The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1909-03-03
BIG POOLRO0M and POKER
GAMES ARE RUNNING HERE
OWLS CLUB NOTHING
BUT A GAMBLING
HOUSE.
Detective Phillips Says IL
Is Only a Nice Social =,
Club.

| uih6htAina tta real OFFSET unueF
charter for purely social or
paniration, the Owls club hes
been operating a pool room, q
I saloon and q gambling hall on
/ the third floor ~ the Union
block, on First aV., between Co
iumbia and Cherry Sta, for more
than . month past.
II 81 no small AFFAIR. either. this
Owls club. for yesterday while q
Star reporter whiled away a few
minutes in the club rooms. apparent-
y immune from police interference.
there were not less than 50. and often
as high AZ 100 men. either betting On
the next race. cashing Ia their win
nings or listening to the returns
given over the telephone.
DIRECT FROM THE TRACK IN
CALIFORNIA.
Some time ago, Il was learned to-
day, someone reported to Chief Of
Police Ward that big pool room
vas operating in this place. He in
hirucicd Detective Phillips 70 make
an investigation. Today the chief
stated that Phillips reported having
been In the place on more than half
dozen different occasions, and
PHILLIPS COULDN'T SEE ANY
GAMBLING.
Phillips reported 20 me-" said the
chief, that the club was simply q
social organization, that they might
slide into poker game once ia a
while. but that II was about the
same a. the Eagles, the Owls or any
other fraternai organization"
running a pool room7'' ths chief was
asked
Pool room" he replied. NO. he
said nothing about anyone playing
the races"
Planned 70 Break the Law.
The club was organized by pool
room habituea for the simple pur-
pose Of defying the law and the
edicts OF the authorities regarding
the closing ~ the pool rooms.
During the past month there
has been from sf,50o to $4,000
change hands daily on the re.
suits 81 the races announced
through this pool room.
Admission 10 the club is by a
card 81 invitation. These invitations
are spread broadcast among all who
might want 20 place bet on a
The Star reporter secured one Of
these cards. went up 70 the club and
rang the bell 90 the front door. which
was locked A bolt Was slid back
from the inside. and with hardly a
second glance IT the card the man
on watch admitted the reporter.
The ~Soeial Club.
In this room there waa large
number OF men sitting about the ia
bles reading. This was the social
club"
The reporter walked directly to
the rear door, which was also locked.
The Waterman obligtnRly slid back
The second bolt. and the newspaper
visitor entered the pool room. gam
bling hall and saloon combined.
The room was thick with to-
bacco smoke. There we're about
rs men sitting around the dozen
tables in the long room, or
standing about the desk at one
side Of the room. where the bet
ting was going on. One man
sat at a telephone, announcing
the post odds and giving the re-
suits OF the racing as u pre-
crossed al the track.
On the tables were spread a large
number of entry sheets. giving the
ny = fttAfEtt tttt Dk WHICH u repro
duced today. A dozen OF more men
were marking the scratches for the
next race or studying the penciIed
results on the last card.
The OPERATOR WAS GET
TING HIS INFORMATION
OVER The TELEPHONE OIL
RECT FROM THE TRACK,
AND ANNOUNCING 1T AS 1T
WAS DELIVERED TO HIM.
There Was no secrecy about the
betting being carried on. Men OPEN
N took out their money and placed
i on their choice In the next race.
and a number CT winners were paid
Off for the last race. The man who
was taking the bets handled 5000
on the one race for which bets were
being accepted, while the reporter
was present. He paid out approx
imately 500 10 the winners OF the
preceding event
Big Pokor Game in Progress.
In rear room we're two large card
tables, and one hig poker game was
In progress There was eight or ten
players seated around the table, and
the piles Of chips stacked up In
front Of them Indicated that the
stakes were heavy
The bookmaker wrote out the bets
8ftR 'ANH NH p AAF1s winch ne
showed To one side OF the desk These
cards are not given TO the PLAYERS.
but as fast as the returns are an
nounced on the race, the cards ara
looked over by the bookmaker, who
pays the winners.
The players are never handed the
cards themselves. II the cards were
handed out they could be used as
evidence An any criminal prosecu-
ton.
Come on, boys, we will take
bets now on this last race" the
bookmaker announced. And
then he added facetiously, There
Is no telling how much longer
we can keep IL up"
And in reply to this plea the boys
crowded around the desk in their
eagerness 10 get their money placed
CA their favorites In the last race.
EYE WORTH
n nm - a ~ a a