The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-25
GAMBLERS Up IN
BALLOON, So TO SAY
Old Timers Are Gone and
Youngsters Moplng
FOUR CAUGHT AT GAME
Ten Negro Employees of City Stables
Playing In Loft VIII Now Labor
In Chains Without
Charge.

up In balloon, boysr" is about the
only real safe and healthy place that the
gamblers will find 10 carry on their busl-
ness, and even then they had better get
out of sight Of Birminghan's eagle-eyed
policemen, and beyond the reach OF
Colonel Higdons Krag Jorgersen rifles.
All the old timers realized that fact
yesterday, and began packing their para
phanalia. The shiftless visiting fellows
who live on the money of suckers have
taken trains for other parts.
Those sorry individuals who seem to
believe that fate has decreed they shall
be night hawks were left all alone last
night. They changed into blinking owls,
stood round curbstones rubbing one
foot against the other and with long
faces looked as If they had lost their
best friends
The special officers made trip after trip
to the old gambling houses, but never did
they find an occupant. Even the idlers
were afraid to enter. They had given up
all their hopes.
Had to Be Shown.
However, four young, inexperienced fell
lows were of the opinion that all the talk
about the Death knell Of gambling
amounted to nothing, SO they locked
themselves in private room over Nor
toms drug store on Second avenue and
Twentieth street and began gaily to rattle
the bones as If they were old stagers.
The face of Policeman Street soon APP
peared over the transom, and one by one
Policemen Parker. Nation and Smith fol-
lowed. They saw the game In operation.
A little later the young men were meek
ly seeking some one to go on their bonds,
and declaring gambling to be a bad
thing.
The only two other white men who at
tempted to gamble yesterday, so far as
known, were two fellows who actually
waited until the last car and tried to
shake the dice on a trolley going to Ems
ley. Deputy Sheriffs Kennemer and Allen
soon put a stop to this. however, and the
gamblers enjoyed nighe in the county
Jail.
The negroes, who take some time to
catch on to the dictates of fate, were out
In their usual numbers Policemen Ray
and Ellege rounded in fourteen, while
Street, Parker, Nations and Smith caught
six.
Employees of City.
The peculiar part of the matter, how
ever, is that ten of these negroes were
employees of the city. They were hired
to work at the city stables, and instead of
grooming the horses were off in the loft
rafting bones.
When Judge Feagin gets through with
them they will have to work for the city
as usual, but instead of drawing their
pay they will wear chains, and do their
tasks free of charge. The other six were
captured in negro house on First avenue
below Eighteenth street. There Is good
evidence against all of them. Twenty-six
in one day is not a bad record, and will
serve as an example to the sleepy-eyed
sports who may be thinking of backslid-
ing.
At the close of the first ten days of
the campaign which both the city and
county have inaugurated against the
gamblers and Migrants, 1t is found that
21S of this class have been arrested. OF
these the city captured III and the county
101.