The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-08-18
RAID MADE ON
WAWASEE Inn
FOR GAMBLING
Fifty Rich Patrons Look On
as Officers Remove De-
vices From Resort.
OPERATING FOUR YEARS
SWoop Follows Protests of
Sheriff That County
Was Clean.

LAKE WAWASEE, Ind, Aug. Is.
After four years of alleged wide
open operation, extensive gambling
in the Wawasee Inn, exclusive sum-
mer resort, was said to have been
uncovered in a raid by police of
Warsaw, Bourbon and Milford,
shortly after midnight.
More than fifty wealthy patrons
of the Wawasee Inn lined the walls
of the casino. noted as the Monte
Carlo of the middle vests popular
playground, while raiders dumped
six complete roulette wheels, Chuck
aluck and other gambling equip
ment on the terrace facing the lake
in front of the hotel.
Many of the patrons will be forced
to appear as witnesses against the
proprietor of the hotel, Bernard
Cuniff, president of E. G. Sphinx 81
Company, Indianapolis. When in
Indianapolis, Cuniff and Mrs. Cum
if live at the Spink-Arms.
Raid Over Sheriff's Protest
Unfolding of story by members
of the raiding party in which county
officials may be charged with ac-
cepting "hush money" to allow the
casino to operate, was expected this
afternoon.
The equipment, whose operations
allegedly have been responsible for
exchange of many thousands of dol
lars since the inn was opened late
in the summer of 1926, was loaded
on two trucks and taken to the
KoSciuSko county Jail, at Warsaw,
where it was placed in custody OF
the sheriff
The raid was led by Justice Nor
man Groves, Milford; Prosecutor
George Bowers, and Constable Bert
Mabie, Syracuse, over protests of
Sheriff Frank McKrill that there
was no gambling in the county.
The step was looked upon by
residents of WaWasee and other lake
resorts comprising most of the
county'S summer population, as a
victory for forces of Billy Sunday,
noted evangelist, with headquarters
at Winona Lake, Ind, near War;
saw
Condemned by Billy Sunday
For years the Wawasee amuse-
ment and recreation resorts have
been condemned by the evangelist,
always with the backing of Con-
stable Mabie, but with little success.
Despite his attempts to close them,
motion picture theaters, dancing
pavilions and the WaWasee inn,
scene of many conventions, operated
without restraint.
Constable Mabie declared he had
made previous attempt to raid the
inn, but was delayed because he was
unable to obtain aid of other law
enforcement officers.
The first search was made June
%. The second warrant was issued
Aug. 7.
In the casino of the inn, which
opened with the hotel in 1926, as
much as $4,000 has been lost in a.
single nights play by one guest,
witnesses have declared
No City Address Given
The inn catered only TO wealthy
patrons, chiefly from Chicago, In-
dianapolis, Toledo and Detroit.
Among the fifty guests we're men
who gave names and addresses: II.
E. Burke, 756 North Meridian street;
Seymour Seegel, 1877 Campbell
street, and Samuel Abel, 444 North
Capitol avenue, all of Indianapolis.
City directory lists no H. E. Burke
and no 756 North Meridian street,
site of the Hotel Antlers. There is
no 1877 Campbell street, according
to the directory, and 444 North
Capitol avenue is given as the adj
dress of the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway Corporation.