The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-04

The sale June, 1918. was not directly
to Rothstein, but to Harry NJ. Hath
away, his chauffeur. The price was
$50, 900. A few days later Hathaway
transferred the title to Nathaniel l.
Evans, known 10 the gambling fraternity
as Nat Evans. and long pal of Roth
STEMS. The consideration" in this Sec
ond transfer is recorded in the county
clerks office as 500. Mrs. Saportas
stipulated that the name Bonnybrook
could not be retained. Hence the change
to 1.-THE Brook"
Evans had been known in Lynbrook
before he went to Saratoga and joined
1tothstein In the management of The
Brook. These two and John Shaugh-
messy are sometimes referred to as "the
big three" in gambling in this State.
The summer of 1919 was The Brooks
heyday. The principal gaming room
was what had been the dining room of
Bonny Brook Farm. There and in pri-
vate rooms upstairs roulette and faro
were the principal enticements. The fun
was fastest after IL o'clock at night. 1t
was an agreeable motor ride out to The
Brook and back. and in addition to other
attractions there was the best OF cook
cry including repasts served to players
without charge. Play was high. and
the bank. though greatly prospecting, was
,eputed to be on the level.
There are all sorts of tales of men of
means and racing fame who won or lost
as much as $4,000 In a night over
Rothsteins tables. Such tales are
usually exaggerated in the telling. and
the chances are these were too.
Sherfn's Only Call.
Except for one raid--the word is usu-
ally set between quotation marks in Sar-
atoga-the Brook was not molested in
1919. The exception was a visit from
Sheriff Austil l.. Reynolds and Thomas
Sullivan, Superintendent Of Police. Nat
Evans and his gentlemanly assistants
met the party at the door and escorted
them through the house. They found
nothing, not even pack Of cards Tes-
tifying later In a small gambling case
Sullivan was asked about this raid at
Rothstein's. He said every room was
visited except one. which the raiders did
not look into because the guide told
them 1t was occupied by lady who was
Ill and did not wish to be disturbed.
Early this last summer the gamblers
figured that this was to be a bumper
season. Nat Evans reappeared and ar
ranged for the renovation and enlarge
ment Of the Brook. The architect en-
gagged was r. N. Brezae of Saratoga.
But I had no dealings with Roth
stein or Evans or any gambler" Breeze
told the HERALD correspondent. THE
man who came to me was Frank " Nc
Laughlin, who. l was told. was a son of
the late Inspector Mclaughlin of the
New York Police Department"
Breeze drew the plans for a new wing,
which he understood was to be new
dining room. That it may have been
intended for other purposes is suggested
by the fact that the base of the windows
was eight or ten feet above the floor,
the ceiling being twenty feet high. This
wing was built and cost about $4,000
The contractors were William S. Robert
son and c. r. Parmentier, Saratoglans
Among other things, they panelled the
dining. or gaming room, with oak. fin
ished other parts of the room in steel
gray and installed an indirect lighting
system. They also remodelled the
stables, converting them into modern
garage. with several sleeping rooms and
showers. In all. these improvements
cost about $4,000. Then from the
Knickerbocker Hotel came dining room
furniture, silver, glassware and linen,
all initiated with TX" and several
mammoth vases which, in the Knicker-
booker main dining room. used to hold
fan palms. Among the paintings from
the Knickerbocker were some that used
to adorn the famous bar, but Maxfield
Parrishs King Cole was not among
them.