Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-12

had to fall in line with a fixed amount
Of graft or get raided. It doesn't pay to
try to cheat the police out Of what they
expect The annual revenue from this
source to the grafters has helped greatly
to swell the grand total.
A license to sell liquor costs 100 q
year. 1t is granted by the excise depart
ment according to law.
A license to run q gambling house costs
$1,000 q month. It is secured from va
rious police officials through their men,
The man who wants to run a gambling
house figures upon paying this $1,000 q
open saloon knows that he has got to
pay $1,000 a year.
X x
This is not theory or guessing I have
been associated In g. number Of gambling
houses We always had to pay 1t. have
been associated with grating police
official and collected his part Of the 81. 200
for him. 1t went to pay for protection
from the "strong-arm squad" Of which
he was the head. The remaining part Of
the 81. 200 was gathered In by other col
lectors, representing other police officials
For Becker I collected $500 a month
from twenty different houses. My share
was 25 per cent. This is how worked.
My days Of collecting were the list
and 18th Of each month. I called on the
poolroom keepers first, as their business
is conducted in the early afternoon.
a CHEEKY good afternoon" That was
the code.
His return greeting and looks told
palmer than so many words the esteem In
which he held me. Next to the under
taker. perhaps. was the person he was
most pleased to see!
The first shock Of seeing me over, the
keeper of the poolroom would begin py
telling me that was "hoodoo."
"Say, Jack" he would say, "how do you
account for the fact that every time you
come to collect, the races run disastrously
for me? Here you haven't been here f1ve
minutes and I've lost almost my entire
bank roll. / really can't pay you today.
Come around tomorrow"
'Then 1t was up to me to tell him how
sorry 1 felt for his predicament. usually
following 1t up with the information that
I wasn't there to collect, anyway. just to
deliver a message from the boss"
you've got to close up, Steve. Too
many letters have been pouring in about
this place. Not for a thousand month
can Becker stand for this place another
day."
The Mortified look on the poolroom
keepers face didn't die out until I had
assured him that perhaps If returned to
Becker at once with the monthly pay
ment in my jocket might be able to get
things fixed up. That usually worked the
trick and the money was passed over.
At the next place might visit would
be given perhaps a story Of the pow
erty-stricken state Of the proprietor,
and how he would have to quit the bust
ness unless I agreed to cut down MS
payments. My reply was that yesterday
had delivered similar message from a
poolroom keeper to Becker. and then the
''boss'' had told me that my answer to
any and all Of their complaints must be
the same: II they can't stand the tariff
tell them to quit the gambling business
and start a frankfurter stand.
At the next place the proprietor Is init
mately acquainted with a politician who
knows everything that is going on at
headquarters.
Last night I was in this politicians
saloon" he would say. spending little
money. I asked him what was new at
headquarters. Well. he told me in the
strictest confidence that the commissioner
had just asked him over the phone to
name the man to take Becker's place as
head Of the "strong-arm squad" Becker
is through. Come around the latter part
Of the week, Jack-if you feel like 1T.
THAT'S all right" I would reply. "but
you make good today or not at all. That's
my orders"
"Sure that's your orders. Tomorrow.
I guess. Becker'll be through. That's