Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-11-21

crusade in December, 1884, the
fence against the District line was
torn down by workers, ostensibly
to make way for construction OF
a railroad viaduct.
Back Again BY Nightfall.
AS fast as the District workers
tore it down. Jimmy's workers
put it back. BY nightfall the
fence was in place and it was
business as usual. Then the
police began stopping cars coming
from La Fontaine's into the Dis
trict, taking the drivers names.
This proved nothing except that
LIS percent of Jimmy's constituents
were from Washington.
La Fontaine pulled through
most of his legal encounters un-
scathed. An example was the
suit for $4,000 damages by a
man who thought he was run
over by one of La Fontaine's GUS
toner hauling limousines. La
Fontaine denied he was even in
business at that time.
He was not so fortunate in one
precedent-setting suit five years
ago. A Montgomery Circuit Court
jury awarded one of Jimmy's
clients 100000. The plaintiff
had asked for $43.886 he said
he dropped on dice and roulette.
The surprising verdict was up
held by the Court of Appeals. even
though the client admitted he had
embezzled most OF the money from
his employers. Jimmy paid of.
It was rather surprising that
La Fontaine ever got into the
gambling business at all.
He was born March 8, 1868, the
eldest son of a native Washing
tonian, James A. La Fontaine, ST.,
whose family was highly respect
ed. The elder La Fontaine oper-
ated the finest poultry and fruit
stand at old Center Market, Ninth
street and Pennsylvania avenue
NV. He wanted young James
to take over the business some
day. ..
Tried 1t for Time.
Jimmy tried it awhile, but it
was a dry business for a gay young
blade. He left the fruit and poul-
try business to his brother, George
La Fontaine, 80, Of 2784 Military
road NV, who later moved to
the new Center Market and OPP
Grated two stands with another
brother, the late Charles La Fon-
taine.
Jimmy went to Jackson City to
work for the Heath brothers, one
of the biggest gambling houses in
the country.
It was while he was in Virginia.
more than SO years ago, that he
met and married the former Annie
Bowling of Fredericksburg.
For the last As years Mr..
Jimmy and Miss Annie, as they
were widely known. have lived in
a two-story red brick row house
at 470 Maryland avenue S.W. It
Is a house with bay windows. and
the neighborhood is quiet. Jimmy
liked it, but it wasn't his. He
rented it for nearly so years.
Miss Annie was known as q
wonderful cook, and Jimmy was a
lover Of fine food. They had din
ner parties. to please the most de-
manding epicure. and in their
circle of guests were names Of dis
tinction. "''s.rf z.-''7
"1~ $50 Hit on Lottery. S"'
La Fontaine's luck came to him
slowly. One day he hit lottery
for SIS and used the money to
back his own blackjack game at
Heath's.
Before the turn of the century
he and two others set up a house
in Jackson City known as La Fon--
tame, Foster and Sanderson, !
They had trouble with a man
named. John Nelson still vivid in
| the memory Of Mr.. Mackay, the
racket busting commonwealth at
torney, Mr.. Mackay said:
John Nelson wanted to get into
the business with the others.
Once he went to the house with a
double barreled shotgun, threat
ening to kill La Fontaine. He
already had killed one man and
shot one or two others.
Zone night in 1902, Nelson set
fire to the building with can of
Kerosene. He was indicted for
arson, but acquitted because the
building was a gambling house"
La Fontaine then built his own
house Just across the street. A
bright sign outside read: "Old
Dominion Telegraph Co." Com
petition was terrific. Besides
Heaths, there were two other
places in the neighborhood.
Some of the others, paying
| $l0,0 a year to the Virginia
machine for protection, would
have La Fontaine raided." Mr..
Mackey said. "Once when he
was arrested and fined $40 by
justice of the peace, he sued
for false arrest and imprisen-
ment."
On May 80, 1904. shortly after
he took office, Mr.. Mackey set out
to accomplish what the law en-
forcement authorities had failed
to do.
i He called dozen citizens to his
Washington law Office and laid his
plans. At 4 pm. they boarded a
train for Jackson City. Usually
the train did not stop there, but
the railroad was advised of the
plan and co-operated.
Mr.. Mackey's shock troops then
set to work with hatchets and