New-York tribune., 1918-02-12
Swami Plans More
Raids This Week
On Social" Clubs
Declares Attacks of Critics
Will Not Halt His
Campaign

Apparently undisturbed by the at
tacks of critics, who charge that his
crusade against gamblers is "poltical
camoufiage" intended to give the ap-
pearance that Tammany starts the city
on as immaculate as spotless town only
to set the stage for four years of un-
derworld riot, District Attorney Swami
announced yesterday that he is going
to put lot more "social clubs. over
the jumps this week. He said it wasn't
going to be SO easy to "get" some Of the
big places, but he insisted that he was
taking Grants last drive on Richmond
as his motto and he didn't care if it
did take all next summer.
The prosecutor had a conference yes
terday with Deputy Police Commission
cr Leach, in charge of Brooklyn, about
preventing the gamblers from making
the City of Churches a temporary
haven of rest.
Commissioner Leach assured me-"
said Mr.. Swami. that he was planning
to leave no stone unturned to prevent
just that thing. No, haven't conferred
with District Attorney Lewis. Commits
sioner Leach tells me that he is cop
ing with the situation. l have been told
that number of frightened gamblers
have already migrated to Atlantic City
and to Chicago, where they have been
attracted by the newspaper accounts
Of lawless conditions there"
Thirty Witnesses Called
Assistant District Attorney Smith, in
charge Of the John Doe inquiry into
gambling before Judge Wadhams in
General Sessions, said he had sub
pcenaed about thirty witnesses to tes-
tify tomorrow. He did not indicate
what section of Manhattan the wit
nesses hail from, but it is certain that
gambling resorts. Mr.. Smith questioned
three men yesterday who are reported
to have been playing in club in Chrys-
tie Street
Mr.. Smith has seized the bank ac-
counts Of the Central Merchants Club,
which was raided by Inspector Costigan
last Friday night. Two of the checks
drawn on the clubs. account in the
Irving Trust Company, Mr.. Smith said,
were in favor of Sigmund (Beansy)
Rosenfeld, the alleged proprietor of the
January 27 last, and amount to about
$500, Mr.. Smith said. About half a
dozen other checks, Of varying amounts,
and drawn within the same period, Mr.
Smith says, were cashed by Charles
Schlenger, one of the board of gov
ernors," who is under arrest, charged
with running the resort.
The club has been running under an
injunction since 1918, which ostensibly
prevented the police from breaking in
for evidence. When Inspector Costigan
went in last Friday nig hit he had four
warrants, issued by Judge Wadhams
after Samuel Jackson, the president,
and other members had testified before
the court on the afternoon of the raid.
Player Fleeced
There will be indictments for grand
larceny against some of the defendants
IN the Central Merchants Club case"
said Mr.. Swami last night. "The game
as played in that place has been 90 per
cent crooked. Scores of players have
been fleeced by trick and device. We
had an inside break in getting evidence
against this place. 1t isn't going to be
such an easy matter to get after some
OF the other clubs, but we are going
to keep right after them, if it takes ali
summer"
Carl Heyman, Louis Heyman, Charles
E. Schlenger and Jesse Mann, who were
arrested in the Central Merchants Club.
were held in 81 800 bail each for the
grand jury yesterday by Judge Wad-
hams. Morris Finkel, who was arrest
ed last Friday, charged with keeping
gambling place in East 1l7th Street
was held in $1,000 bail yesterday in
the Washington Heights court for ex-
animation on Friday.
Finsel and Jacob Goldstein, the COM
plainant who swore he lost $500 in the
place. with Finkcl as banker and deal
er came to blows Sunday night when
they met in East 1i6th Street. Gold
stein. who is an outside painter and
we'll set UP as to muscles, caused Fin
kel's eyes to look as though they had
been painted a rich plum shade. The
men were taken to the West l23d Street
station, where the warrant for Finkels
arrest was served on him by Detectives
Hughes and Cloonan, of Inspector Cos
tigan's staff. Goldsten was permitted
to go home.