Year: 1876

in Kansas City has been suspected by some
| time past-in fact, ever since the opening
of the institution. At first it bloomed and
fourished during the winter months as the
reception apartment of Miss Mary Landou
and Nine. Burgoine on Main street, neal
the Junction. These two feminines passed
for mother and daughter, and by their in
dustry and modest department won their
way into the family acquaintance of some
of the best families in the city. How OIL
where they obtained capital sufficient to fit
up and open their present magnificent es-
tablishment is one of those things the ordi-
nary news -gatherer fails to find out. But
that the Madame and her quondam daugh-
ter havemade money, and lots of it, too,
since they left their rooms near the juno
tion it is plainly evident to those who visit
their snug and sylvan retreat. The police
made the complaint about these women
early last spring or late in the winter, but
as they soon afterward removed from the
building complained of, no one cared to in
quire where they went


1t was left to an occasional contributor
of the Times to re-discover the retreat of
these now notable females and give an idea
of the way in which fast girls and boys pass
the nights, as some of them say, ''out of
town on business"


The secret leaked out through colored
girl, who was recently discharged for some
irregularity, and impaired by her to an
other domestic, and by her to the person
who visited the "retreat." They call it the
retreat because of its charming privacy
and apparent obscurity. 1t is on Main St.,
not far from the Court House. The front
of the building would appear, to the ordi-
nary observer, as building unoccupied.
The windows are darkened above, and, were
it not for the side door, left open night and
day, but which is seldom used, no one
would suppose the upper part of the build
ing occupied. But it is now discovered to
be the popular place of resort for various
classes Of people who nightly assemble to
play with and provoke Dame Fortune as
represented by her most fascinating vota-
ries. But let the last victim tell his own
story:


''We were shown first into small but
neatly furnished ante room, lighted only by
the light which penetrated from the next
room, which, in the darkness, appeared
brilliantly lighted. Our party was admitted
Immediately on the presentation of cards
previously furnished at the gaming house
we had just left, and gaily dressed colored
girl admitted us to the parlors adjoining,
where the madame greeted us and engaged
us in conversation for few minutes, and
then led the way to the place we had come
to see-'the retreat


sIt was strange sight-one that fairly
astounded one at first glance. Here, in a
room gaudily but not richly decorated and
brilliantly lighted, were assembled at least
thirty men and women, three-fourths OF
whom were engaged in the fascination OF
games of chance. At one table sat the
quondam seamstress, Miss Landon, attired
in loose, white lace wrapper, her fingers
glittering with pearls. She was dealing
faro for the amusement of a young mer-
chant of this city and two women, both
strangers to me. Four or five persons sat
by the table looking lazily ON, smoking and
slipping refreshments. At an adjoining ia
BILE two men and two women were engaged



in a game in which bright, new halfdollars
passed for checks, and gold pieces occa-
soinally passed current. One of the wo
men, girl of the period, smoked her cigar
with the monc1alamce Of an adept, while her
neighbor of the right, middle-aged woman
of means, kept record of the game on pa
per. They appeared to be playing whist.
At two small tables in the far corner of the
room six or seven women with one or two
men were interested in games of chance,
apparently poker or eucher, and money ap-
peared to be passing freely but rather ST.
lently. Taking down billiard cue we
accepted the challenge of Nine. Burgoine,
and engaged, with our friend and girl
who had just prepared to start for home, in
friendly game of billiards. These are
few of the observations made during short
visit to retreat whose existence is un-
known to even the business men in its vi.
cinity. You cali use these notes as you
please"


The above statement was handed into
the Office of the Kansas Times several days
ago by an occasional contributor to these
columns. But the denouensent was so
strange no mention was made of the re-
ported existence of the female gambling
house until a reporter had been sent to in
vestigate for himself. 1t was found more
difficult to obtain entrance to the place, as
newspaper men" are tabooed the precincts
ofthis pagoda of mischief. A deputy, how
ever, obtained admittance and more than
confirmed the observation of the writer of
Tuesday S communication. A female gam
bling house does exist in Kansas to which
women, moving in respectable society, re-
sort to spend the evening. No liquors OF
any kind other than light wines are used.
W OiuCA VI oil cuduCo VI VuGuc COIu0 duu RO,
and the fascination of the game are such
that dozens of men nightly assemble to
squander their money with women old and
young, who deal the cards like adopts, and
who bet their stakes with the temerity OF
old ''sports." 1t is strange but DER true
tale, as many man and woman in that
city know to their COST


A centennial visitor from New jersey
stopped SO long to gaze at relic in The ia
tional museum a few days since, that Spe-
cial officer Donnelly requested him to move
on. The ruralist refused to obey, and was
finally escorted to the Central police court,
| where the novelty of his position, fear OF
something else caused him to break out in
flood of tears Magistrate Carpenter re-