Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-24
BAKER CUTS OFF
ROAD OF ESCAPE
FOR BOOKMAKERS
Forfeiture of Collateral No
Longer to Be Permitted.
OFFENDERS WILL BE TRIED
District Attorney Outlines Policy Of
His Office.
WILL URGE JAIL SENTENCES
Excise Board Supports Chairman
Griffin in His Stand Against
Barrooms Where Gamblers
Congregate. :
ILL URGE JAIL SENTENCES

From recent developments it is
apparent that the making of hand
books is prevalent, and it becomes
my duty to take such steps as may
be necessary to stamp out the
crime. Hereafter all persons en-
gagged in this business who are ar
rested will be brought to trial, and,
unless something exceptional ap-
pears in an individual case, the full
penalty of the law-jail irnprison-
ment-will be requested by this Of
flee" Daniel w. Baker, District
Attorney.
In this statement made to a Star reporter
today due notice is given to all handbook
men that a trial will be the certain
outcome of their arrest and that the
day of forfeited collateral has passed Mr..
Baker makes it plain that his assistant in
the Police Court will insist on a trial and
will not be satisfied with forfeited collat-
eral except where the circumstances of the
case are very unusual.
Asked to define unusual circumstances"
Mr.. Baker explained that he could not I'M
dertake to say in advance that there would
be no case where forfeited collateral
would not in his opinion be adequate pun
ishment, but that such a case would have
to be very exceptional Each case, he de-
clared, must be governed by its own pc
culiar circumstances, but the man who es-
capes a trial, MI. Baker says, will have to
make a very strong showing.
Excise Board United.
The three assistant assessors of the Dis
trict who serve as members of the excise
board, which has absolute jurisdiction over
all retail and wholesale liquor places in this
city, stated today that they will support
the stand taken 10y Assessor Griffin, as an
nounced in The Star yesterday, regarding
the rejection of licenses to saloons where
handbook men congregata or which are
used as Clearing houses for the gamblers
The members of the board went on record
as saying that If they are furnished with
the proper information regarding saloons
being clearing houses for handbook men
they will refuse the saloonist a license
when he applies for a renewal next win
ter.
Section 10 Of the excise law, and which
gives the board authority to make the sa-
loonists license pay the penalty for per-
hitting his place to be clearing house for
handbooks, reads: That no license shall be-
granted In cases where gambling is per-
mitted on the premises of to any person
keeping place where idle, noisy. disorderly
or suspicious characters congregate." How
ever the boards power in this matter is
not only limited to the provisions OF this
section as the powers invested in them give
them the power of discretion i'm the case
Of every application and to determine
whether or not the applicant is a man Of
good moral character and a fit person to
conduct a saloon for proper purposes.
The cases of cigar stores, where the hand
book men are also known to carry on their
Illegal traffic, will be as easy to handle as
the saloons All cigar stores are compelled
to obtain a permit to operate, for which
by the Commissioners upon the recon-
mendation of the assessor of the District,
and in view of the stand Assessor Griffin
has taken 1t is needless to say that that
official will refuse to issue permit to any
cigar store which handbook men have been
using as resort and a clearing house. This
information will be easy for him to obtain.
Alexandria County Campaign.
Crandal Mackey, commemorative attor-
ney for Alexandria county, Va, who is re-
sponsible for driving the poolroom people
out of that county. gives his hearty ap-
prevail to the crusade against the hand
book men here.
1.-The Star is doing good work" he said
to Star reporter this morning, land hope
it will be kept up until the handbook men
are driven out of business"
Mr.. Mackey told a Star reporter of the
trouble he had In Alexandria county when
he started his fight upon the poolroom back
ers at ST. Asaph. The breaking up of the
poolroom, he admitted, would naturally in
crease the receipts of the handbook men
in this city. He related a number of in
stances in which persons had lost large
sums of money patronizing the hackers who
give odds on the ponies, and told Of per-
sons who had consulted him with a view to
compelling handbook men to give up money
that had been won from them.
THE odds are against the handbook
men," he said. compared with those who
conduct poorooms. but any man who fol-
lows the horses and risks his money is
bound to lose"
Mr.. Mackey told of many complaints he
had received about merchants being behind
in their collections for two or three months
himself as being in favor of abolishing the
races.
Women Play the Game.
Many OF the handbook regulars Of Wash
lngton are women, according to the state
ment of a prominent local business man
to Star reporter today during a discus
sion of The Stars war of determination
agaist this form of gambling in the ma
tional capital.
"One of these handbooks-in fact one of
the biggest in the city-has been operating
near my establishment" said the business
man. 1T liz not IN a saloon but in store
by women. l am told that near
y half of the patrons OF that particular
book are women. and that they dyed
n-the-wool regulars | regret to say that
some Of the women employees In my estab-