New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-03
BIG P00LRO0M RAID.
RUSSELL GETS TO WORK.
Erchange Tiated Opposite City Hall
Park WaE Yield Secrets.

Inspector John H. RUSSELL of the Second In
spection district with four of his staff raided
alleged poolroom and racing information bu-
reaU late yesterday afternoon. the third
floor of an office building in Broadway. oppo-
site City Hall Park. Nine prisoners were made
and fourteen telephone instruments. telephone
switchboard, a telegraph instrument through
which the information of the establishment was
being received and other paraphernalia were
confscated
Commissioner Bingham obtained the first in
timation of the existence of the place which
reached the police He received it. it is under
stood. from firm doing legitimate basiness,
on the same floor in the building. The Commits
sioner ordered Inspector Russell yesterday af-
ternOon to what there was in the tip, ana
the Inspector quickly found out.
Captain Cottrell of the Leonard street sta
tion. in whose precinct the raided place is 10
Gated was not aware Of the Inspectors inten-
tons. but learned of his descent upon the pool
room after it happened. He went to the
building when he heard the news, and the pris
oners were locked up in his station. Inspector
Russell says that the raid was not over the
captains head and that it in no way reelected
upon the captain. Captain Cottrell has been III
the preCinc: only a short time, since the big
shake-up
Douglas Robinson. jr., brother-in-law of Presi-
dent Roosevelt, is agent for the building But
Inspector Russell says that he does not believe
Mr. Robinson knew the nature Of the business
his tenants are alleged to have been conducting.
for, in cases where Mr.. Robinsons attention has
been called to tenants in buildings of which he
had charge whose business caused suspicion
by the police, he has always helped the authori-
ties in every way to put stop to such Dusi-
nesses
The alleged poolroom occupied three room
suite. The room next to the hall was kept
vacant. Next to that small room and
next to that larger one, in which the raiders
found the outfit Of the establishment. The in
spector says it was apparently the idea OF the
proprietors OF the place that the breaking in of
the outer door. which was kept locked. would
give them warning enough 10 destroy incrim-
mating evidence before the police got into the
inner room.
Inspector Russell spoiled this plan. however,
by obtaining key t. the hallway door. He got
into the vacant outer room silently, then knocked
on the door Of the smaller room. The door was
opened readily the doorman evidently expecting
a regular patron. and the inspector and his men
were inside before it could be closed again.
Inspector Russell says that the Commissioners
gave him probably through some error in the
transmission OF the tip. the wrong number of the
suite. He went TO the number given to him by
the Commissioner. but found II occupied by a
legitimate firm He got quietly into the outer
room Of the other suite. under the guidance OF
the employees OF the place where he had first
gone and surprised the men he wanted. II is
understood that the Commissioners lip came
from this neighhor Of the alleged pooroom, who
objected TO its proximity.
Inspector Russell said that some Of the nine
men IN the inner room tried to tear up racing
sheets and charts. but he stopped them in time
TO preserve the sheets as evidence The prison
ers made no resistance. The nine men all ap-
yeared 20 be connected with the place. and when
the police broke in, the Inspector says. the tele-
graph and telephone wires were busy with the
tate afternoon races at the Jamaica ana other
tracks.
The appearance Of the patrol wagons and the
removal of the prisoners caused a big crowd to
gather in Broadway and the near by traffic
squad policemen had finally TO be called to con-
troll the curious ones.
one Of the prisoners, supposed to have been
in charge Of the place. and who called himself
Fred Baer OF No 900 East Goth street
charged with violation Of Section 351 OF the
Penal code in accepting bets the races and
maintaining racing information bureau The
other eight were charged with aiding and abet-
ting under the same section
There appears to be some uncertainty to
the length Of time the alleged poolroom has oc-
cuped the suite The ianitor said they had
been there about a year. but Inspector Russell
said he understood they had not been there
more than a few weeks
Blank checks on the Williamsburg Trust
Company were found I'm a roll top desk in the
place. fuller examination of the papers In
the place may reveal more interesting infor-
nation the police hope. to the pooroom bust
ness in this city 1t is suspected that the tele
graph wire over which tho information of the
establishment coming connected with
the big pooroom exchange known to exist in
Jersey City.
The telephone and telegraph instruments were
left in place by the inspectors men. and Cap
tain CottrelI placed patrolman TO guard them
during the night
This is the first poolroom raid made in Man
haitian since Commissioner Binghams big
shake-up two weeks ago. Inspector Russell
would not say last night whether or not it in
dicatcd a resumption of extraordinary activity
against the limited number of poorooms
maining in business in the city, such
shown before the shake-up, both by the police
and the District Attorneys office. Commits
sioner Bingham NOT to be seen.
CAPTAIN MACKLIN EXONERATED.