The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-06-27
Strike at Heart of City
Lotteries; Operator of
Factory Held.
BOASTS OF BUSINESS
Denver Ferguson, Negro, Is
Accused as Banker in
Gambling Schemes.

Of the baseball lottery system in
Indianapolis when they raided a
factory for the manufacturer of
pool tickets at 322 N. Senate Ave.
Lieut.. Ralph Dean, Prosecutors
Detective Harry McGIenn, Sergt
Dan Cummings and squad arrested
three persons, confiscated more
than 10000 pool books, valued at
$4,000 and shut up the place,
where twenty-eight girls were en-
ployed. The officers had to use a
truck to haul the confiscated goods
to headquarters.
Denver D. Ferguson, Negro,
operator Of the factory denied that
he was the banker for the several
pools for which he was printing
and pasting tickets, declaring he
was only wholesaler" who sold
the supplies to about twenty dealers.
2S Girls at Work
If he can prove this the raid will
accomplish nothing more than the
wrecking Of his factory and the loss
of $1,000 worth of his supplies
But, Dean and Police Chief
Claude M. Worlev said they have
evidence that Ferguson was the
actual operator Of some of the pools
A Supreme Court decision protects
those who merely make the gam
bling devices, it is contended.
Twenty-eight Negro girls were
working when the officers arrived.
Ferguson was slated on charge
of operating lottery and William
Ferguson, his cousin, "a, Negro Y.
M. G. A., and Miss Louise Harrison,
%, Negro, 1888 S. Randolph ST.,
bookkeeper and forewoman, were
held on vagrancy charges. Bonds
of each are $5,000 Mary Rapia and
Abe Greenspan, professional bonds
men, signed the bonds.
AS police were carrying the books
20 the truck, Lieutenant Dean re-
Anarked:
"You must have 5000 books here,
Denver"
Boasts Of Business
Ferguson replied boastingly:
Give thousand, nothing. I've got
over 10000 books. Man, this is
big place"
Ferguson denied he had been
paying for protection" He declared
he sold to the dealers who had from
one to twenty statesmen working for
them. Police confiscated q list
they found in the place.
The factory equipment included
rows of shelves about ten feet high
and twenty-five feet long, four
electric printing presses and limo
type machine. Finished books were
stacked on the floor.
The raid was made on an affi-
davit signed by Deputy Prosecutor
John L. Niblack charging Ferguson
with having aided and abetted
Michael Gray, 148 w. Sixteenth St.
in the sale Of pool tickets.
55lOthers Arrested
Tickets for the Jumbo Moon"
''Wall Street." lightning" Man
ir-the- Moon" "Big Noon and
PdDy MOOI1 pOO1n WGIS dH1OIlS
those confiScated.
Fifty-f1ve other persons were ar
rested in the last five days for gam
ing, visiting gaming houses, pool
selling and keeping gaming devices.
Of this number Municipal Judges
Paul G. Wetter and Clifton r.
Cameron have fined four men rang
ing from 81 to $25.
Eleven persons have been dis
charged or the charges against them
dismissed in this time. The re-
mainder have been continued or
yenued to other municipal courts.
Thirteen of the continued cases
were to be tried in the courts today
According to report made
to Chief Worley by Sergt
John Sheehan, dated Sunday night.
he and Patrolrnan Thomas Harris
overheard talk indicating a dice
game in west side home. He or
dered Harris to get warrant for
the place, the report said, but Wetter
refused.
Wetter did not specifically state
that Harris had come to him, but
declared that "if there was any evi-
dence a search warrant would have
been issued"
Sheehan's report said a game had
been raided in this place last week.