New-York tribune., 1920-03-27

g
the Civitas Club.
"Quinn testified that Assistant District
Attorney Smith never was an officer OF
the Civitas Club and that he was there
only once. He said further that he
had been secretary Of the club for three
months and had bought the furniture
for the place for $3.50 from man
named Fisher, who had store at Co.
lumbus Avenue and 103d and 104th
streets.
"The girl secretary testified that
on nsthrec or four occasions she had gone
to the Criminal Courts Building to
deliver, an envelope from her employer
Mr.. Goldwater, the contents of which
she did not know and that on one or
two occasions she had handed it to Mr.
occasions, not finding him in, she left
the envelope on Mr.. Smiths desk in his
private Office.
Just what connection this testimony
has with the charges made by Assistant
District Attorney Smith and the coun-
ter charges of Inspector Henry will be
apparent when the testimony of Harry
S. Goldwater, taken before mo during
the investigation of the Police Depart
ment made in February, 1918, is dis
closed
NOt0WaVeT saw SWltn
"At that time Goldwater testified thai
about ten or twelve years previous tt
January, 1918, just before Whitman
was elected District Attorney, he hat
an interview with Mr.. Smith in ref
crence to a lawsuit resulting from
SOME injuries which his son had suf
fercd and during the conversation he
had told Smith that he was in the gam
bling business in 10th Street"
According to Commissioner Hirsh-
field. Goldwater testified that he told
Smith that poker was a good business
and that there was more money in il
than in any other enterprise, suggest.
ing that gambling house be opened
He referred to the formation of the
Civitas Club
In reply, Goldwatet testified, Smith
told him that he expected to be APP
pointed Assistant District Attorney or
the election of Whitman and that, if
appointed, he might be able to do some
thing for Goldwater. Presently. said
Goldwater. Smith called him on the
phone, saying he wanted to see him
about matter of interest to "both
of u.s." This was following Mr.. Smith s
appointment as an Assistant District
Attorney, according to Goldwater
Goldwater's testimony follows:
Saw Smith in Court
II went in to the court and waited foi.
him where he was trying q case and
ne motioned me to sit down in any
front seat. He got through what he
was doing and he came and sat down
next to me on a bench.
He says to me: 4 told you when l
saw you before that was going to be
made and | am made. ! want to open
club on the West Side and am going
to give you chance to get in I said
no. ! had been out of this business so
long dh not intend to go back in the
graft. If you feel that way about it.
don't so in on my account said Smith.
can get thousand others, John
Considne, Rachel and others, who
would be tickled to death TO get a
proposition like this
II don't say ! want to turn it down,
] replied, but | want to find out the de-
tails-what you want and what we can
do Well he said. you told me the
poker business vas very profitable, and
l thought you had furniture and could
fix up a nice house l said no. l had
no furniture; | would have to buy new
furniture. But that would not concern
me, for, while | was broke and did not
have any money, I could get anything
| wanted in that line. | said: .....,.
There is lot to go over in this
matter, and | would like to see you and
lave good talk, because we could not
talk here We were in the court. I be-
llevc Judge Malone was sitting. made
an appointment to call on him the next
day IN his office, which was on the third
floor. ard he said or intimated that
he thought rs per cent for myself and
25 per cent which he had to have for
In IL !
say he exactly had to have it for him
self, and he said, i think that is a fair
proposition,' and said That is easy
enough
Gambling Place Opened
The gambling place was finally
opened. according to Goldwater. He
continued:
ut was run strictly as a gambling
house, not political at all. We had
meetings there. l had a banner in
front of the place. Smith ordered it..
We mad charter there. Mr.. Smith
gave us that He had it in his office.
1t was an old charter. The date of the
charter is June 10, 1914. That's when
the charter was issued. The charter
is in the name of the Civitas Club.
I'VE held meeting before we opened
up, at which we expected to organize
and elect officers
Henry Goldsmith, lawyer; Louis
Haas, in the real estate business. He
represented some cloak and suit manu-
facturer. Prior to that time Haas was
i'll the poker business. He was for
merly with Oppenheim. Jim Smith
designated the officers; himself, presi-
dent; Henry Goldsmith, vice president;
Louis Haas, treasurer, and l believe
was made steward"
Goldwater testified that he tried to
run poker game, but "starved." He
said he could not get any business.
During that time," Goldwater said
II paid the rent l sent the rent to
Smith with my girl most of the time
During that time Smith came down
every night. We ran a poker game
upstairs and pinochle game and small
poker game downstairs, and Smith
played. We had liquor and some
people paid.
Business Poor at First
When opened up | was very much
disappointed because Smith told me
there were lot of Gentle fellows
there who were crazy to play poker
and he also said: If business was bad
:! wall close up a lot Of these poker
houses around here and will make
them all come to u.s.
After the business started to show
some life Git must be slack until YOU
work up trade) we. increased from
one game to two, and finally got the
business working SO that on Saturdays
and sundays we had three games, from
winch revenue is considerable, cspe-