The sun., 1918-01-29
GAMBLING OPEN,
IN MANY CLUBS
SWAMI ASSERTS
Threatens to Publish Men,
bership Lists Of So-Called
Social Bodies.
NAMES MANY PLACES
"Impudent" Is Term Dis
trict Attorney Applies to
Way Games Are Run.
1NTIMATES ACTION SOON
Prominent Russian, Victim OF
Gunshot Wound, Said to
Have Lost at Poker.
NAMES MANY PLACES
1NTIMATEs ACTION SOON

Tets quit kidding ourselves Gam.
$etns IN New York Is open Nns fmpudent
The merry gamblers are rakfnS In cash
Sy The hAtful. They are employing the
ssvsl asviss Of operating their gambling
houses unasr the advice Of learned
counsel" eaid District Attorney Swami
yesterday.
Information coming into his ONCE Is
that a prominent Russian oflicial now Is
In n hospital, after having attempted to
commit suicide. Tho District Attorney
q, investigating q well founded report
that the official lost heavily In q poker
game at a hotel In the Tenderloin on the
Glgh. before he was found with bullet
rear his heart.
Another story under Investigation is
that a we'll known vaudeville actress.
drawing four kings in game at
women's Club" In West Forty-eighth
street, accused another actress, who was
dealing, OF dishonesty when the latter
showed four aces and demanded the
$4,000 which had accumulated on the
table. Each smote the other. ard the
vaudeville star finally compromised oy
paying 31,700.
4 former state Senator. who before
that was a Yale athlete Of many head
lines, Is said to have lost $4,000 a
month ago. A Bethlehem Steel of1
acaal was to have attended the same
game, It is said, and was to have been
picked" for $4,000. An imperative
meeting Of the directors coming at the
time saved him.
Mr. Swami yesterday said he could
stand at q certain point not fAr from
Times Square and point out . half
dozen gambling clubs within stones
throw.
The District Attorney 5erksd open .
drawer In tho big. nat topped desk OF
his private Office in the Criminal Courts
Building yesterday as he aaiA this, ana
rinled . sheaf Of typewritten papers.
Has Membership List.
"Right here" he said. i've got the
membership lists OF social clubs main-
,a.ned by that suave and genial enter
tainer Mr.. Honest John Kelly; by the
brilliant young mathematician Mr.. Ar
hold Rothstein and by others less
gifted perhaps but none the less as
siduous In the pursuit Of the useful
dollar.
DO you get it?" continued Judge
swami in his nervous. ironical way. Elk
perimenters at the law OF probability
are no longer required to expose them.
sslyes to the coarse, low Influences and
atmospheres that marked gambling back
In the days Of Jerome. Oh, no. Moth.
ing like that. They become members OF
an Incorporated club. II you please. The
excellent Mr.. Kclly receives them with
the distinction and grace for which no Is
celebrated. He draws upon his erudition
TO instruct or amuse them His quar-
ters are superb. the finest pictures. the
most luxurious carpets. wines. cigars OF
Havana, silent, swift service. One could
do little better at the most exclusive
clubs.
Private Rooms for Special A2atrs
There il no talk Of the war. Of 3d.
,ialism. Of the uprisings Of the proletar'
lat, Of art One might glance a00unc
these gorgeous parlors In vain Tor 9
sight Of a roulette wheel or . faro lay
out. Presently, after this now OF sou
and feast Of reason. the members OF thu
club may withdraw to private roomi
'upon their special afYair& II decks o.
cards are produced. or II somebody mir
aculousiy fnds the oilcloth upon whicf
is painted tho mystic symbols OF faro
or IL pairs Of dice appear mAgicaAy fol
the second great American Amusement
Of craps. what has tho old gambler
Kelly. got to do with II? Obviousi.
nothing. The members OF the 'Manstel
Club for which Honest John IL titularl!
the host are merely amusing them
selves after the wearisome business O
making a more or less honest living.
Now" continued Judge Swami, Il hav'
drawn you the picture In broad strokes
There Is your New York gambling hous
Of the hrst rank to-day just a. Il ha
existed ssr years. Kelly's 10 mentione'
by me solely for purposes OF Illustration
The middle Of Manhattan 10 spotted wiz
these social clubs that have incorporate
themselves and are trimming the mex
haustibls supply Of suckers (my laneuaSe
you observe, Is suited to the topic) jus
- they trimmed them In the bad old DAY
when such a. Kelly fortressed hiSnsel
behind Harveyized steel doors, used elec
tric currents to discourage too impetuou
policemen. employed an ingenious sys
tenn Of almost human bussers. main
tained secret doors and passaSewayi
built solid steel vaults and otherwise re
LED upon the methods Of medievalism.
Graft Just - Rich To-day.
The graft 10 just ~ rich-wh
eAouldn't II b. when the town " roilin
IN ney7---and the games are just
open II one knows the tricks OF clu
membership: but now It 10 the law th'
10 called upon 70 defend these slick SCI
try. The law and good-or, r. shoul
say. capable-lawyeys. The handy ~
tion Is created by these counsellors tha
club IL invioIats An Englishman
home 10 his castle A New Yorker
club, by this Interpretation. is.s SAM
tuary where he " free to break u
laws that hamper lees acute men.
Here. I'll play tipster for the charm
ing clubs. the Nanistsr. the Astropol
tan. the Idle Hour. the Thinkers and Z
Of the rest OF them. Suppose you are
stranger in New York. ~ two OF my d
'ectives pretended TO bs not long ~
when they toddIsd down % Al Levy
place on the lower East Side and cou
p'a!ned they had made % much mont
oot of munitions making II wearisd the
TO carry II around. All In the world "
CO~t'sred on FvtA Pd0s'