The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1908-08-10
Raids on Gambling Places
Brings to Light Evils
Which Exist in City.
STREET SCENES DISGRACE
Fair Name Of the City, Yet City
Officials Merely Wink
at Wickedness.

The burning of several gambling
table and other gambling apparatus
was novel sisht witnessed by ped
estrians who passed the corner of
Court and Mechanic street Monday
morning.
Upon Information by r. j, Taylor.
Chief of Police Stealey and Officers
Gill, Howe. Juyce and Brooks made
a raid on the Swagor and Manhat-
tan places Sunday morning about
o'clock.
Six men were found in the Swager
den and arrested on the charge Of
gambling Their names they gave
as Billy Mays, Newt Heenan, W. H,
Peppers, John Johnson. James Mar
tin and Hendershot Nobody
was found In the Manhattan but the
proprletors. Kochler and Kearns. and
they were arrested on the same
charge. All put UP abounts of $25
each for their appearance in police
court Monday morning at o'clock.
but so far none Of them have shown
up.
The officers also taptlred lot OF
the gambling furniture, which the
mayor ordered burned.
Chief Stealey then took the gamb
ling apparatus to an open space on
the corner of Court and Mechanic
street and burned it.
Chief Describes Conditions.
A detailed conversation between
the chief of police and member Of
the city council some two weeks ago,
10 given here, would add considerable
sensation to the article. Suffice It
to say that the councilman was COM
planning bitterly of the openness Of
the city, especially as to the large
number of cases of drunks on tho
streets, when the chief in reply to
the remark that the town was too
open related chain OF existing evils
that was an amazing revelation to
the complaining councilman. In.
ordinations were made by the chief
of police involving an official higher
up.
Detective to be Sent for.
Agitation the last two weeks or
more on the part OF some of the sup
porters of the present administration
at the polls last spring has been loud
and some are reported as having
made the repeated threat to send to
Baltimore or some other eastern
city to secure the services of de-
tective to ferret out the gambling
dens.
Raids Only on Complaint.
It is noted that no raids have been
made except OIL warrants and COM
plants Of others, and, It seems 10 be
the policy of the present administra-
ton to permit everything to go, ex-
ccpt when forced to act
Among the most disgraceful fea-
lures OF the present administration.
showing its lack of competency to
administer affairs in the manner
some hoped for is the kind of wo-
men allowed to parade the streets
AS well as the brazcn conduct indulg-
ed in by men and women on street
corners and other public places.
Even these female stragglers have
been known lately to ring door bells
at 3 o'clock in the morning at pri-
vate residences and ask TO he shell
ter the. remainder of the night. De-
cent women have been subjected to
| insult on the streets and in public
places.
Unchecked for Months.
This condition of affairs has gone
on unchecked for several months
Gaming houses have been operated
with the knowledge Of the admins
tration. without the slightest effort Of
interference. Women known to be
of bad character parade the streets
day and night and hang around the
street corners day in and day out.
Yet that mooted reform hailed by
many last sprius with wings spread
wide and liylng mig has scared out Of
sight
There IS no e$nggeratton of the con-
ditions. indeed thr half has not been
told, and CnrFebufg has the name
far and wide d ng at present the
most wide-open city In the state.