Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-01-20
Admits That There Are Twenty
Five Gambling Games
Running in City.
UNDER THE "AMERICAN' RULE
News" Expose of Saturday Night
Forces it to Take An
other Tack.
Defender of George Sheets Now Ariscs
And Says Burbidgc is to Rlame
For Conditions.

The expose made by the News on
saturday evening of the many gam
ping joints in operation in this city
has been widely ana favorably COM
mented upon by citizens of all parties
and creeds. 1t also had the effect OF
stirring up the police department to
action in suppressing the evil, and re-
suited in raid on one of the places
named by the News"
The rattle of chips and the shuttle
of cards in room at the rear of the
LuNus bar ON State street attracted the
attention of Officers Hinton and NAL
10y at 1870 Sunday morning. and the
| raid that followed developed the fact
that game was in progress. Seated
| around the table which was strewn
| with chips, money and cards were four
men. The men, chips and money were
nabbed by the officers ana taken 10
police headquarters, where the prls-
oners We're charged with gambling OF
course the men gave fictitious names.
such as John Doe and Richard Roe. but
were compelled to deposit with the
| desk sergeant the sum of s25 each for
! their appearance in court.
ORGAN IN A NEW ROLE.
The expose ny the News" also had
the expected effect of stirring up the
organ of the crooks TO a state of
frantic rage. Unable to make the us
ual denial it did its customary
STUNT" OF frenZied abuse, and for once
| fell into line and went even stronger
| than the ''News''--.for political rea-
! sons.
The sheet stated 1t believed that
mot less than 100 professional gam
blers' were in Salt Lake and that
fully 20 games were permitted to
rum"
BURBIDGE BLAMED.
Then 1t makes flying leap clear
over ghe subject and lays all the
blame on Captain of Police John b.
Burbidge. The organ OF the crooks
unblushingly declares that gambling
was stamped out under the rule of
Ezra Thompson and Honest George
Sheets" when it knows full we'll that
the statement is false. The records
of the court Will show that arrests
for gambling, and convictions were
had. Why the arrests and prosecu-
tions if there was no gambling then?
LEST WE FORGET
The organ carefully refrained from
any mention OF the game" in which
the McWhirters lost $4,000. Perhaps
it does not call that gambling, although
1t did on several occasions, but 10
admit that now would be 10 admit that
under Thompson and Honest George
Sheets" gambling did flourish and that
the city was INFESTED With blacklegs
and tlnhorns. There are no CLAIMS
that the particular game in mention
was gambling in the ordinary sense.
1t was apparently simply a case of pre-
meditated robbery ana the evidence IN
the case indicates that the then chief
of police and others associated were
connected with it,
When the details of the affair were
made public the organ of the crooks
tried to get from under by blaming it
on TO Captain Burbidge. The sheet
blamed Burbidge but later crawled in
to Its hole.
Now that more incompetency OF
american rule is made known 1t tries
10 crawl from under again, and AGAIN
blames the whole thing on 10 Cap
tain Burbldge.
THE REAL REASON.
And why?
Because Chief Pitt and Burbidga
have not shown a disposition to come
TO heel as far as the Salt Lake Tribune
is concerned. They apparently show
too much disposition to gang their
own gait"
Hence it looks as though the split
in tho American" party is widening
into a rent
The News" carries no brief for
Capt. Burbidge. But as one man
said this morning.
'The sheet has been forced TO ad-
NIT that there is gambling in Salt Lake.
II has been forced 10 admit Il before
but makes the lame excuse that Bur-
bldge is to blanc. II he Is TO blame
then Chief Pitt IS more TO blame and
the mayor and party no represents are
more 10 blame than either"
The sheet asks III Burbidge has
been given orders 10 permit gambling,
and Is not responsible for IL himself
vino gave him the orders?"
Burbidge has not been given orders 10
permit gambling nor has he given or
ders himself 10 permit a., at least so
say his friends.
Chief Pitt said this morning; "rhese
people who are jumping ON us forget
the fact that We have nnde several
arrests for gambling We We're un-
We did what we could"
The organ has been forced TO confess
that gambling does exist IN Salt Lake
under America" party rule. To es-
cape responsibility II throws the blame
ON others
Neither Chief Pitt nor Captain Bur
bidgo cared To discuss tho matter to-
day Burhdge had nothing 10 say
whatever and chief Pltl merely
laughed.
MAYOR BRANsFORp COGNllANT.
Mayor Bransford said this morning
that he Is aware that gambling Is go
ing OF In tho city ana that ne " oo-
posed 10 r. He declares ihAl me pp-
iice force Is doing everything u can to
conc with the situation and wll CON
tlnue 10 do So He says there nhi '''
Is more men added 10 the departments
and thai when mat Is done there, wNi
XII a toree SUFFICIENT 10 take care Of mo
situation and viii then put a fi"p "
gambling In all unlawful fofms'