The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-01
WAR BOOM STARTS
GAMES OF CHANCE
Sudden Increase in Gambling
Causes Many Raids by
COstigan's Squad.
LANDLORDS MADE OPENLY

Money Is easier in the Tcnderloin. go
many persons have won heavily In the
stock market by the astonishing rise
in war stocks that the old days Of
lavish spending and high gambling are
iH the way Of being revived. Gambling
has become 10 much of a war BRIDE"
Dundeed, that Mayor Mitchell and Police
Commissioned Woods decided last week
that the lid was visibly fitting and that
repressive measures were necessary.
h Is the true explanation of the raids
made yesterday and on Saturday night
BY Honest Dan Costigan. detective-lieu-
0rnant. asd nearly 100 men who now
york under Costigan by special order.
Ever since the tremendous activity
n stocks began II has been no secret
ID persons familiar will Tenderloin life
that the gamblers were gayly doing
business at the old stand. There have
been stories of large losses at roulette
u bridge whist. one tale especially Of
a loss of s2I,o0o made by a prominent
manufacturer and Spectator. who be-
lieved he couid play bridge better thar
q professional gambler who runs a big
place ir Manhattan and another at Long
Beach.
All Glasses Busy.
The so-called- exclusive" houses
against which 1t is practically impossible
for the police to get evidence, have been
doing big business after midnight. their
patrons being we'll to do men who have
won handsomely In stock speculation.
The smaller games. which change their
addresses constantly AS the detectives
locate them. have never been buster
and there has been AN astonishing re-
crudescence of the handb ook game
betting o n the races In the open street
or In convenient halls and cigar stores.
In East Thirty-siXth street between
Fifth and sixth avenues handbook men
work openly, cooily paying winning
bettors on the sidewalk in the morning
and booking bets then and In the early
afternoon. Two men seem to have a
monopoly In that district. Merchants in
the neighborhood have observed that
the handbook men take bets of 20 cents
or 30 cents from messenger boys. and
these merchants have been astonished
al the %oppenness Of the proceedings.
The situation there is typical Of what
IL going ON elsewhere in Manhattan.
Handbook men are particularly busy In
the All Street district. IN New and
Beaver streets. and have boosted to curb
operators that they can handle any COM
mission offered.
Cleanup Ia Ordered.
The information as to this state Of
affairs reached Mayor Mitchell early last
week and Police Commissioner Woods
was directed to star: the cleanup. Mr..
Woods put the campaign absolutely in
the hands of Lieut.. Costigan. the most
trusted man in the Police Department.
the veteran raide against whom there
has never been "a suspicion. Costigan.
II will be recalled. headed a raiding
squad in the days when Lieut.. Charles
Becker. commanding another squad. was
all powerful. and no change in the poll
ties of the department has ever upset
Costigan's position.
He began his work last Saturday
night. after obtaining evidence against
fifteen minor gambling houses. and by
. o'clock yesterday morning the raid
ers had made their presence felt from
Spring street to 125ih street. One Of
the places visited was Boob" Walkers
club in East Fifteenth street. where six
men were arrested. These were held in
$1,000 bail each yesterday by Magis-
trate Barlow in the Yorkville police
court. The evidence was obtained by
Patrolman Cordes of C~os;igan's staff.
who managed to become a member" OF
h club. Yesterday Costigan went to
1923 West Seventy-secoud street and ar
rested jerome Melville, aged Il. on II
charge of gambling. The warrant was
issued by Chief Magistrate McAdoo,
Melville was taken to Police Headquar-
tiers yes, erday and will he a%rraigned in
the Toinbs court this morning.
No police official would admit yester-
day that conditions had become bad
enough to necessitate "A general crusade
and all of them referred inquirers to
Police COMMISSIONER Woods. Mr.. Moods
lives at the Hotel Biltmore. but could
not he found there yesterday or up to
late last night.