Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-02
HANDBOOK TRIALS
SOON TO Be CALLED
Thirteen Cases for Police
Court Jury Consideration.
CONVICTIONS MEAN PRISON
Judge Mullowny in Favor of the
Severest Penalty.
GIVEN BUSY WITH EVIDENCE
Assistant District Attorney Engaged
in Preparation of Governments
Charges Against Defendants.

The day OF reckoning for the al
legged handbook men is near at
hand Jury trials have begun in
the Police Court and within the
next two weeks the first of the
bOokmaking cases will be called for
trial Judge Mullowny, who will
preside. is on record as favoring
the severest sentences in cases of
conviction, and that means term
in Jail. The Handbook Must Cor
the slogan OF The Stars campaign
OF publicity. which was carried on
with such telling effect, is still heard
and is just as iull OF meaning as
ever.
Thirteen cases of alleged violation of the
pool-selling law are to be tried in the
United States branch of the Police Court
this month, and the first will be called
within two weeks. The government will be
represented by Assistant United States At
torney Ralph Given, who is determined to
exert every effort to secure the conviction
of every man charged with operating
handbook.
When The Star opened fire on the gam
blers they were not disposed to take the
matter seriously, and expressed the opinion
that 1.-THE noise would soon subsde." Now,
however. alter fifteen arrests have been
made and the police and district attorneys
Office. backed by public sentiment, have
gamblers take a different view Of the situa-
tion.
Cause of the Delay.
1t was expected all along that the trials
OF the alleged offenders would begin by
October l. but account of the press Of
work Mr.. Given has been unable to get the
handbook evidence ready. When seen to-
day at his office in the police court building
he said he was going to try to have the
first handbook case called about October 15
and after that date he hoped to have the
remaining cases called in order to be ar
ranged later. In several of the cases. Mr.
Given stated he desired to have the
police procure additional evidence, but he
believes the evidence against all the men
In preparing the evidence In the different
cases the assistant district attorney says
he has been compelled to work during the
afternoons and evenings and has been busily
engaged for several weeks. In the morn
ings Mr Given's time is occupied with the
examination of the numbers of cases that
come before him for action, and 1t is seldom
that he ever finds opportunity of giving
q moment to other business.
Up to the present time the police dragnet
has gathered fifteen alleged offenders. One
case-that against Thomas Lacy-was dis
missed on account of insufficient evidence.
At that time Judge Mulowny delivered
warning from the bench to all members of
the alleged handbook fraternity, saying in
substance. that hereafter when a defend
ant is proved guilty in the United States
branch OF the Police Court of operating a
handbook he need not expect to escape
with a fine but may look for jail SEN
teuce. This. il is stated, has caused con-
sternation in the ranks of the gamblers
who. it is alleged have heretofore oper-
ated in spite of the law, believing that even
If convicted. they would be allowed to pay
hue and thus escape Imprisonment
Cases to Be Tried.
The names Of those to be tried in the
ibltt court are tDdlIeS +. tIOOdacre
Henry J. Carroll. Robert II. Dobbins, Ed
ward A. Green. Elijah w johnson, Timothy
Sullivan. John McL onnell, Arthur Langley
George II Pearson, Samuel Emory alias
Bert Myers; Edward Cochran, Louis r.
Pfeifer, William f. Geger and David
Pfeiffer. OF these alleged offenders David
lfciffer was the defendant In the thir-
teeuth case under investigation and sew
eTdl days ago committed suicide by Jump
ing into the Potomac river and drowning.
When the assistant district attorney looked
over the cases of the handbook men today
this fact was commented upon. 1t was
also pointed out that yet no nolle PROSE-
has been entered in the case, but this will
probably be done within a short time and
the papers marked to show that the prose-
Cution has ceased on account of the demise
of the defendant.
Judge Mullowny said today that he was
OF the opinion that the alleged hand book
offenders We're to be called for trial earlier.
but that the assistant district attorney
should not hurry in his preparation OF the
evidence. He also pointed out the fact
that evidence to the point should be placed
before the jury TO consider the cases The
new jury" said Judge Mullowny," will
doubtless be ippaneled within the next
week and then the assistant district at
torney will have body OF twelve men who
will serve long enough to try all OF the al
legged handbook offenders"