Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-21
RESULTS FOLLOW
DETERMINED FIGHT
AGAINST GAMBLING
Public Sentiment Insists That
HandbookS Must Go.
OFFICIALS PLEDGED TO AID
Responsibility Accepted by Police and
Prosecutors.
OFFICIALS PLEDGED TO AID
CLERGYMEN GIVE APPROVAL
In Hearty Accord With Effort to Rid
District of Great Evil-Delay
in Jury Trials.

In Jury Trials.
-Four days of an active campaign
of publicity by The Star against
the handbook business in the Dis
trict have produced these results:
Renewed activity on the part of
the police department to arrest VIC
lators of the pool-selling law.
Increase of collateral to be re-
CURED OF persons charged with
bookmaking from $500 to $1,000.
Renewed assurance from Judge
klmball that Jail sentences will be
imposed instead of fines.
Promise of District Attorney
Baker of vigorous prosecution of
offenders.
Earnest support of the District
Commissioners and clergymen of
Washington.
"A general running to cover of
the bookmakers, who have oper-
ated almost openly for months.
All of which goes to show that
The Handbook Is Bound to Go.
That the complete cooperation OF the Police
Court and the district attorneys office is
| necessary for the success Of the police de-
partment In stamping out the Illegal prac-
| tice of handbook making In the District
the fourishing condition of which has been
expos d by The Star. is the opinion Of the
Commissioners of the District.
Commissioner West, who has supervision
| of the local police department said yester-
Day that no one is more anxious to rid the
District of handbooks than he and he de-
tlared that IL he had the authority every
handbook man arrested and convicted for
violating the law would be sent to jail.
Since the campaign of publicity was
arted by The Star Comm. ssioner West ha.
had several conferences with Mai Sylvester
relative to some plan of action for a gem
eral assault upon the gambling business He
declared yesterday that under no circum-
stances should a man arrested for making
handbook be permitted to forfeit his col
lateral, no matter how large sum might
be offered, and as for the police department
only capturing the small men engaged In
| this business and missing the big ones, he
said he considered 1t poor policy for the
| court officials to refer to it, or use it as a
| means of clearing their skirts.
Praise for the Police.
Mr.. West said every one who knows any
| thing of the men who are engaged in this
form of gambling will agree that it is no
easy matter to make case" on them, and
he thinks the police have done particularly
good work. and even though they are only
getting the little men," as the court Of
ficiais have charged, they are accomplish
| ing something. and If they succeed in clear
ing up all the so-called little men possibly
| the big" men will go out of business or
possibly they will come next.
Every effort the part of the police
department to drive these men out OF the
city meets with my hearty approval" said
Commissioner West The police are ac-
tive in the matter, the number Of arrests
demonstrate, especially when it is remem-
bered that the offense is difficult one to
prove in court"
Commissioner Macfarland said that TIE
tivity in the handbook matter, and he de-
clared that the community of the District
has right to expect the cordial co-opera-
ton of the United States prosecuting Off
GERS in the United States branch of the
Police Court. The police could not be ex-
pected to succeed he said If this co-opera-
ton is not accorded them.
Loss to the District
Certainly the District government will
continue to do everything In its power,
in the past, to break up gambling in the
District of Columbia" said the Commits
sioner. There can be no two opinions
about gambling. either moral question
or as a business question. on the latter
question everybody knows that the money
spent on gambling is a direct loss to the
community, and especially to its CONNER
cial business. and in some cases II is taken
directly by some kind of dishonesty from
business houses. The cmploye Of any bank
or business house infected by what seems
to be the incurable gambling fever is Ia
BILE TO rob his employer any day to get
money for gambling. This is why the
Washington Board OF Trade took the Jack
son City track gambling up purely as
cold business proposition, and why our
business men generally feel directly inter-
ested in suppressing gambling.
Fortunately. much has been accom-
plished. Our po,ice department., Fl, from
the graft influences of political cities. has
done its duty without fear or favor IN
this as in other matters. and ii will keep
up its efforts to enforce the law and TO STOP
this drain upon the moral ami financial
resources of our p op,e.'
Clergyman for Publicity.
The Stars campaign against bookmaktng
is meeting with tn warm st approval iron.
the clergymen OF Washington. This 10 the