The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-05
MAKE A BIC HAUL
Police Raid a Policy Game and
Get Results.
Porter Patterson and George
Sadler Are Arrested.
CAPTURE THE WHEELS
Men Caught as Numbers We're
Being Drawn.
How This Favorite of Games
Was Played.
CAPTURE THE WHEELS

After Is months of suspicion and
watching with no sufficient proof, three
! of Eaton's detectives camping close on
| the trail for the last three weeks have
finally caught two of the smoothest
gamblers who have been in Topeka for
years. For more than a year the police
have been finding torn bits of policy
tickets but could not find from whence
| they came.
Porter Patterson and George Sadler,
both colored. We're surprised in their
den last night by Detectives Hutton,
SauLS and summers, operating policy
wheel and declaring the winners The
police think they have the real power
behind the game and their bonds were
fixed at $500 each. Sheir trial is set for
January IA.
About two weeks ago Porter Patter-
son was arrested for vagrancy but when
searched it was found he had $525. so
and some policy tickets. That is when
the trail grew hot. Patterson lives in
Tennesseetown and has never been
known to work by the people in that
community. Sadler has been seen with
Patterson, though seldom, and not sus-
pected with him. He lives at 205 Jack
son street.
Three of the wheels taken by the po-
lice give evidence of a very thriving
game among the blacks. One of these
was found some time ago unused in a
lower avenue joint. Two were taken
yesterday while one was in use. The
dusty secluded retreat where tn men
were caught is a room upstairs at 312
Kansas avenue, over the Capital Phar-
macy with front and rear stairs.
Watching the place from hiding the
detectives yesterday saw Patterson slip
into the front stairway and ascend. Be
fore a half hour had passed a little col
ored boy with furtive side glances ran
Il nlIy lot q
back stairs. Later Saddler also dis
appeared up the rear passageway.
Then there was a quick signal among
the officers, Hutton took the front way
and Sauls and Summers the rear. AS
they reached the doors they could hear
the whirr of the wheel.
Without a moments warning both
doors We're kicked in simultaneously
and the officers had the men they have
watched for these many days. In one
corner of the room Patterson was turn
ing the wheel and the kid bhndfolded
drew out the numbers. At a table sat
SaddIer marking down the winning
numbers. Only a few numbers had been
drawn for there were a large number
left in the wheel At the moment the
officers entered Patterson kicked the
wheel to the floor, breaking the glass
out of it. Then he seemed to think it
was all up for he never said word or
tried to break away.
The room gave evidence of short stay
and little preparation to be necessary
to move. 1t is a little sky-Hghted room,
dirty and without furniture except for
the chair table, and policy wheels.
The operators probably moved about
every few days to throw off the detec-
tives. The ticket holders seem to trust
them implicitly for they were running
the wheel alone. no one else was pres
ent and the only sound to be heard was
the whifr, STOP, and start of the wheel,
except when a number was announced
to SaddIer for memorandum. Thus the
whole game had been worked in few
minutes every afternoon and night and
the principals were to be seen else
where by the officers trying to ind them
Never We're local officers more pleas
ed with their work nor more commend |
ed by their chief than when they APP
peared at the prison with these prison |
ers Chief Eaton said: Nothing has
given me more pleasure, and nothing
more confidence in my men, in the past
year than this capture by these detec- |
tiYeS. We have been on their trail now
for months. They have been selling
tickets up and down the streets and al |
legs to all negroes who would take
chance, washerwomen, porters, and 9TH |
ers bought these tickets every day but |
we were unable to find the machines |
until yesterday. 1 consider it a very |
catch for these crooks have
been operating here for years.
The crap gambling places broken |
up in the last month are not in class |
with this raid for this policy game |
hits every colored person in the town |
who has the least symptoms of the |
fever of chance. Men with these tick |
cts were out every day passing among
the negroes selling numbers. Craps is |
a much simpler device, but not nearly |
so productive and it is no wonder that |
so much interest has been instigated |
in the wheels.
PattersOn's note books show that
for twenty weeks there was just one
drawing a week. Each week shows a
balance t'to the good" of from SIS |
to $50. Then the game became better
known, until lately the wheel has been
spun every day at $50 p. m. and
again at 1880 p. m. with the same
winnings an weekly. The highest
''hit'' scored hit the proprietor for
some $50. In his outfit We're ticket
markers, stamps and blanks.
To show the possibilities and appeal
of this game the reporter had it ex-
planned by one of the adopts now on
the rock pile Numbers are prepared /
from 1 to rs. The solicitor goes
among the clients and asks them what
numbers they will play. They choose
their numbers, and how many. Two
numbers as 2 and are called a "sad- /.
de- three mum bers are called "gig."
Prices and awards vary as to the scale
used. The scale used here made it
cost sc to play a saddle and 10c to