palace in West Thirty-third
street might be in need of inspection. Mr..
Jerome said:
There is a great deal Of assistance that
can be given by the Health Department
in this city in the prosecution Of this work.
1t seems that the statute give to health
inspectors considerable powers. Hereto
fore one of the great troubles with which
the Board of Health has been confronted
has been the enormous volume of business
il has had to transact. There iS no doubt
that the sit uation is 80 difficult and intri-
cate in that department because of the
o amount Of business.
MY men,. however, are moving around
the citv all the time and they are intelligent
men. There liz very much overcrowding
and lack of proper ventilation and other
sanitary features in certain houses in this
city. Such conditions are exceedingly pref
judicial to public health. II seems that
the Board of Health has not a stan of
inspectors large enough to get around to
all these places, but I am OF the opinion
tina If they would make a couple of my
men health inspectors II would enable
such inspections to be made and reports
turned into the Health Board. Besides 1t
would do away with duplication of effort,
For instance, there is 80 West Thirty
third street. 1t might be inspected by the
health inspectors late at night when IT is
o~vercTowded. II the inspectors should
drop in incidentally to inspect II II might
discommode the tenants, but they would
have to consider thai the action was taken
for the benefit of the public health and
no one would have a right to kick
Then there is Buggy Donovan's place.
II il said that the sanitary conditions there
are bad. Of course that report ma be
urpnu htf that IL what heard An in
spection would Don straighten that out
All these places ought TO he Inspected and
I am going to communicate with the Health
COMMISSIONS about il.
"Of course there could be cooperation
bet ween the District Attorney and the
city departments. l would like TO find a
Magistrate who likes walking and then we
could go around with John Doe subpTnas.
That might help out nm OF course all
this is in the interest Of the affairs o. the
city ,
I'VE ought 10 inspect 5 East Forty-fourth
street and see if that is in a healthful con-
dit ion. Lou Ludlum might he int crested
in having his place looked over for the good
of the public"
Mr.. Jerome's men inspected yesterday af-
ternoon poolroomsin Dey street West Broad
way, Barclay, Vesey Warren, COrtlandt and
| Cedar streets, Park place and Nassau street.
In some of the places men were hanging
! around, but not one of them was doing
business. Detective Reardon went to one
place for the inspection Of which Jakey
| Josephs had given an order. One man did
not recognize the order from Josephs and
after pref ending that he was not going tC
be int erfered with he was served with A
subpoena TO appear before the Grand Jury
on Monday.
Mr.. Jerome had a talk with Gen. Bingham
vest erday. Mr.. Jerome wouldn't say what
IL was about, but il was learned later that
he had had n Of his detectives, John b
Brennan, made a special policeman.