The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-10
POKER CAME RAID
Old Time Gamblers Caught at
National Hotel.
M. Ring and Lawson Whfteker
the Victims.
GARNERED A HARVEST
Reported That Legislators We're
Entertained.
Place Was Fixed to Prevent a
Surprised.
HARNERED A HARVEST

Two notorious gamblers, Mike Ring
and Lawson Whiteker, survivors in the
game from Topeka's former circle of
crooks, were captured after midnight
last night in the midst of a poker
game in their gambling den which
has been paying $4,000 month and
which they have maintained in the
National hotel
The game was conducted on the
fifth floor of the annex in rooms 511
and 513. The rooms are in the north
end of the hall at the head of the
north stairway. A small hail room
leads to the two rooms, direct into one
room and by a closet into the other
and the two rooms are connected by
a door. The gamblers had the direct
entrance blockaded by chairs and
other furniture SO that it was impos-
gfble to enter by that door which made
the only avenue to the inner room
through the hall, the closet and the
other room, providing four doors be-
fore reaching the gambling table. and
all the doors were kept locked with
Joe Matthews as keeper.
The chief had secured the informa-
tion necessary for a search as there
has been some suspicion from the
movements of the principals. An in
vestigating party was sent over to the
National shortly before midnight and
gained admittance to the fifth floor,
hearing a great deal of noise in the
rooms designated in a diagram which
the chief had supplied for their guild
ance, but for some reason the officers
were not satisfied with the situation,
and returned to the station. At 1890
o'clock the chief sent back a larger
squad consisting of Sergeant Ross and
officers Fowler. Hopkins, Summers,
Wonderly and Gilbert to do something
and then see if it was right. The
party again reached the head of the
north stair and the suspicioned
F@T10 rS,,1r =, Il .@f =
floors. There was now no loud noise
but the rooms were occupied. A
knock soft and intended to make
noise like a pass rap succeeded in
the door. AS he opened the door he
was seized and rapidly pushed back
through the other three doors into the
gaming room where only the two pro-
fessional gamblers, Ring and White
ker, were in a poker game, and the
three were placed under arrest.
The equipment of the den, now in
the police station, presents some clev-
er ideas In the way of police lodging.
The table round and large enough to
circle dozen men easily. is con-
stFucted- so as to- be knocked down
and thrown out of sight in a few sec
onds. The top is divided into halves
and hinged so that it can be picked
off the stand, doubled Up and slipped
into a small space The four legs of
the table f1t into the corner blocks of
a square frame. All that is necessary
to knock down the table is the loosen
ing of a hook when the top can be
jerked off and doubled up, the frame
raised from the legs, and the falling
legs and all kicked under the fake
floor of the closet while a fake travel
ing salesman tells a fake story and
the fake hearers set up a fake laugh.
Twenty-three decks of cards, 1900
poker chips, a dozen bottles of whisky,
most of which were empty, told the
tale of much missing money for
Whiteker had a few days ago told a
friend that last month had cleared
him $1,000. and he was just one of
the partners.
1t is understood that prominent men
and game legislators from the tall
uncut were roped into the dive by the
clever gamblers along with the ever
ready knight of the grip and the
sporting youth of the town. If the
officers when first sent up had gone
on in there would undoubtedly have
been plenty of game for the officers
net.
Colonel C. A. Wood, proprietor of
the hotel, when approached by an Of
hcer merely said: How the devil did
you get up there. That door is always
locked"
Ring was at one time a policeman
on the Topeka force and Whiteker |
was launched into business by his |
brothers, but both of them have be- |
come professional gamblers by choice. |