Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-09-19

Captain of Police Maurice
Hart and Patrolman Fox
last night netted the de-
partment enough evi-
dence to warrant criminal prosecution
against alleged offenders in a court
Of record.
As a result of the crusade 81 600
worth o. gaming paraphernaila taken
from the Hotel Ottawa lays mass of
wreckage today. The hammer was
applied to the contraband outfits by
Commissioner Palmer late last night
at the police station, when he acted
upon the advice of Mayor Weeks and
destroyed valuable roulette wheel
and costly slot machine.
The first raid was executed at the
T. ] Aertney soft drink parlor on
Madison street al 4 o'clock Yesterday
afternoon The Ottawa Hotel visit
came a little later, the wrecking crew
finding gaming paraphernalia on the
third floor of The hotel showing no evi.
dences of recent use. Contiscating the
| wheel and machine. the police took
them to headquarters and conducted
their crusade of destruction on them.
Accompanying the local officials
was Deputy Sheriff Frank Frazier,
/ ~ N i, ic fpio al
! ity, took no active part in he drive
10 put an end 10 gambling in the city.
Get Nertney Paraphernalia.
While two alleged poker tables. one
chuck luck, stud poker table and a
double slot machine We're yanked out
Of the r. ]. Nertney basement, no ar
rests We're made BY the time the
raldlng squad was admitted to the
room where games of chance were
suspected 20 exist the occupants, II
any there were, had flown safely to
the outside world where they sts.
cured themselves against detection by
the commissioner and his aids, there.
by giving themselves immunity
against prosecution
lhe crusade came as climax Of
the oft repeated rumors that gambling
was at is zenith in Ottawa, despite
Il persistent campaign conducted by
Mayor George V. b. Weeks against IL.
No later than Tuesday morning Chief
Of Police Grove issued a statement to
a part of Ot'aWa's reading public thar
gaming did not exist in the city. and
the raid of yesterday came as a sur.
prise not only to the reported gam
olers but to the public in general.
The alleged gaming dens charge the
chief with spring a coup de etat to set
them off heir guard for the big raid.
Secure Search Warrant.
To secure themselves against any
changing legal intractions Commits.
sioner Palmer and Mayor Weeks held
u consultation before the raid and de.
cjded they would 90 before Judge
Mills IN the County Court and secure
q search warrant. This would insure
the services Of a deputy sheriff 10
spring the warrant on r. ]. Ner;ney,
owner Of the place. After the war.
rant was properly disposed Of il re.
manned the option of the police to
carry on the raid peacefully or smash
III the doors Of the alleged den, which
ever they saw fit.
Fortunately there was no need OF
using violence to enter he basement
rooms, Mr. Nertney himself admitted
the squad, but fifteen minutes elapsed
before he could find the proper key
10 the door and Get it unlocked. It is
charged by city officials that those fif.
teen minutes gave tho occupants, IL
there We're any ample time to duck
ou' lront StairWayS or any other exits
available for escape When the five
men entered there were plenty signs
about the room of recent occupancy,
but no occupants The chairs we're
set about he various tables while
match boxes We're strewn about. white
in the air there was a faint odor of
tobacco smoke, none of which, how.
ever, could be used 20 identify tho
men, If there We're any there, who
reSOrtcd 10 flight during those few
minutes delay as means Of prevent
ing their being detected Anyway. as
tar as humans are concerned there
want no sech thing in the gaming
place until after the officials swarmcd
into it,
After making a careful survey Of
the basement the commissioner or
dered the squad to seize all the con-
traband The tables We're taken from
The basement and removed to the