The San Francisco call., 1908-08-30

under arrest But two players were
inside.
"Ah, rats, This amt a.quorum," said
one Of the detectives in disgust. Then
3 he turned TO the proprietor.
Looka here" he warned. We
can't be Juggling in only two prisoners
We got to have more than that 10 make
a showing 10 the captain. You want to
have eight or ten here the next time. .
The proprietor promised and the officers
LETT allowing the two men arrested TO
20 free
FEW ARRESTS. NO CONVICTIONS
The regular system Of raids. accord
Ing TO freQuenters of the poolrooms,
IS absolutely barren of results. From
20 10 80 men a day are arrested on
the average, and OF these not more
six or eight q week ever are arraigned
in the police court OF convictions
there has been practically not single
one in any OF the police courts within
the memory OF the attorneys pracucing
there.
Whenever raid is made by the
police the poolroom trust has an agent
on duty at the bond and warrant
clerks Office. AS soon as the Gus
toners of any OF the trust places have
been arrested their names are tele-
phoned TO this agent Immediately ne
furnishes bail bonds and when the
patrol wagon arrives with batch OF
prisoners they are released in bonds
as fast ass booked. The prisoners
usually are not subjected even to the
Inconvenience Of being searched, while
the booking sergeant at the Bush
street station. TO which most OF the
pool players are taken, contents him.
self with registering only the names
and occupations OF the players, not
asking for the addresses
1r-rr-7, n51gfac hired by the SVnGl-
cate are constantly in waiting at every
police station after a raid, and When
the trusts customers are released they
are whisked back TO the poolrooms IN
time to bet again before the races are
over. Five minutes after a raid the
pooIrooms resume business
Political pressure is then brought 10
bear by the poolroom trust, and such
IS its power that less than 10 per cent
of the men arrested for pool playing
are arraigned for trial, their cases
being dismissed for lack of evidence
without q preliminary hearing
WHERE PooLRooMs ABOUND
A two weeks canvass in the vicinity
OF Fillmore street, where the pool
rooms are known to be thickest, made
by a Call reporter, discovered more
than 25 poolrooms existing in an area
OF 10 square blocks, extending from
between Steiner and Webster. taking
in the Bush street police precinct, in
which Captain GleesOn is in command.
In addition 10 the more than zoo pool
rooms known 10 infest the city there
are innumerable cigar stands where
hand books" are operated. these being
places where bets are taken on the
quiet
The. principal streets having as many
as three pOolTOoms in a block are
Golden Gate avenue. O'Farren, Web
ster and Post streets. Each Of the
places operates under the guise Of a
cigar store, with large, rear room,
capable OF holding from 2o0 TO 500
persons.
Poolroom raids have become so com
mon and so regular that little atten-
tion is paid 10 them by the poOlroom
players. The places are always noti-
fed before a raid takes place, and in
order that the detectives will be able
TO make q showing before their su-
periors the proprietors pay men TO
allow themselves to be arrested Reg
ular patrons escape through rear doors.
a hanger on in Wilson's poolroom,
1913 Webster street. told a Call re-
porter that he was regularly employed
70 remain in the various poolrooms
during the raids Although the de-
tectiVes know him very well, he said,
they never recognize him, nor is he
recognized at the police station, where
he has been booked innumerable times.
Wilson's poolroom is raided on a regu-
lar average Of twice week, Tues
DAYS and Saturdays.
FIFTY RAIDS ON EIGHT PLACES
Rosendorn's poolroom at 1116 Golden
Gate avenue has been raided three
times within a week The detectives
are so well acquainted with the pro-
prietors OF this place that after a raid
they themselves summon the patrol
wagon over their own telephone.
Within the last four weeks more than
50 raids have been made in eight pool
rooms alone.
Boys from IS to II years OF age were
seen placing bets in a poolroom in
Webster street. while in the others
lads OF Il manage TO get their bets
down by inducing older persons to
make their bets for them. In all of
the poolrooms the places were so wide
open that any person might go In and
place bet.
The poolroom trust has so system
stized its affairs that all results Of the
racing are sent 10 the poOlroorns in the
syndicate from the headquarters in
O'Earrel street at the same time The
smaller, subsidiary pooirooms which
belong 70 the trust are supplied by
eAiLL l4ESSEI erS-
Eight operators are employed in the
OFarreil street headquarters. and they
are kept busy all day in supplying
racing Information. Tips on intended
raids are also flashed out from head
quarters within a few seconds Of their
receipt When visited yesterday bv
Call reporters the poolroom was in
full swing. Sixty or more eager gam
biers were gathered around a table on
which the book maker was n,arl-f.,e O.
the bets. which ranged in amount
from so cents to $10o while the arrav
OF telephones on the walls suggested
a stock exchange brokers' Office Charts
and dope sheets" Uttered the tables.
and checks were dealt out from a desk
near the door.
e1 NkY-N.N-