West Baden Springs, July 14,
Special -
Further investigations into the
scandal which the Sentinel partly exposed on Saturday morning proves that a
"rottener" state of affairs exists than was ever dreamed of by your
correspondent. The existence of the evils themselves are mild disgraces to the
community and to the State as compared with the license under which they exist.
A county sheriff accused of
accepting his "bit" from the genial gamblers who infest the hotel, a
deputy prosecuting attorney accused of being a party to the robberies of the
"sure thing gamblers" and "grafters:, a district judge spoken of
by the fraternity as being "fixed" and a district prosecutor whom,
while he has been known to cause the arrest of the "sure thing" men,
has never been know to make the least effort to molest the social parasites who
for three years have been living off the proceeds of money won from visitors to
West Baden Springs.
These are some of the discoveries
made by your correspondent since the writing of the first expose. How such a
condition of affairs could have continued so long without causing a clash which
would have caused the proud State to tremble and to bow in shame is a mystery.
ACCUSATIONS THAT ARE MADE
Ofttimes, be it said to the shame of
American citizenship, do men obtain public office in the gift of the people and
refuse or fail to fulfill their duties and to carry out their oaths of office.
It is not often, however, that the failure to do so is because of a money
consideration, this to the credit of American citizenship. More often this
failure is on account of weakness or for political reasons.
There are times, however, when an
executive officer is so corrupt as to sell his honor and the power of his
office for the dollars he can get out of it. But it is possibly unprecedented
in the history of the executive and judicial organization of the State where
such a combination of corruption exists as in that which protects the sharks
about West Baden Springs.
It is to be hoped that the
accusations against these officials are not true, but they are made by one of
the "sure thing" gamblers, not in the sense of an accusation, but
while conversing with the Sentinel's correspondent, the confidence man himself
having been first taken in at his own game by your correspondent.
CREATED CONSTERNATION
To say that the arrival of the
Sentinel at West Baden Springs yesterday morning created a sensation would be a
very mild expression. The proverbial and the overworked thunderbolt from a
clear sky would have been a long foretold and expected astronomical event as
compared to it. The train newspaper agents, perceiving that there would be an
extra demand for the paper had secured as many copies as possible after the
discovery of the article concerning this place, but the few that arrived at
this place did not suffice to supply a tenth part of the number who were
clamorous for the papers. Those sold here were read by the purchasers and
passed on to others and went the rounds until worn into shreds.
Over at the hotel consternation
reigned among the proprietors and their friends and the gamblers, while some of
the guest smiled and others commended the Sentinel for its action. The
proprietors of the hotel and the gamblers were scared. In twenty minutes after
the paper was in the hands of Mr. Lee W. Sinclair's order was issued to his
friends, the gamblers, and in half an hour afterwards the gambling hall had
undergone a metamorphosis.
First went the stud poker table,
then the expensive roulette outfit disappeared from the rooms and following
them went the two faro layouts. Nothing was left but the draw poker tables and
these find few players. On one side of the hall are the pool and billiard
tables and these, with the round tables for poker, constitute the gaming outfit
of the room. Inquirers were informed that the other games were discontinued.
But those who were know to be "right" were privately informed of the
room in another building where the games would again progress.
CHANGED THEIR PLANS
It is said on good authority, that a
change in the arrangement of the gambling hall had been contemplated. Instead
of removing all the more objectionable games it was the intention of the
"game" to remove the billiard tables and put in new and more improved
gambling devices in their stead. it is said the plan had so far matured that
the paraphernalia had been ordered and was about to be shipped from Chicago,
but that t telegram to the Chicago agents stopped the shipment until future
developments should determine what course should be pursued, and Joe Cook, the
"main guy" among the high class fraternity, left on the first train
for Chicago.
A more unfortunate lot fell to the
"sure thing" element. It seems that the news of the Sentinel's expose
had preceded the arrival of the paper, and the censure would befall the local
authorities as its result was anticipated by a constable from the court of
Justice of the Peace Robert K. Kirkland, who pounced down upon the "sure
thing" men and arrested John Jones and Thomas Toliver. The prisoners were taken
to French Lick and arraigned before justice Kirkland in a rude loft over a
country store. They had their cases continued and readily furnished cash bond
for their appearances.
At the hearing your correspondent
met District Prosecuting Attorney W. T. Branaman and asked him if he intended
to break up the gambling business at West Baden Springs.
"It's these outside fellows
we're after." he said.
WOULD SAY NOTHING
"Do you mean to say, then, that
you will make no effort to enforce the law against all alike?" Deputy
Prosecuting James Cassidy here chipped in: "They say there ain't any games
at the hotel (meaning the one at French Lick Springs) and the gambling over
there is of a harmless sort. I don't see any objection to a party of men
playing cards if they want to."
