The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-01-13
THE WAY POLICE RAID
LONDON GAMING DENS
Absolute Secretary Maintained by on
Gals, and the Policemen Are Kept
in the Dark Until the Last
demonstrating Into
the Club.

/ INC Niups
The police have recently carried out
some sensational raids on big gaming
clubs and II may be interesting 10
learn how these raids are effected.
This is how II Is done In London; As
soon as the detectives suspicious have
been confirmed they apply to the com
missioner OF police for a warrant to
enter. The warrant authorizes certain
officers mentioned by name 10 enter
the club In tho name OF the king Or
binary policemen are not permitted 10
carry out raid. but the detectives
can call upon them for assistance at
the critical moment
Absolute secrecy is enforced right
up 20 the moment OF entry. There Is
no excitement az the station on that
day, and the men on duty have no sus-
picion OF what is In the wind. Plans
OF the house are drawn and carefully
studied by the raiding officers. for the
doorkeeper OF the club is prepared at
the slightest alarm 10 send warning
to his customers. and every vestige OF
gambling apparatus win mysterlously
disappear and the raid fail. A careful.
ly planned ruse, therefore. has to be
evolved which win disarm suspicion.
During the day body OF reserve"
policemen will receive communica-
tion from the station that they will be
required 10 parade at a certain hour
and they meet with no idea OF what is
expected OF them. They are drawn up
in line. 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
borhood OF a certain street in couple
of hours and not to get near the spot
before the prearranged moment.
The FIRST officer to appear on the
scene is the one in charge OF the raid.
He is always disguised and usually
looks like a well dressed man about
town. He passes the club careIessly,
but II Is sufficient for him to learn
from confederate inside that gaming
has commenced. A policeman then
saunters to the corner of the street
and stays there as though he were on
point" duty. Then. not till then, Is
the information of the precise club to
be raided secretly conveyed TO the at
lacking force in their hiding places,
while the club. unconscious OF Its i'm
pending fate. pursues its gambling.
The first difficulty to surmount is to
get past the burly doorkeeper If this
is not successfully done the raid will
end in failure. Presently the sound of
drunken song Is heard in the dis
lance, and two apparently rough look
ing men come staggering along. AS
they near the entrance to the club they |
begin disputing 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 fighting. and the officer
NJ the GoEHtE IDAnts diouH a4tA VAdCAH Il
them away. The men return. however.
to "haye 1t out with the doorkeeper."
The noise increases, attracting home
ward bound gentlemen in evening
dress, who gather round and urge the
men on.
The doorkeeper by this time becomes
for the rowdy crowd win
brighten away his clients. Perhaps
just at this moment member OF the
club arrives and seeks admission. The
door is opened with the utmost caution
TO admit him. Before he has time to
fasten it the two officers hastily secure
the member and rush upstairs The
two combatants were disguised police
men and the onlookers detectives.
AS soon as 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
Is alive with police. Ii
the house boasts Of a trapdoor on the
roof, the fash Of lanterns viii be seen