The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-13
q ARE HABBED IN
RAID ON PEERLESS
Officers Make Record Capture
in Gambling House
TOOK THEM BY SURPRISE
Unknown officer Stayed In Room Long
Enough to Get Evidence and
Caused Stampede BY Re-
veallne Identity.
TOOK THEM BY SURPRISE

The reputation of gambling joint Tor
Safety was smashed beyond all recog-
milton early this morning, when police
men affected an entrance. and came out
with the biggest string of white prisoners
ever captured in one den.
The third story of the Peerless saloon
was the spot wherein the numerous
games were going. For long term OF
years the officers have suspected that
game was In operation there, but never
before were they able to get within eye
shot of a "tin-horn," or in ear reach of
the musical bones.
This morning, however, the reputation
of the place was sent up in smoke, when
officers Smith, Parker, Nix and Williams
made 1t a visit, and came away with
twenty-seven victims.
What Smith Saw.
officer Smith has not been a member of
the police force long enough to become
well known, and when he went up the
passage through the elevator shaft, and
knocked with the timidity of a tin
horn" he was admitted, after undergoing
scrutiny of some minutes.
So busy were the men in the room that
little attention was paid to his entrance.
He gazed through a mist of smoke and
soon had the situation in hand. To the
right, crap game was going. The man
behind the counter was calling the
scores, and laughing at the crap" and
mummering soft "cuss" words when the
point was made. About this table some
ten men were leaning, and the bones were
making a passage from the first to the
last. Each man had a pile of chips in
front of him.
To the left, there was another table
Identical with the one on the right, and
about this, some ten others were trying
their luck with the dice. Loud calls for
"seven" and eleven" were heard. and
the language of the first prevailed. too,
at the second.
In the center was the poker game. The
older heads were seated about this table,
and the calm, shrewd countenances be-
meath which one skilled, even, could not
tell what was hidden, were not shrewd
enough to see their finish" Officer
Smith was standing in front of them, and
carefully noting every move
The Gong Sounded.
Officers Parker Nix and Williams had
remained in the background When Smith
had had time enough to gather sufficient
evidence for conviction, they APP
preached the elevator. There are no
three men of the foce better known than
Officers Nix and Williams, who have
been patrolling beats for a long number
of years, and Officer Parker, who within
few months has become well spotted on
account of his heartless warfare against
gamblers. So when the "spotter" saw
these three officers, he Immediately
touched the button that sounded the
alarm and caused twenty-seven men to
put away cards, dice and tables, and
spring lightly to their feet. They began
discussing the issues of the day, await
ing calmly the entrance of the officers,
of whose approach the alarm had given
due notice.
Then Smith made his identity known.
There was an immediate stampede. The
men chased themselves about the hall,
other Smiths reinforcements entered
about this time, and seeing that their
mecca was destined to sacrilege, the
gamblers approached the representatives
of the law, and gave in their names.
There were twenty-seven prisoners.
Each made bond of 800 for his appear
ance in the police court. They will be
city will net the round sum of s270o.