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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