Further than this the gentlemen said
nothing. They were apparently wholly ignorant of the roulette wheel and faro
hands which were so conspicuous at the West Baden Springs hotel for so long. On
the way back to West Baden your correspondent fell in with "Johnny"
Lane. He is one of the so called "outside fellows" and has been
operating a miniature race course opposite the French Lick Springs Hotel. His
institution is exactly like the one running undisturbed under a canopy in the
grounds of the West Baden Springs hotel. He was arrested a week ago and paid a
fine n a charge of having a gaming device. A conversation was soon struck up
and your correspondent played the "con" game so well upon Mr. Lane
that the gentleman thought he had met one of the fraternity and a conversation
as followed ensued:
TALK WITH A GRAFTER
"What's the matter with you
people?" asked the Sentinel man. "O shouldn't think you would be working
here in the dark; why don't you fix things?"
"Fix things, hell. It's all
that prosecutor's fault. If he'd let us alone we would be all right."
"What's the matter with him;
are you fellows to short for him?"
"No, it ain't that. We know
there ain't no use. He was tried with a thousand cold by Dick Weldon and wasn't
touched. You know Dick. He has the privileges with Wallace's circus. They
turned a trick for seven hundred with a farmer up here in the country and Dick
got pinched. They didn't have much of a case against him, but Dick ain't got a
thing but money and he would rather come down handsome than to take any chances
of going over the mud. The thousand never turned a hair in Branaman's hand, and
he went on with the case and lost it. What show have a lot of short grafters
got with a man who won;t lay down for a thousand when he knows he;s weak. But
I'd like to know why he don't go after these other fellows. Not long ago
somebody kicked on a shell game and Branaman comes down to investigate. I'm
running along under my tent right there close to the hotel and the first thing
he does he sees me and I give up $71 and now I'm closed up. Right over there in
the most conspicuous place in the West Baden Springs hotel grounds everybody
sees it and it's intended they shall. They are running the same game and
Branaman knows it. Now I want to know why he don't treat all alike. He's a big
snitch or he'd get some dough out of it or close 'em up."
"How about his deputy?"
THE DEPUTY "DEAD EASY"
"Oh, he's easy. I've been
handing him a fiver a week and he thinks he's doing well. He works down here in
the oil stone quarry, and, of course, being right here knows all that goes on,
but he is all right. it's that damn prosecutor that troubles me."
"Doesn't the sheriff give you
any trouble?"
Lane laughed at this question.
"Oh, he's the rankest sucker of the whole lot. The boys over at the hotel
have been running for three years without even tipping him off a dollar until a
while ago he comes over and asks for a fifty. But he don't get it; they give
him a ten; what do you think of that? I've always been dead willing to find
people that you could approach, but when they are so right that you don't even
have to take them into consideration at all, and they when they finally do get
next to themselves and come and ask for their bit, why I think I would
willingly give up to them, but the boys didn't give the sucker a thing that
day, and when he comes back gave him ten, and the sucker hasn't been back since
except to play poker. The sheriff is all right. it's that damn prosecutor, I
tell you."
CAUSED A SENSATION
Open Gambling Ceases at West Baden
Authorities Will Do Nothing
West Baden Springs, July 14, - Special -
Saturday was a very dull day with
West Baden gamblers. During the early morning hours while the "big
game" paraphernalia was still in the "club" room a few players
followed the punting of the cappers, and the croupiers did a fairly good
business, considering the time of day. During this time there was also a
"good" draw poker game in progress - sufficient to satisfy the
"house"men who get the same rake off no matter how light the betting.
But with the arrival of the 11:30
train, which brought the Sentinel with its expose of "Indiana's Monte
Carlo", there was a decided change in the aspect of affairs. When the
"bank" games were taken out at noon and a visible sign was thus given
to the players that the "house" had, weakened the players themselves
showed the white feather and but a few there were who made up the afternoon
game. Ordinarily, with 255 guest in the house (that is the number her at
present), it is no trick at all to get two or three full games, but the players
somehow preferred open air exercises and more innocent sports yesterday. One of
them was just starting down the hill toward the railroad station, when he was
hailed from an upper window:
"Hello, Chjeck, don't you blay
some poker dis afternoon?"
"Oh, is dot you, Fredt? Haf you
redt de Sentinel?"
"No; what's dot?"
By this time the two corpulent
Hebrew gentlemen have met, the one on the upper floor having descended.
"Read dot," and Jack
pulled a copy of the Sentinel from his pocket. Fred glanced over hastily and
then ejaculated:
"De tenfel! But what has dot to
do width dis afternoon?"
"Vell, maybe nothing, maybe
something. I didn't vandt to had my name in de paper as von of dose gkambpliers
nor as maybe perhabps von of dose sughers, Aindt it."
"Vell, I dondt know. maybe it
vas just as bedter als ve dondt pblay", and they diminished the number of
customers for the imported Chicago toughs by at least two. How much further the
influence of this many may have gone was not apparent, but the game during the
afternoon would have been a complete failure had not one of the house men set
in.
