The Washington times., 1908-12-26
Signs Are Plentiful That Old
Gambling War Will
Be Renewed.
VIGILANTES TO FORM
IN CITY OF VAPORS"
Citizens Improvement Union Is Or
ganized and Ready for
the Fray.

Of So much strife and b,Ood-leJtinS here
in the past. is 10 De productive OF Yet
another war and one that may be en-
LEeued perhaps 5y the participants OF
vigilance committee. says a Hot
Springs dispatch to the New York
World.
II isn't good form in Hot Springs 10
talk about a vigilance committee, but
there are the makings OF a big one IA
the strife that is going on between the
faction mat wants every gaming house
and CLUB in the city OF NapOrs' closed
and the faction that believes that Hot
Springs was tOreOrdained 70 be a Edless
municipality
Houses II Full Blast.
There are nov fourteen gaming
houses running IuI blast. The autI0u-
ties do not seem 10 be aware of the
fact, that is officially It would seem
10 a stranger that the wide open
town element could not wish for q
happier condition than this, but that is
not So This faction wants 10 see the
big clGbroOms aad the race track, which
have been closed for nearly d year
urlder tle AmiS Law. doing business
The retOrmerS are organized and are
known as the Citizens Improvement
Union. They include IN their ralks
city It was the arrogant rule OF .
gaming king which brought the organ
lZatIJu Into existence The union LIST
year was instrumental in causing the
adoption OF the anIi-TaCinE Law, and II
il were not for its stand II would prob
ably have been taken out OF the statute
books long since. II Is a secret body
and not all OF its members know what
the inner circle" is doing
The members Of the union have but
one purpose, ana that IS 10 destroy the
power OF the gaming element which has
ruled the Hot Springs government for
So many years The Union cleaned the
city once before, but this time IL hopes
20 DO u permanently
Ruled by Gaming Bosses.
Hot Springs has always been subject
TO the rule OF gaming boss. Sone-
times this boss has controlled only the
politics Of the city and then there have
been clashes between the police and
the sheriff S forces in the county. USu-
ally, however, II has been 4 case OF
Where the one man controlled politics
u both clLy and county With The %
Ice under his c.,utTOl the boss has been
enabled IN the past 10 levy tribute
charge ali that the traffic would bear.
and that meant tha- every roulette
wheel and faro bank paid a stated sum
each month for protection
Yet not only did the games have 10
pay, but steererSs bunCO men, three
card monte sharps and shell men We're
ameuable 10 the law OF tribute, each
being assessed so much for the privl-
leSe or remaining within the gates OF
the city TO ply ms traffic Those Vl8
did not pay thc rates were arrested
and IL they decline TO see the -UShL
were given an hour to catch the next
train out Of town
Frank Flynn VAS perhaps the great
est OF the gaming 1dr1us who have
ruled Hot Springs ffc vas a gun
fighter. and IL WAS his manner OF do
ing things that brought on the uoE
nearly forgotten Elynu-Do-an feud- Il
was Ed Smith, a gambler also quick
on the trigger who began the war
against Flynn He opened a gaming
house and, Iu the spirit OF RaiuhridEes
days IN the MrGirer-anean declared
that he had millions with which 10 back
his games, but not 4 cent 10 pay IN
tribute A man named Toler was chief
OF police, and Flynn owned him When
he informed Smith that he would have
10 see" Flynn or close. Smiths answer
y as that If the police would make Flynn
close and stay closed he would carry
his layout elsewhere