Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-09-10
1DRTER THREATENS
COR IN UNIFORM AT
GAMING DEN DOORS
...,,tor Would Quarantine
'''r stouses to Force Closing.
Saws Lack of Funds
Prevent Prosecution
.ccIIsEs ORGANIZATION

49,. - said Director Porter, may
v.,,s.iyes secure because we have
p". ..nrey to prosecute investigations
,heu. but win say now that II
'r ,corts fail we will put man in
nns' o,,,s,de each gambling house TO
u'''' .on,e away. and brand as
WY .vsry one who enters the door"
t,''' ,,,r.ctor commented today on
~. 'a given wide publicity that several
s,ng houses we're running within
a,s,ance OF City Hall. 1t is charged
~, ~ ,be publicity given to the gambling
u !. ,he result OF combining the in
n'us. q, the Organization and of
rsmblers ar. ,..., =,
~ f,rsanlzation to discredit the present
tne ..,stratIon by reporting the presence
Aonln',,,ino houses, and the gamblers are
~ anxious to have public ac-
talo,sdsment talo OF their operation in order
~ sbie 20 approach the administration
p.ws Il he plea that they were allowed to
r,, under the old order.
~. .va,nst the Organization that ne
.1a.,@,re Of gambling may be charged,
.@ardlne to some observers. councils
.ssnre 10 appropriate money for the re-
.-v,nent of sums spent by special oricers
" " ,ns.s 'ss..sreakeasies'' has virtually put a
~ w ,ostbe prosecution of gambling house
Nv so,ors Special policemen have been
pas,,,1 Tor four months for money spent
rfaro and ather necessaries during
~ ies.,,a ttons There Is no fund to meet
.s,' demand. One special policeman went
y az as to resign because he could not
.eard 10 hold his job. He asked to be
.srsrsterred back to the house detail In
inform.
r,.oc,or Porter asserted that. although
4. ssnartment's hands appeared TO be
"a he was not helpless, and that patrons
us.mhl,ng houses would be made to feel
y y. Uncomfortable and proprietors would
<. .o' annoyed that an early closing would
=. q order. This batting was effectively
united. TO a house on Walnut street be-
,.rsn 18Th and Juniper streets. in June.
nol,eeman in uniform stood outside
~. house during the daylight hours and
,mhllcity given to the matter by news
sspers Informed the hundreds OF persons
IN nassed that any one who climbed
~ stars to the second floor either was
,smbler or dealt with gamblers. The
s.sse closed and the proprietors moved
4 atlantic City at the end of six weeks
quarantine.
r,lrector Porter and Superintendent of
police Robinson discussed the matter to-
Ssy Il, Director Porter's private office.
aTbere is no use denying that there
,re rambling houses in Philadelphia, be-
cause ltheir existence is well known to
u.s. Director Porter said mo one dis
MES Il more than / do, but the special
polIcenen have refused to go down in
heir pockets for money to investigate
the gambling houses when they know
D. ihcy have only a slight chance of ever
getting the money again.
There are hundreds of dollars due
Ipecial policemen in Philadelphia. but
because Councils have given us no money
They cannot be repaid"
II Director Porter exploded the story that
the gambling houses were running wide
II sbenLp He had hardly begun before Su-
4 psrintendent Robinson supplemented:
That's It: 1t is nearly impossible to
stt into the places. If we break In we
md they have taken all their equipment
away. and the new patrons are watched
40 carefully that only the people they are
perfectly sure of get through the door.
On Tuesday night we had the satisfac-
Hon Of breaking up a crap game table
on Columbia avenue between 9th and 10th
streets"
Director Porter explained the law re-
lating to the prosecution of gamblers
"rhe courts have taken the attitude -
be said "that unless the officer has been
Ia the gambling house and placed the
BET the accusation of gambling cannot
be brought. This renders the forcible in
terruptlon of gambling useless. We are
however. allowed to smash any gambling
apparatus in sight
But gamblers usually have trap doors
ready to- receive all devices the moment
there Is an alarm"