The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-11-16

our growing metropolis.
H.-.-.-.-.-..s-.-.-.-.-.
Police Commissioner Croul and AS
sistant Prosecutor Jasnowski are both
agreed that the biggest problem con
fronting the authorities in suppress
ing the operation Of slot machines III
Detroit is caused by the practice, gen
eral all over the city, of spirting
the machines out OF the saloon build
ings on week days, when the saloons
are legally open, and bringing them
back for operation on Sundays, when
the saloons are conducted with a SEN
tinel at the door to Tip Off the APP
pEoach OF any officers. They both de
clare that an astonishing number OF
slot machines are operated in that
way.
Five more machines were seized by
Jasnowski and Detectives High and
Larkins, Tuesday evening, when they
started at point between Wyandotte
and Trenton and came into the city,
picking up machines as they came.
One man had his slot machine lock-
ed in the basement behind two lock-
ed doors. but when told that he would
avoid trouble by surrendering Il. he
led the officers to IT, He said that he
had notified the owner whose name
he would not tell, to take the ma
chine away that very afternoon.
In another place visited, the pro
prletor was somewhat deaf, and did
not hear the telephone bell ring. De-
tective High got TO the phone first,
and someone said. Look ont, Two
fellows are here from Detroit But
the machine, which had been faced
10 the wall, was seized. In another
place, a machine was concealed In a
retiring room.
Mr.. Jasnowski said that complaints
would follow some OF the seizures,
but no complaints would be made
against men who willingly surrender
ed the machines without obstructing
the officers, and where the operators
We're not chronic law violarors.
The saloonkeepers seem TO be get
ting ashamed Of themselves for oper-
ating the machines. since the crusade
Of action and publicity" said Mr..
Jasnowski. "They beg us not 10 give
out their names for publication when
We find machines in their places"
Commissioner Croul believes that
ont branches of the law working in
harmony, will result in much perman-
ent good, and he is optimistic OF a
betterment of saloon conditions.
Il divide saloonkeepeTs into three
classes says Commissioner Croul,
1.-THE A. No. ! class, which willingly
obeys the laws. and which constitute
about one third: the class that is ON
- h., Nod ola hot
nothing for the laws or the police.
And that class is the one that infu-
ences the middle class. When the in
tention of the Warner-Cramton law,
TO have only one saloon for each 500
inhabitants, becomes fact, as ! am
hopeful OF seeing il become. soon. the
Lad class will be put out of business,
and the big wavering class will swing
10 the law abiding side Then we
won't haze any more OF these pathetic
letters from women, about their hus.
bands or their boys.
II tried, for while. to govern the
situation by having the uniformed
officers maintain surveillance over the
saloons. The law-abiding class
doesn't need that. and the other class
laughs at IL. So now we are using
the plain clothes men. and are going
the limit. We are getting lots OF com
plants. If the courts and the prose
cutor's office will carry them through.
II will result i'm putting the law-break-
ers out of business
Plain clothes officers are being
"swamped" by their captains. for Off
GERS from remote parts OF the city.
who can do detective work in the sa-
looms. and not he recognized. The
number of plain clothes men used is
left to the discretion Of the precinct
captain. who is held responsible for
his precinct by the commissioner
"As to slot machines, We don't
make complaints against the oper-
ators,," says the commissioner. we
found that Il didn't work out very
well So when we find a machine, we
Jus, bring IL in and smash il up as
quickly as we can. We have broken
m close TO $50 machines this year.
Nearly all OF them were seized on
SUNDAYS. though occasionally a sa-
IoonkeepeT grew CareTeSs nm fefft trffrr
machine turned TO the wall, in his
saloon during the week
Commissioner Croul believes that
with only one saloon TO each 800 peo-
pie. the demand for licenses Will be
so great as 10 make the license real
asset TO a saloonkeeper who wound
naturally take no chance OF losing IT,
-aud wuuft taite-f-ti.fe in running A
law-abiding. orderly saloon. where the
closing hours would be observed, and
where drunken man could not get
q drink.
Some of the saloohKeepers WHO
run the toughest places. In So far as
F., their patrons are concerned. are run
ring their places in strict obedience
10 the law. and they've got lot OF
credit coming for doing g." says the