New-York tribune., 1920-12-28
u Useless s Police
Gambling Raids
Hinder Courts
Spectacular Round Ups,
Called Camoufage to En-
phasize Official Activity.
Show Small Results in End
Scores Taken; Few Held
Dockets Clogged With Cases
Where Evidence Is Not
Sufficient to Convict

City magistrates are complaining Of
the useless activity by the police
against players Of games Of chance.
Wholesale arrests are being made, the
magistrates say, and hundreds of pris-
cners are. being brought into courts,
clogging their mechanism. In almost
every case there is no evi lence on
which to hold these prisoners, it is
said.
BY the time these cases reach the
courts the complaint filed by the po-
lice usually fades from gambling to
disorderly conduct, with the result
evidence is produced to hold any of
the prisoners on the latter charge.
Sucn exhibitions of useless activity
ON the part of the police are looked
upon as pure csmouhage, one magis-
tratc said yesterday, and for the pur-
poses of the records at Police Head
quarters to support the contention Of
Mayor Hylan and Police Commissioner
Enright that the gamblers are on the
run.
It is not unusual for the magistrate
sitting in the Essex Street court or
other East Side courts to discharge
have fallen into the net Of the special
police gambling squads in these nspec-
tion districts Similar exhibitions are
given daily in some of the courts on
The lower West Side. In some instances
the policemen or plainclothes men who
made the arrests produce q pack of
cards or few poker chips as "evi-
dcnce."
Many Of these raids are made on So
called coffee houses IN the Italian dis
tricts, in the Greek and Bohemian
settlements in the city, whero large
mum bers of men Of these nationa1ities
noes.
1t must be shown that the place is
used specifically for gambling pur-
poses or that the proprietor exacts a
fee from each player who uses the
tables. This has been shown in iso-
lated cases, but they are few and far
between.
Raids are often made in apartment
or tenement houses where some vigi-
liant policeman discovers q few men
playing cards. A gambling charge is
almost never made against any of the
persons apprehended in such raids, but
the disorderly conduct complaint is
filed. A typical examination of the
complaining officer follows:
Magistrate did you dot
Ofhcer--I went up to the apartment
and heard some one say "I'll raise YOU"
or "This is hell of good jackpot"
gistrate-Where were you when
you heard these remarks?
fticer-Three feet in front Of the
apartment door.
Magistrate-Did you go up to the
floor to see if you could hear the voice.
or noises from there?
Oficer-No, sir.
Magistrate-Did you go to the fool
below to see if you could hear any
thing from there?
Officer-No, sir.
Magistrate-Could you hear an,
noises or loud talking from the street
Oficer-No, sir.
Magistrate-Are there any com.
plainants in this case?
O1iicer-Yes, sir
Observation-Disclosures are they,
Oficel-They were afraid 20 come.
Mag Observation-Disclosures discharged
While some Of the magistrate:
think that these unusual activities by
the police may have a deterrent etfcc
on regular gamblers who may happe,
to ply their trade in the neighbour ood.
where the raids are made, they believ,
that the net result is a loss of tim,
and an unwarranted hardship to thou
sands of DerSons