Evening star., 1928-11-27
BUILDING OWNERS
LIABLE IN GAMBLING
Held Subject to Jail and Fine
for Permitting Gaming
on Premises.

A new offensive loomed in the police
war on gambling today when the United
States attorneys Office, in an informal
opinion, held it was entirely feasible to
take action against the owners of prop
ertv where gambling is conducted, aS
well as against the gamblers themselves.
The views of the prosecutors office
were made known as the result OF
statement by Maj Edwin B. Hesse, SUI
perintendent of police, that he pro-
posed to ask for an opinion as TO
whether it would be possible for him to
move against property owners.
If such a step were taken the prop
erty owners would be subject to the
same penalty imposed against gamblers
"a year in Jail, giving the police an
other powerful weapon in their cam
paign.
Hesse Seeks Weak Points.
Preceding his action today, Hesse or
dered rigid scrutiny by building ana
fire inspectors of all places where so
cial clubs are known to operate and
hopes that his investigation viii enable
him to have the reinforced iron doors
which guard the portals of many OF
the clubs condemned as fire hazards
and torn down. He may also find, he
indicated, that there have been changes
inside the buildings occupied by gam
blers which have not been authorized
by permits. Such a disclosure would
bring the property owners within the
law and admit of their prosecution.
Mai. HeSSe thinks that the great ma
ioritv of property owners know the
business and character of the tenants
to whom they rent and accordingly are
equally as guilty as the proprietorS OF
the gambling clubs which operate on
their premises.
Per1lsal of the District code this
morning by the Office of the United
States attorney revealed, it was de-
clared. that it authorizes the steps
against property owners, section S66
providing penalty of one year impris-
onment or a fine of $500 or both for
the owner of a building who knowingly
permits any gaming device to be set up
or used on the premises. The statute
follows:
whoever In the District knowingly
permits any gaming table, bank, or
device to be set up or used Tor the
purpose of gaming in any house, build
ing. vessel, shed, booth, shelter or lot
or other premises to him belonging
or by him occupied or of which at the
time be in his possession or control,
shall be punished by imprisonment in
the Jail for not more than one year
or by a fine not exceeding $500 or
BOTH
This section is commonly applied
against tenants, but so far has not been
invoked as a weapon against the prop
erty owners.
One Club Operates Openly.
AS the forces of the law are being
marshaled against Washington's gam
blerS, only one of the known social
clubs" continues to run openly. The
policeman on guard outside the door re-
ports, however, that its proprietors viii
Starve on the patronage they are re-
ceiving Only "a persons entered the
place yesterday, and at 6 o'clock in the
evening the operators closed UP for the
night. only to reopen again today.
Maj. HesSe is not overly optimistic
concerning the situation. He thinks
that the clubs have abandoned their
known locations and are operating else
where. Accordingly, he has instructed
commanders of all precincts to be on
the alert in ferreting out any new
clubs opening in their territory. To
date only two such places have been
discovered. They were raided Satur-
day night without warrants by Capt.
Guy E. Burlingame of the Second pre-
cinct, the games broken up and 40 per-
sons arrested on charges of disorderly
conduct. Only seven appeared in Police
Court yesterday to answer the charges.
They were acquitted and the collateral
of the others forfeited
Many habitual patrons of the
clubs which have closed their doors
across the Maryland State line. Maj.
Hesse declared today Practically all
the money which supports the place
comes from Washington, he said, and
it was because of this that he took
steps yesterday to secure the cooper
alton of States Attorney Parran of
Prince Georges County, Md.