New Britain herald., 1929-01-28
SUNDAY GAMBLERS
RAIDED BY Police
Crap Game Across From Church
Is Broken Up

A smoke shop and pool room at
55s Main street. opposite St. Mary's
church. was described In police court
today as a gambling place which
Chief w. c. Hart wants closed for
all time. by Detective Sergeant G. C.
Ellinger. who led a raid on the place
yesterday afternoon and found a
crap game" in full swing. Harry
Dill. IS, Of 1859 Greenwood street.
pleaded guilty to the charge of con-
Quoting a gambling place and was
fined $35 and costs. while the fol-
lowing were fined SO without costs
each on the charge of frequenting:
Frank Rose, 36, 81 Miller street:
Glide Berreault. 20. 262 Main street;
John Byareck. %. q Austin street;
George scheyd. lS5 fremont street;
Frank Majewski. Is. l4S Farming
ton avenue: William Mcneil. 81. 81
Carlton street; JOSEPH Silenski. "a. of
81 Beatty street; John Swyesezyswi.
81, 1874 Ward street. Hartford: Rocco
Dominica, %. 7o Willow street:
Henry Madrick, -, &C Oak street;
Matthew Seaman, %. ~ Erwin
place; Paul Cooley. IS, IS Sexton
street: Howard Cunning, 80, 237
Elm street: Walter Kenyon. IS. Dali
las avenue, Plainville; Joseph Nogis,
Is, 20 Lawlor street; Aran Bogo-
sian, 81, Is Union street: James Ora
gan, 10 North street.
Raymond Frawley Of 81 Talcott
street and Louise Mastre of 511 Asy-
lum street, Hartford. were discharg-
ed. Judge SAKE remarking that while
he doubted their stories, he would
give them the benefit Of the doubt.
He warned all the frequenters that
the next time they are convicted on
this charge they could expect to pay
heavy fines.
-Four Hide In Cellar
Sergeants Ellinger, O'Mara and
McAvay. and Officers kiely. Tan
quay, Malona and Anderson raided
the place, Sergeant McAvay selling
so cents on the pool table around
which the players were gathered.
Dill was walking from the pool room
to the front Of the store as the police
entered. and a wild scramble for
safety ensued. four players running
down cellar where they hid and
might have been overlooked had not
one OF them whispered to his COM
panions when one Of the raiders re-
marked to another that there did not
seem to be anyone about.
Three trips of the police patrol
we're necessary to convey the crowd
to headquarters and all were releas-
ed little later on bonds. All plead
ed guilty with the exception OF
Scheyd, Madrick, Mastre, Mcneil,
Bogosian, Nogis and Frawley. Mastre
told the court he had brought q
friend to the place and had returned
for him when the police entered. but
he had never been there before and
he was not playing. Nogis said he
had brought a bottle of soda water
from the front to the back OF the
store, one Of the players having call
ed for 1t. and the police entered al
the same time. while Frawley's story
was that he had gone into the store
to buy cigarettes and use the wash
room. He said he has two sick chill.
dren and he was to have gone tt
work this morning after two months
Of unemployment.
The others who pleaded not guilty
declined to take the witness stand
and Dill after declining at first, de-
cided to make statement. The
gambling game had been concluded
he said. Just before the police en-
tered. He admitted that he told the
police he took over the place Deem
Der I. 1928 and 1t had proven to be
a white elephant. 80 he took The
risk Of having a game there in ordel
to bolster 1t up.
Grogan. who pleaded guilty, tool
the witness stand to deny that HI
i was "raking" the game. He saw {
chance to escape through the real
door and he took advantage Of 1t, HI
admitted. only to be arrested late
on q warrant. Madrick admitted
that he makes practice Of "hanginl
out" at the place practically ever.
day, and yesterday he was sitting OF
a pool table looking at the gam
when the raid was made. He said h
has been looking for work but Judg
SAKE remarked that he need not ex