The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-10-20
LONDON GANMGlENS
Tho Way the POLICE Descend Upon
Them In a Raid.
SKILL, CUNNING AND DARING.

| Ahspluts sscreey 10 Maintained by ths
| ofHcIaIa and the Policemen Ar
/ Kept IN the Dark Until ths Last
Moments Getting lnso shs Club.
The police have recently carried out
some sensational raids On big gaming
clubs, ana II may ID Interesting 10
learn how these raids arc effected.
This a how II II done ID London: As
soon an the detectiyes' suspicious have
bsen confirmed they apply 70 the com
missioner Of police for q warrant 70
eater The warrant authorizes certain
officers mentioned By name 10 enter
| the club In the name Of the king. Of.
dinary poIicefnen aro not permitted 10
carry out d raid, but the detectives
can call npon them for assistance as
tho critical momens,
Absolute secrecy IL enforced right
| up 10 the moment of entry. There u
no excitement at the station on that
day, and the men on duty have no sua-
picion of what ID ii the wind. Plans
OF the house are drawn and carefully
studied BY the raiding officers, fOT tho
dCorkeeper of the club II prepared at
the slightest alarm to send a warning
to his customers, and every vestige of
gambling apparatus win rnysterionsly
disappear and the raid fail. Acareful-
~ planned ruse, therefore. has 70 be
evolved which Will diaarm suspicion,
During the day b body of reserve
policemen VIII receive communica-
ton from the station that they VIII 30
required to parade at d certain hour,
and they meet with no idea or what Is
expected Of them. They are drawn up
iii Ilne and after names have been
called over they are dismissed from
the station one by one, with the In
junction to be IN the immediate neigh
boFhoOd of d certain street ID d couple
Of hours and not TO get near the spot
before the prearranged moment.
The Grst officer TO appear on the
scene Il the one IA charge Of the raid.
he is always disguised and usually
looks IKE a well dressed man about
town. He passes the club carelesaly,
but II ls su1icient for him to learn
from n confederate inside that gaming
has commenced A policeman then
saunteFs to the corner Of the street
and stays there as though he were on
''point" duty. Then. not I'LL then, "
the information Of the precise club to
be taided secretly conveyed to the At.
saclslng force IN their hiding places.
while the club unconscious Of its I'm
| pending fate. pursues rs gambling.
The ElFst difilcuIty 70 surmount i 70
get past the burly doorkeeper, If this
Is not successfully done the raid viii
end In failure. Presently the sound Of
q drunken song II heard III the div
tance, and two apparently rough look
ing men come staggering along Az
they near the entrance TO the club they
begin dlsputing and soon come to
blows. The doorkeeper peeps through
the wicket and orders the men away.
One OF the men rushes at the wicket
and challenges the doorkeeper to 'come
outside like man. and at the same
time shouts out something about the
character Of the house, The combat
ants continue lighting, and the officer
at the corner comes along and orders
them away. The men return, however.
to shave 1t out with the dooFkeeperr
The noise increases, attracting home
ward bound gentlemen IN evening
dress. who gather round and urge the
men on.
The dcorkeepcr BY this time becomes
alarmed, for the rowdy crowd will
frIghten away his clients, Perhaps
just at this moment a member of the
club arrives and seeks admission. The
door is opened with the utmost caution
to admit him. Before he has time 70
fasten III the two officers hastily secure
the member and rush upstairs. The
two combatants were disguised police
men and the onlookers detectives.
AS soon DIS an entrance into the club
has been effected the constable at the
corner sounds his whistle, and before
the sound has died away the whole
neighborhood is alive with police. II
the house boasts Of trapdoor on the
roof, the fash Of lanterns win be seen
up there, tho men having been con-
cealed among the chimney pots since
1t was dark. The front door is secured,
and the police form a guard around
the house, 50 that escape Is impossible
Meantime the scene upstairs Is one
Of the widest excitement. The gam
hlers, intent on business, had not no.
ticed the acuffie In the passage, and
the first mtimation they get of tho
state Of Affairs is when the door Is
thrown open and the officer IN charge
calls on them to regard themselves as
his prisoners, Then they realize their
position. The tables are overturned,
and card counters and money roll all
over the door as fhe members endeayor
to escape They make for the street
door but baked IN this direction, hur-
Nv to all parts Of the house To hide
The crestfallen members Of the club
are conveyed to the station, each in
thn euafNdv Of two 0fFlrnru Then fhn