New-York tribune., 1920-12-12
Court Opens
CamblingTr
Tomorrow
Five City Officials and AZ
Others Indicted by Elk.
traordinary Grand Jury
to Appear at Ballston
DENIM First To Be Tried
Supreme Justice Van Kirk
to Preside at Hearing Re.
sulting From Crusade
Special Dispatch to Tho Tribune

Special Dispatch to Tho Tribune
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y, Dec.
11.--What promises to be one Of the
most dramatic terms Of the Supreme
Court held in Saratoga County in years
will open Monday at the county seat
Ballston Spa, with Supreme Justice
Charles c. Van Kirk on the bench.
At this time the evidence collected by
Wyman S. Bascom, Deputy Attorney
General, who, with the extraordinary
grand jury has been investigating vice
and gambling in Saratoga County since
August g. and which resulted in more
than sixty indictments, will be pre-
sented to the court ind jury.
The trial of the persons indicted
virtually closes the activities Of the
extraordinary grand jury, but it is
understood it will remain subject to
call. 1t also means the first step in
the direction of the way blazed by
Conservation commissioner Pratt, who,
in an address during the winter Of
1919, stated that Saratoga had come
to q parting Of the ways and that she
must decide for q clean city devoid Of
gambling and Its vices or, failing in
this, the city, minus the help of the
state, would have to continue In its
then present status"
With this condition confronting the
city, it became apparent that war
between the gambling and anti-gam-
bling factions was on. Subsequently
John Doe proceedings were begun by
District Attorney Andrus.
Committee Investigates
The publisher Of a local newspaper
and several Of the reportoral staff
were held in contempt by City Judge
McTygue when they refused to divulge
confidential information which had
formed the basis of series of articles
calling attention to the existence of
conducted. A citizens meeting was
called and law and order committee
named to investigate conditions.
Following an investigation by the
committee Governor Smith was ap-
pealed to and subsequently he for
warded letters to several city and
county officials, warning them that
unless gambling and vice ceased they
would be removed from office. The
next move came early in June, when
an extraordinary term of the Supreme
ernor Walker, with Justice Van Kirk
presiding. In this connection Wyman
S. Bascom, District Attorney of Wash
ngton County, was appointed by the
Attorney General to act as his deputy,
superseding Charles B. Andrus, Dis
trict Attorney of Saratoga County, as
prosecuting officer. An extraordinary
panel of grand jurors was drawn and
the fight was on.
During August several raids were
conducted by Bascom in person,
number of arrests made and gambling
equipment seized. The net results of
raids on August ID, at 60 Philadelphia
Street and rs Nelson Avenue, in this
city, resulted in the arrest of thirteen
persons at the former place, together
with the seizure Of quantity of gam
bling apparatus found to be fitted with
crooked devices. When the prisoners
were arraigned before City Judge Nc
Tygue they were released in nominal
bail for arraignment the day follow
ing. 1t is asserted that seven of the
prisoners Immediately Jumped their
bail"
Raids Widespread
The raids by Bascom continued until
they extended to several villages IN
the county, where handbooks were
found to be In operation. Then the
prosecutor swung back to this city,
where more handbook places were raid
ed, as was the Indian Head Tavern,
conducted by John P. DENIM, of AL
bany and Saratoga, where it is alleged
gambling apparatus was found.
Incident to the vice crusade came
the libel action brought by Superin-
tendent of Police E. T. Carroll against
The Saratogian asking for $4,000 dam
ages because of articles published in
the paper in which it was stated that
Carroll had stolen coffee from q Broad
way store; that he was frequenter Of
a gambling house; that he was the as
sociate Of q crook, and that he had
returned gambling apparatus, stored in
police headquarters for safekeeping
to gamblers. The trial resulted in a
verdict of mo cause for action"
The dismissal of the libel action was
followed with the Indictment Of Car
roll charging him with being an &C
cessory to a felony (removing gam
bling apparatus from police headquar-
ters) and also on another count Of
conspiracy to defeat justice. Subse-
! qucntly Carroll asked to be relieved