THE PLAYERS NERVOUS
As the game continued and strangers
entered the room the players noticeably nervous and there was heard such
admonitions as "Keep your money off the table," "Call your bet
in chips and not in their value." The nervousness continued, and even the
Louisville Hebrew who sells clothing on Market Street seemed relieved when the
band on the piazza struck up a march, signifying that supper was ready.
After supper the circle was formed
again, but an extra precaution was taken. No one who was not well known was
allowed to play and those who did play were careful to give out the impression
that they were 'just playing a little freeze out'. But the money went into the
banker's hands all the same and rapidly and more surely did the checks drop
into the 'house kitty'. By this latter process the house is relieved of cashing
in all the checks issued. In the palmy days of the Monte Carlo as high as $50 a
day was thus raked off to 'go five ways', as Micky Woodruff" would say
when he wished to convey the idea that there were five in the company which
profited by the "kitty." But the "rake off" of yesterday
was but poor pay for the fine array of Chicago talent.
The fact of the whole matter is that
Lee W. Sinclair, owner of the hotel, came to a realization of the fact that it
was time to call a temporary halt. He therefore ordered that the
"hank" games, faro, roulette and "Old Hy" and the stud
poker game should be stopped on the public room, and if there were any of it
should be carried on where the offense of carrying it on would not be so
glaring. He realized that there was such a thing as over-doing a good thing.
The last straw might be added which would break the camel's back, and then the
sheriff would be compelled to make some arrest in self-defense.
Then, too, further notoriety might
not be a good thing. It were better to let the matter die out and then the
games could be renewed again on the same bold plan.
This arrangement seems to be
satisfactory to the Chicago toughs at present, but it many not long continue
so. A man who is in close touch with them told the Sentinel man that the
"game" would not stand the arrangement long unless the quiet bank
games prove more profitable than they imagine they will. It is said they have a
contract with Sinclair for the gambling privileges and that they will enforce
the contract if they can. As it apparently stands now they are deprived of the
use of the most profitable gambling devices, including the miniature race
track. This latter was removed from under the canopy yesterday.
With the games removed the gamblers
are left with barely employment enough for two men, and now there are nearly a
dozen assistants besides two of the principals, and the army of cappers with
nothing to do. This is disastrous and the gamblers will not submit to it long
if they can help it.
THE COUNTY OFFICIALS
They must evidently count strongly
upon the friendship of the county officials. It is apparent that the sheriff
and deputy prosecuting attorney for French Lick township will not even arrest
the "grafters." They could not, therefore be expected to molest these
alleged "square" gamblers. The district prosecuting attorney has said
to the Sentinel that he was not after these men. It is a sad and disgraceful
state of affairs. It might not be expected of these officials that they go
spying about the private apartments of the hotel looking for gambling, but when
it is carried on as openly as here, even if it is the great American game of
draw, there is but one course that these officials can pursue without violating
their sacred oaths, vix: to arrest all players for gambling, the cappers and
hangers-on about the place for visiting a gambling house, the Chicago toughs
themselves for keeping a gambling house and the proprietors of the hotel for
renting rooms for the purpose. Their duty is clear; will these officers perform
it? This question is now becoming an important one with the honest and
law-abiding people of the vicinity.
As to the skin game grafters of the
Jones-Toliver-Scarfaced Mike-Dan Levy-Deacon Miller stripe, they ought to be
drummed out of the country or put to work doing honest toil for the people of
the State upon whom they have so long been preying.
The people of Indiana are watching
these officials. Will they do their duty or will they allow another Roby infamy
to continue to cast a shadow upon the State's fair name.
A QUIET SUNDAY
The Gamblers at West Baden
Springs Have Nothing to Do.
West Baden Springs, July 14, - Special -
This has been practically a day of
great rest with the gamblers. No games of any kind have been running, not even
the shell games.
An excursion from Louisville brought
about 600 people here to spend the day, and, though ordinarily on such
occasions the confidence men and shell workers reap a rich harvest, it seems
that nothing in their line was attempted. In fact these people are thoroughly
scared and many of them have returned to Chicago or are seeking new fields.
The Chicago gang that operated
solely in the hotel is also scattered. Joe Cook, the principal, left for
Chicago and it is understood that he "may not return," as the
proprietor of the hotel may not again permit the open gambling which has made
the house notorious during the season.
Another version of the situation is
that the games have only suspended temporarily and intend to open again when
the notoriety occasioned by the Sentinel's expose dies out. It is said, too,
that the games are still running in a more secluded place, but if that is true
the place is so secluded that few players will find it. most of the gamblers
who are here yet can be seen wondering listlessly about the grounds with
apparently nothing to do. It looks as if gambling had suspended, certainly
temporarily.
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