New-York tribune., 1918-02-16
Poker, Not Politics,
Was Game at Club
OF Hearst League
Publishers Name Never
Mentioned, Says Sub
penaed Witness
BY BRIGGS
IHG '0AtO Up

The inquiry into gambling being con-
Quoted before Judge Wadhams centred
yesterday about an old brownstone
house at 90 West Thirty-tirst Street. A
citizens committee gave the house to
General George B. Mcclellan in the
COS in recognition of his service
as commander of the Army of the Po-
tomac. 1t is now owned by the estate
Of his widow, the mother of cx-Mayor
George B. Mcclellan, and is known as
the Independence League Club of the
9th Assembly District"
"A witness whose ideas concerning the
Independence League and William Ran
dolph Hearst were impenctrably vague
testified yesterday that he had spent
was given to the former commander or
the Army of the Potomac, engaged in
$3.50 limit game of poker that lasted
eighteen hours.
care you member of the Indepen-
dence League?" the court inquired Of
Henry Moritz of Far Rockaway, the
witness.
81 don't know what you mean" Mo-
ritz replied, a trifle bewildered.
care you member of the lndepen-
dence League. political organization
of which William r. Hearst is the
head ?"
ooh, mo-" he replied. with flood
of erstanding sweeping over his
countenancc.
"Have you ever heard Mr.. Hearst
speak in the club"
"No, never heard political speech
there, and the club has never marched
in parade either"
"Do you ndorse any Of the political
principles which Mr.. Hearst preached -
"Not that know Of replied Moritz
with a return OF the old puzzled air.
"Not that it's any reflection if you
do said Judge Wadhams, with a sus-
picious twinkle.
All Of this. and much more. was in
iccted into the record of the John
Doc" inquiry for the evident purpose
of making it clear that the "Inde-
pendcnce League Club of the 9th AS
sembly District probably is not per
sc an organization existing mainly for
the purpose of propagating the politi-
, cal policies of William X. Hearst. To
continue: e
Information regarding the character
of the club was furnished to Assistant
District Attorney Smith by an anony-
Costigan put his men on the watch,
with the result that Mortz and BENZ
min Bcrk, OF 3O5 West Forty-ffth
street, and Abraham l'riedclson, of 1855
Seventh avenue, members, were trailcd
from the club doors to their homes
and sub2pnacd to 90 before Judge
Wadhams and tell what they knew
about the intimate associations of
their fellow members and how they
pass away their time in the we'll ap-
pointed clubhouse
dues a year and get their meals and
all the comforts of home. The rake #
is q white chip worth 25 cents, and the
limit is anywhere from SO cents tc
$3.50.
They testified that their names were
proposed for membership by Gus
Haskell, who usually sits behind the
"desk" and sells chips and takes the
rakeof. They all testified also tina,
! Adam Blake was president and Morris
/ Baum secretary and treasurer. They
also swore they had seen Blake aul
Baum presiding behind the "desk.'
Abraham +. Friedclson testified he
was treasurer of the Monroe Clothing
Company. with eighteen retail stores II
! New York. He said he didn't know
that the club had any political afilia
tlons. On Lincoln's Birthday he said
he sat in a game which lasted 70,
nearly eighteen hours. The limit wa.
$3.50. he said.
"Did you win anything?" askct
Judge Wadhams.
ooh, no, never won,' replied tn,
witness in a stage whisper
"Oh. ! see. You are one Of those
who help support the club" replied
the court. and the uproar that FOLLOWED
had to be stilled by the use of tn,
courts gavel
Assistant District Attorney Smith
said his information was that the aver
age annual revenue of this club from
the kitty amounted to about 100000
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