New-York tribune., 1920-02-12
Hudson County
A Monte Carlo.
Edwards Told
Anti-Saloon League Chief in
Jersey Warns Governor to
ssTakc Care That Laws
Are Faithfully Executed
Many Addresses Given
Jersey City and Hoboken
Singled Out as the Worst
ssHOtbeds of Gambling"


County. New Jersey. is veritabIe
Monte Carlo and that gambling Of all
kinds has fourished even though
police and municipal authorities have
beer informed of the exact location of
many of the resorts, were forwarded
yesterday to Governor Edward I.
Edwards. with demand that he, as
chief magistrate of the state, "take
Co. '~o' the laws are faithfully
executed"
IL .etter, In winch the allegations
Wilson. Assistant State Superinten-
dent of the Anti-Saloon League of
New Jersey, and refers, as a precedent,
to when Woodrow Wilson was Cover
nor and intervened in Essex County
to suppress disorderly houses that
we're tolerated by the local authorities.
Jersey City and Hoboken arc sin
gied out in Mr. Wilson's letter to the
Governor as particular hot-beds If
carried on by men driven out Of this
city by more efficient police SUPER
vision.
Says He Informed Mayor
He said he had told Mayor frank
Hague of Jersey City repeatedly of
the gambling violations, and had even
offered to conduct the Chief of Police
to poolroom which he knew to be in
operation. In Hoboken, he asserted that
he gave direct information about a pool
room he had visited to Patrick R.
Griffin, Mayor of Hoboken, and that
nothing has been accomplished in either
city to suppress the gambling. Instead,
he said, it merely resulted in a
'shuffling" of the places. Because he
had exhausted all other avenues of
law enforcement, he wrote, he was now
appealing to the Governor in an effort
to put an enc to the violations Of the
law.
Denial of Mr.. Wilson's charges from
many of the police and municipal au-
thorities in the two cities was forth
coming yesterday, and he was de-
nounced in several instances as a
publicity seeker who liked to see his
name in the papers" Neither Mayor
could be seen, Mayor Hague's mothe r
was buried yesterday aid he did not
appear at his office. In Hoboken it
been to Seattle, Wash, would not be
back before the end OF the week.
Gustav Bach, Acting Mayor in Mayor
Grliiin's absence, characterized the com
paints made by Mr.. Wilson as absurd,
and said that they were without founda-
ton This fellow Wilson is looking
Tor pub-icity,' said he, "and all the
stuft IN his letter was printed in the
local papers months ago. We are not
tolerating any gambling here and Mr.,
Wilson knows it,"
The Chief of Police of Hoboken,
Patrick Hayes, also denied the truth
of the charges made. He said that he
directed raids whenever he had suffi-
Gent indications that gambling was
going on and he was certain that at
none % OF the places mentioned in the
wilson letter was gambling in opera
tion. AS Police Chief, he said that he
had for long period stationed plain
clothes men OF his staff at the ferries
and tube exits to prevent any influx of
gamblers from this ctv. "You, can saw
fcr me- he said, that if poolrooms
and gambling dens are being operated
here, 1t is without my knowledge and
think, as Chief of Police, that if they
were running, l would know about
tEem.''
Richard T. Battersby, Police Chief in
Jersey City for the last two wears.
denied vehemently that gambling was
going on there. "This town is as clean
as any city in the United States. and
no pool rooms or gambling of any sort
is being tolerated here. We haven't
made many gambling arrests for the
season that there haven't been may
to make. l have investigated Pc:
sonally some Of the places that Wilson
reported, where he alleged pool rooms
were being conducted and one place
proved to be a bank, and the other a
social club, where few young chaps
would go i'll the evening for friendly
game of cards l hae special squad
OF OF eighteen plain clothes men who are
looking fer gambling violations, and
there isn anything getting by them
so Ear as I'm concerned, what Mr.
Wilson says is absolutely without
basis"
John Milton, Corporation Counsel in
Jersey City, was another city official
who said that no complaints of any
gambling houses or poolrooms in Jer-
sey City had been brought to his atten-
ton He said that he had no knowl-
edge Of any gambling going On there
and personally thought that the charges
were grossly exaggerated
Justice Francis j. Swayze, mentioned
III the Wilson letter as having warned
the Mayors Of the municipalities in
Hudson County that they would be held
eriminally responsible for permitting
comment on the letter yesterday. ex.
cept to say that he thought there was
less gambling at the present time than
there had been few months ago.
The Wilson letter, which specifically
calls to Governor Edwardss attention
the street addresses Of several alleged
poolrooms in Jersey City and Hoboken
follows, in part:
i have visited many of these re
sorts IN person. where hundreds of mer
were playing the races and wildly bet
Ting at faro and crap tables. l have
reported these conditions to MAYORS
police chiefs, prosecutors and judge:
and to the public through the press.
In the city of Hoboken, after visit
ing big poolroom, l reported the fac
to Mayor Griffin, and, in like manner, il
Jersey City, called on the chief of po
lice and offered to conduct him or hi
men to poolroom then in operation.
nave repeatedly reported these condi
uons to Mayor Hague of Jersey City
The press of the county has repeated,
ana specifically brought these viciou
conditions to the notice of the authori
ties ana the public.
During the period Of Federal con
troll OF the telegraph and telephon,
companies | reported the situation t,
Postmaster General Burleson, an,
urged that the government cease bein
partlceps criminis by furnishing wiz
facilities to racetrack gamblers.
Since the election the lid is OF
wider than ever. and, as all local an,
county officials are either indifferen,
negligent or in collusion with thes
gamblers, the only responsible officia
to whom we can appeal is our Governo,
"You will remember that many year
ago the gamblers dominated New Jer